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.

More:
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

HUNTLEY Melanie Hartmann now has extra motivation to finish the remaining restoration work her family started 10 years ago on a two-story house with historic roots in Huntley.

Since moving to Huntley in 2004, Hartmann and her husband have worked to save the original woodwork, picture windows and even glass bathroom door knobs belonging to their century-old home along Myrtle Avenue, near downtown Huntley.

Theyve done the overhaul in waves over the years, with about 5 percent of the restoration work left that includes the trim in the upstairs hallway and bathroom, Hartmann estimates.

Im inspired again, she said. I think Ill get the five percent done this summer.

The motivational boost came from the Huntley Historic Preservation Commission, after members awarded the Hartmanns the 2014 Pride in Preservation award this week for their restoration effort.

After spending years and investing thousands into their historic home, the Hartmanns have somewhat become local historians. They possess the abstract of title, which contains handwritten and typed notes that detail the ownership of their property.

At least six families, including the Hartmanns, have occupied the home since 1910, the records indicate. It once featured an outhouse, kitchen space for a butler and dirt basement floors. It was located on 10 acres of land, which was originally sold in 1840 for around $100.

The house had gone through piecemeal renovations until the Hartmanns started restoring features and transforming it to meet their modern needs.

A self-proclaimed lover of projects, Hartmann never realized the rich country history of Huntley until she began the restoration project.

She said her family could have lived in the many subdivisions being built in Huntley in the mid-2000s. But those new millennium homes just didnt have the same feel as their historic one.

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Family honored for restoration work

GREENWOOD The couple whose home was believed to have been struck by lightning returned home Thursday afternoon.

The fire happened Wednesday eveninginthe 2700 block of Night Hawk Road.

They were joined by a fabric restoration company Thursday. Two employees walked into the home with the homeowners and they removed a few items that were salvageable.

The couple told FOX59 their insurance company will be in town Thursday night. They arestaying at a hotel in the meantime.

I heard the hail, the lightning, the thunder, everything. It just sounded like everything broke loose, said neighbor Pat Waldo.

Waldo and another neighbor, Signe Clausing, said the home is the second one to be struck by lightning within two years. Clausing is thinking about purchasing equipment to protect her home because of it.

So yeah, maybe. Its something to consider at this point, Clausing said.

Waldo disagrees.

If it happens, well just have to handle it. Im not going to continue paying out money all the time for flood insurance, tornado insurance, earthquake insurance, all this stuff, Waldo said.

James Beavers with Joe Schmo Electrical Services said people should consider doing two important things: make sure grounding is done properly in their home and invest in surge protectors.

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Tips for protecting your home from a lightning strike

Mailboxes are not generally large receptacles. They are meant for small items like utility bills and birthday cards from Grandma. That may seem obvious to most of us, but it seems like the folks over at Restoration Hardware did not get the memo.

Thats because this week they are reaching out to their customer base by sending 17 pounds worth of catalogs. To each person.

In an interview with Apartment Therapy, the California-based companys CEO Gary Friedman said the catalogs, actually referred to as source books, are a new strategy from the luxury furniture company. In an effort to distinguish the store from other big box shops selling couches and chairs, the retailer is sending out a once-a-year installment of catalogs that detail literally all of the products that can be found in its stores. Friedman is hoping that will entice people to go to Restoration Hardware for the in-store experience, something the CEO feels distinguishes their locations from other big box shops.

Unfortunately, the catalogs have not gone over well with a lot of people. Several of them took to Twitter to complain about the weight of the source books and mock a letter that claimed the hefty group of catalogs is actually environmentally friendly.

Here is just a sampling of some of those complaints:

Despite the complaints, the strategy may work after all. With so much back pain from lifting the magazines, people will have no choice but to head to Restoration Hardware for some new, more supportive furniture.

Link:
Want to Shop at Restoration Hardware? Here Are 17 Pounds of Catalogs

Arkansas State University recently received two grants totalling nearly $1 million from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council to be used as part of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home project in Dyess and the renovation of the V.C. Kays House on the Jonesboro campus.

ANCRC awarded the university $200,000 for work on the Kays House and $750,000 to rebuild the Dyess Theatre for use as a visitor orientation and welcome center at the Cash Boyhood Home.

Ruth Hawkins, executive director of the Arkansas Heritage Sites program, applied for the grants, which are awarded annually to state agencies.

The V.C. Kays residence, one of the older structures on campus, was home to the university's first president and his wife, Bertie. Previous private donations have made way for cosmetic improvements, but this grant will allow for an extensive restoration that includes waterproofing basement walls, installing a drainage system and cleaning and repairing the tile roof, among other tasks.

Chancellor Tim Hudson said restoring the historic structure has been a project he's been involved in since arriving at the university.

"Along with our system president, Chuck Welch, and listening to faculty leaders, we worked together to turn the planned demolition of the home into a lasting part of our legacy," Hudson said in a news release.

Jeff Hankins, vice president for strategic communications and economic development, told Arkansas Business in an email that ideas for the V.C. Kays residence are still being discussed and no final decisions have been made.

"We have some opportunities related to our Arkansas heritage studies program, and we're considering ideas such as information displays for campus visitors," he said.

The Dyess Theatre begins phase two of the master plan for the Historic Dyess Colony: Boyhood Home of Johnny Cash project, which is led by the Arkansas Heritage Sites at Arkansas State University. Work to rebuild the theatre has already started.

More:Click here to view the Dyess Colony master plan (PDF).

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Arkansas State Gets Grants for Dyess Colony, V.C. Kays Home

Slashing (or thinning) trees is all part of ecosystem restoration.

image credit: Photo submitted

More than a dozen government agencies and organizations are working together to restore ecosystems in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.

Using a combination of selective thinning and controlled burning, the Cariboo Chilcotin Ecosystem Restoration Steering Committee (CCERSC) have been working together since 2008.

Prescribed burning is used by the Wildfire Management Branchs Fire Centre as a way to do some training, says the Fraser Basin Council.

This shared cost strategy makes ecosystem restoration less costly, resulting in more sites being restored.

The CCERSC works to restore habitat in 100 Mile, Williams Lake, Quesnel and surrounding areas.

Wildfire is part of the natural cycle for ecosystems in B.C.s interior and helps the divisions between the ecosystems remain productive.

For example, wildfires ensure that grasslands and open forests forests made up of large trees with open area in between remain a mix of the different plant species for the animals who rely on them.

Without fire maintaining the grasslands, small trees begin to take over and eventually fill in the grass or open forest area, creating a densely-treed forest.

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Collaborative approach to ecosystem restoration

Rogers, MN (PRWEB) May 22, 2014

Lake Restoration, a lake and pond weed control company located in Rogers, MN, today introduced new pricing for their Mizzen Algaecide and Sapphire Bay Blue Pond Dye. The new pricing will allow home and business owners to keep ahead of the scum levels and add a pleasing blue color to their pond, lake or water feature while getting a better value.

A Gallon of Mizzen covers approximately half an acre for $29.90. It is also available with special bulk pricing as low as $23.95 per gallon. Mizzen is a copper based algaecide that attacks filamentous and planktonic algae on contact. The algae will die within hours of being treated. With summer fast approaching, algal blooms can occur as frequently as every 10-14 days. By keeping a copper based algaecide on hand, you will be able to keep your scum levels under control and help prevent toxic algae from forming.

Sapphire Bay Blue Pond Dye adds a natural looking color to ponds and fountains and may be applied monthly for year-long beauty. Each gallon covers one acre and is available with special pricing at $19.95 each gallon. Aquatic dyes are non-toxic and may be used in ponds that are used for swimming or that contain fish. Application is as easy as pouring the dye into the water. Within a few hours, the dye will quickly spread throughout the pond, lake, or water feature.

We are happy to offer Mizzen and Sapphire Bay in a variety of sizes while offering a special gallon rate, says Mary Jo Furman, Retail Sales Supervisor at Lake Restoration. We want consumers to be able to keep their ponds beautiful all season long with minimal effort. For those that may have a small backyard pond or water feature, Mizzen and Sapphire Bay are available in pints, quarts and half gallon sizes. Mizzen and Sapphire Bay are both manufactured by Lake Restoration, Inc. in Rogers, MN.

In addition to the bulk pricing, home owners can work with the Lake Restoration experts to custom a complete pond kit that will enhance the overall health and appearance of their pond. Both Mizzen algaecide and Sapphire Bay are included in the PONDRestore Ultra kit, a complete pond kit that controls floating and submerged weeds, eliminates algae, reduces phosphorus and restores your ponds health.

Lake Restoration has a wide variety of aquatic herbicides, algaecides, and pond dyes offered through their website http://www.LakeRestoration.com.

About Lake Restoration Lake Restoration, located in Rogers, MN, has been restoring the beauty of lakes and ponds since 1977. Every year thousands of satisfied customers use Lake Restoration products to keep their ponds and other water features in pristine condition. Lake Restoration offers a complete line of exclusive, simple, do-it-yourself solutions to treat a variety of pond weed maladies. To learn more about controlling pond and lake weeds and products and services use to accomplish this, visit http://www.LakeRestoration.com.

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Lake Restoration Introduces New Pricing on Algaecide and Pond Dye