Earlham Hall has recently undergone extensive resorations conducted by the UEA. The hall is home to the UEA's Law School. Gareth Thomas, Director of Law CLinic, Karen Morely, faculty Manager and Professor Peter Kunzlik, Head of Law School.

ROWAN MANTELL. Thursday, June 5, 2014 3:59 PM

Although it sits in one of Norwichs public parks, many passers-by barely notice historic Earlham Hall, half-hidden by trees. For three years it has been shrouded in sheeting and scaffolding too, but now a remarkable restoration is complete writes ROWAN MANTELL.

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Step inside Earlham Hall from the gardens and you are entering a country mansion. Surrounded by parkland it has the hushed, polished feel of a stately home or country house hotel. But from October it will once again be alive with hundreds of students, flowing from classrooms to common rooms and the lecture hall to admin offices.

It is the oldest part of the University of East Anglia, and home to its law school. But centuries before it was a university department in a municipal park, its elegant arched elevations and tall star-topped chimneys, were a lavish family home for the landed gentry.

The huge oaked-panelled, ornately-ceilinged great hall was at the historic heart of the house and it is beside its sturdy southern door that, three years ago, the wall began bowing and cracking and an immediate emergency evacuation was ordered.

That could have been the end of Earlham Hall, home to generations of the remarkable Gurney family, but this summer the law department is moving back into the three floors and almost innumerable corridors, staircases and rooms, after more than 8m-worth of restoration.

The 18th century books are back in the library. Undergraduate and graduate students each have their own large and ornate common rooms, which were once alive with the rustle of rich fabrics, rattle of fine china and chatter of Norfolk high society. On the top floor, bedrooms and dressing rooms, nurseries and storerooms, are filling up with the desks, filing cabinets and bookshelves of academic offices.

Three years after it looked as if the history of this hall, half-hidden among the trees of a Norwich public park, could be over, the beautiful listed building has been revitalised.

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Hidden gem brought back to full glory

Beth Salem, the historic Reasoner family home at U.S. 301 and State Road 70 in Oneco, is to be demolished for the site of a RaceTrac gas station. The Reasoner family said they tried unsuccessfully to find a buyer for the house, which has become too costly for them to maintain.

MANATEE COUNTY - Beth Salem, the historic Reasoner family home at State Road 70 and U.S. 301, is to be demolished for a RaceTrac gas station.

Ward Reasoner, a descendant of the Reasoner brothers who founded Royal Palm Nurseries in Oneco more than a century ago, told the Manatee County Commission on Thursday that the 1896 structure became too costly to maintain.

It's just not economically feasible, Reasoner said.

The home is one of the 10 oldest structures in Manatee County and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The family offered the two-story home for $95,000 to anyone interested in relocating it.

No one offered to do it, Reasoner said.

The house is so large even to move it next door will be a substantial amount of money, said Cathy Slusser, historic resources director for the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Office. ...It makes me very sad.

It's starting to deteriorate, Mark Barnebey, Reasoner's attorney, said.

The Reasoners spent about $300,000 a decade ago to restore the house, which was once located in a isolated, rural area but now borders a Sam's Club and is across a six-lane highway from a Walmart.

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Historic home to be torn down for a RaceTrac

The Paradise Homestead was reduced to ashes and rubble by the fire. Photo Christina McDonald

The Paradise Homestead, which had undergone a near $1 million restoration to reopen in 2010, was reduced to ashes and rubble after the fire on May 23 but a firewall saved the bedroom wing from total devastation.

Ms Miller was in Invercargill on the day of the fire and first received an email informing her of a 6am lightning strike which caused a surge of electricity in the homestead's power system, resulting in a shock so violent pictures were jolted off walls.

Power to the house was lost and so, too, was the phone line.

But that was manageable.

''You learn pretty quickly that if there's lightning strikes you can't be talking on the phone,'' Ms Miller said.

But later, word came that a fire was ripping throughthe 131-year-old category one Heri tage New Zealand-listed homestead.

The property had been bought by new immigrant Hugh Miller in 1949 and remained in the Miller family until his son, David (Marijke's father), died in 1998 and the Paradise Trust was established to run the property.

''I just felt so helpless,''Ms Miller said.

''I knew that there would be no saving it because of the length of time that it takes to actually get anybody up here and being such an old building.''

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Loss of childhood home a body blow

Expert Interview: Home Restoration Inc.
Expert Interview: Home Restoration Inc.

By: Kathy Gillen

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Expert Interview: Home Restoration Inc. - Video

Cape Coral, FL (PRWEB) May 29, 2014

TheHomeMag is a national brand magazine offering high-end homeowners easy access to quality home improvement services via a high-quality, high-gloss magazine and multi-market web services delivered to their doors via the USPS and the web. Now, 60,000 of the finest Colorado Springs and El Paso County homes have joined 5.4 million homeowners in 34 other US markets receiving TheHomeMag for information and visual inspiration of home improvement projects.

We bought our very first home, an old Victorian needing restoration, in downtown Colorado Springs in 1992, so it feels especially good to be here, noted Russell and Claire Lindsay, owners and publishers of the El Paso County franchise, about the expansion. Our audience is comprised of mature homeowners with a substantial investment to protect in the maintenance and improvement of their homes. We are honored to deliver inspiring ideas that help them connect with quality providers of local home improvement services every month at no cost to subscribers.

TheHomeMags successful advertising-only format sets it apart from other magazines directed at high-end homeowners. The magazine is editorial free with nothing to get in the way of the home improvement decision-making process. Homeowners specifically and deliberately view the postal service delivered magazine or the online version for local information and inspiration regarding needed home repairs, replacements and improvements. Limiting the nature of the ads to over 200 different kinds of home improvement businesses including kitchens, bath, closets, home additions and remodeling to name a few, provides breadth of choice, but does not clutter the decision-making process with noise from unrelated advertisers.

TheHomeMag amplifies the marketing efforts of its home improvement advertisers by providing, in addition to recyclable print advertising, a free directory landing page which can include company information and philosophy, completed project photos, product information, and links to videos and testimonials. The mobile app gives homeowners the ability to reach home improvement advertisers in as little as one click. Advertisers are also offered free call-tracking affording them with measurable return on investment for their advertising dollar.

TheHomeMag is a privately held corporation formed in 2002 and headquartered in Cape Coral, Florida. The company publishes a high quality, high-gloss, home improvement business advertising-only magazine. By its monthly mailings, TheHomeMag supports local economies, inspiring the top 20% of single family homeowners in 35 US markets to preserve and improve their homes. TheHomeMag multiplies its print efforts and those of its advertisers with a substantial digital presence offering online versions of all magazines, landing pages for advertisers and other online services. Financial data remains private, but the company publishes in excess of 64 million magazines annually. TheHomeMag may be contacted at 1732 SE 47th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33904. Phone: 239.549.6960. http://www.thehomemag.com.

A brief company services overview video may be viewed at http://youtu.be/_jnXGYMb00I.

Press Inquiries: Diana Wilcox Layman, Director of Marketing, 239.549.6960

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TheHomeMag Home Improvement Magazine Grows Up in Colorado Springs, El Paso County

ByCash Kruth/MLB.com|5/27/2014 8:37 P.M. ET

The renovation of Wrigley Field will take four years to complete.(Chicago Cubs)

CHICAGO -- The Cubs are, indeed, moving forward with the renovation and restoration of 100-year-old Wrigley Field.

Less than a week after Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts sent a letter and video to fans telling them the club is done negotiating with the rooftop owners and it's time to "put the team and fans first," the Cubs on Tuesday unveiled a revised plan with additional outfield signage, an expanded home clubhouse and the relocating of the home and visitors' bullpens to underneath the right-field bleachers.

"We can't delay any longer," Ricketts said in the video. "The time to build a winner is now."

The new proposal, which will go before the Commission on Chicago Landmarks on June 5, includes four additional signs of up to 650 square feet, plus another 2,400-square-foot video board in right field. Another LED board will also be added in left field.

In addition, the previously-approved left-field video board will be 3,950 square feet instead of 4,500.

The Cubs have also adjusted the design modifications for the clubhouse. Currently, Cubs players utilize approximately 11,000 square feet, and the original expansion plan increased the clubhouse size to 19,000 square feet. The new plan further expands the clubhouse to 30,000 square feet and it will be located beneath the new outdoor plaza.

The visitors' clubhouse will also be expanded, and the home and visitors' bullpens will be moved from the field to an area under the expanded Budweiser Bleachers.

An additional club space down the third-base line and an auditorium with room to seat 200 will also be built.

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Cubs unveil revised Wrigley restoration plan

A home at 1002 Apple Valley Road that was severely damaged in September's floods was torn down by Boulder County contractors Tuesday.

The home alongside the South St. Vrain Creek outside of Lyons was considered a "high hazard," and of imminent threat of collapse, posing a significant risk should more flooding occur this year, county officials said.

The home was owned by Vicki Rivers, who watched as it was demolished by ECOS Environmental and Disaster Restoration Inc., a Boulder company.

It was one of five high-hazard homes being demolished under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's High Hazard Home Removal Program, according to Boulder County spokeswoman Gabi Boerkircher.

The home on Apple Valley Road was the third of those five to be demolished. The county's contractors earlier had removed high-hazard homes at 18522 N. Saint Vrain Drive and 16610 N. Saint Vrain Road, Boerkircher said.

The two remaining homes on that list are one at 18972 N. Saint Vrain Drive and one at 15623 N 83rd Street.

Boerkircher said that under the FEMA program, the federal agency covers 75 percent of the costs of demolishing and removing such high-hazard homes, with the state picking up 12.5 percent, and Boulder County, the remaining 12.5 percent.

The five homes whose demolition and removal costs are being covered under the FEMA program were among a number of "damaged and destroyed structures which are not only posing a substantial danger to the public but are also presenting a high hazard of immediate collapse from spring runoff or monsoon rains due to the structures' location in or adjacent to stream beds that are identified as having a substantial potential for further erosion," county Land Use Department director Dale Case said in a May 19 memo to the Board of County Commissioners.

The county has determined through its inspections that the homes "must be removed, as there is o other viable option for making these structures safe," Case wrote. "If not removed immediately, each of the structures will collapse, posing an unacceptable risk to the health, safety and welfare of the public.

"A collapsed structure poses an immediate threat to those in and around the structure as well as people, public and private infrastructure and other structures both up and down stream," Case said.

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Boulder County continues removing structures posing a significant risk

[05/27/14 - 11:55 AM] HGTV Picks Up 13 New Episodes of Hit Series "Fixer Upper" Ratings continue to grow each week for the series, with its most recent outing at 11 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, delivering a series' best rating of .58 among P25-54. [via press release from HGTV]

HGTV PICKS UP 13 NEW EPISODES OF HIT SERIES "FIXER UPPER"

New York [For Immediate Release - May 27, 2014] Fixer Upper, the hot new HGTV series that follows the husband and wife home-remodeling team Chip and Joanna Gaines as they balance their successful renovation, restoration and remodeling business with parenting four young children, has viewers taking notice and network brass pulling the trigger on 13 additional episodes with High Noon Entertainment.

Ratings continue to grow each week for the series, with its most recent outing at 11 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, delivering a series' best rating of .58 among P25-54. Since its premiere on Thursday, April 24, more than 10.3 million viewers have tuned in to watch Fixer Upper which currently ranks as a Top 5 cable program in its time period among upscale W25-54.

The series is posting ratings gains among all key demos over year ago levels, including a 13% increase among P25-54. In fact, a highly rated marathon of the series thataired on Saturday, May 17, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. landed HGTV in the #1 spot in cable among P25-54 and W25-54 during that time period.

"Fixer Upper is an exceptional series that instantly captivated our younger viewers," said Allison Page, general manager, HGTV and DIY Network. "Chip and Joanna are talented and their family is very relatable, so viewers find themselves pulled into the stories about the challenges and victories that the Gaines' encounter while renovating these homes. It's the kind of compelling television that keeps the audience coming back week after week."

Casting for Fixer Upper is currently underway in Waco, Texas and interested homeowners can apply for consideration at BeOnHGTV.com.

ABOUT HGTV

America's leading home and lifestyle brand, HGTV features a top-rated cable network that is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and the HGTV website, HGTV.com, the nation's leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of four million unique visitors per month. The brand also includes the HGTV HOME(TM) consumer products line which showcases exclusive collections of paint, flooring, lighting, furniture, plants, fabrics and other home-oriented products. In partnership with Hearst Magazines, the HGTV Magazine, a home and lifestyle publication, is currently available on newsstands. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., HGTV is wholly owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI).

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HGTV Picks Up 13 New Episodes of Hit Series "Fixer Upper"

On the day that memorializes veterans, there is also some celebration among the living.

Veterans are thanking a community for helping them get back on their feet.

The program is part of Operation Restoration Welcome Home. Many vets come into the home broken and hopeless. And they leave a different person.

It is like a unique family. I've never come across one like this before, said Vietnam veteran Raymond Mack.

For veterans who used to live on the street, the home is much more than a place to stay.

It's a plus to make new friends and be around people who have lived what I have lived, experienced what I've experienced, said Vietnam veteran Jerry Henkels.

The transitional home is a sanctuary for vets to learn to manage money, get counseling, help with addiction and meet others who understand.

You start thinking no one is here to help you, but we are all here to help each other, said Mack

Mack and Henkels met in March of this year, and they say they already consider each other family

I promised Mr. Jerry that when he leaves from here he is going to be walking and he is going to ask the first lady he sees to dance, said Mack.

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Transitional home for Upstate veterans looks to expand

Tafsir Awal wasnt looking for a piece of Bloomington history when he spotted a listing for a fire-damaged home on an online auction website. He was just looking for an investment opportunity in the town where he had attended college and had visited regularly since his graduation in 2004.

It was only after his company, Monsoon Properties LLC, had won the auction that the Indiana University alumnus learned of the role the house might have played in the creation of an important entry in the Great American Songbook, Stardust.

There is general consensus that the songs composer, Hoagy Carmichael, probably lived in the home while he was a student at Indiana University and/or shortly thereafter, in the 1920s. That he might have worked on his most famous song there is more a matter of speculation, supported primarily by an inscription on the back of a photo of the house found in the IU Archives which reads: Washington Street, Bloomington house where Stardust was born first.

For neighbors of the property at 536 S. Washington St., the main question last October when Awal and his business partner, Ahad Bhai, acquired the home was not its historic significance, but its present condition. A fire several months earlier had destroyed much of the roof and the second floor, parts of which fell all the way through to the basement. A blue tarp draped over what was left of the roof had shredded in spring rains, and what hadnt been burned was soaked in water. Graffiti decorated the front porch, and plywood was tacked over the first floor windows to prevent entry.

One day last week, Awal stopped by the home to check on the progress of restoration under the direction of Dave Noggle Builders. Work was largely finished on the first and second floors.

Fresh paint gave the home that new smell. There was no hint of graffiti anywhere on the exterior, which had been returned as much as possible to its original condition. The interior also was unchanged from its layout at the time of the fire. However, therewere new appliances in the kitchen and new fixtures in both the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms. Five bedrooms awaited new occupants. Awal said the property should be ready to put on the rental market by mid-June.

Contractor Dave Noggle smiled when asked about the challenging restoration.

We actually built backwards, he said. We started with the roof and built our way down.

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House where Hoagy Carmichael lived gets new life