LYNCHBURG, Va. -

Emergency repairs are almost finished at a Lynchburg retirement home.

Several water pipes burst at Bentley Commons senior living home Tuesday afternoon, soaking parts of the building and forcing all 122 residents to evacuate.

Most stayed with their families Tuesday night, but 23 were taken to a shelter at Blue Ridge Community Church in Forest.

Lynchburg firefighters and paramedics worked with the nursing home staff to make sure everyone got out safely.

"The residents were wonderful," said Debra Beamer, administrator of Bentley Commons. "They handled the situation very well, even though it was a very difficult time for them."

The damaged pipes have been replaced and a restoration service is cleaning the building. Beamer said additional work will be needed to replace sections of dry wall.

Residents returned to the home Wednesday afternoon.

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Residents return to Lynchburg retirement home Wednesday, following pipe damage

New Dorp Beach, NY (PRWEB) January 08, 2014

Nick Randazzo, a resident of New Dorp Beach on the south shore of Staten Island, is finally getting his home back on track with the help of 911 Restoration after a year of receiving inadequate funds and insurance money. Randazzo's home was severely flooded during Hurricane Sandy when the windows and doors could no longer keep the rising water outside at bay. By the time the storm had passed, Randazzo had nine feet of water in his basement. Even with some federal funds and insurance money, Randazzo still fell significantly short of the total repair cost necessary to restore the significant damage sustained to his home. The just released private funds came to the rescue, filling the financial gap so that restoration could finally get underway. The funding for the program comes from a variety of charities and foundations that have made large contributions to help New York residents still in need.

911 Restoration's expert flood damage technicians are currently in the New Dorp Beach home carefully assessing the damage and taking the necessary steps to get construction underway. From thoroughly removing all traces of remaining moisture to carefully separating and storing any undamaged items, 911 Restoration is dedicated to getting Mr. Randazzo's home back in shape. Mold can be an especially troubling problem when flooded areas are not completely dried in a timely manner. The company's mold removal experts are conducting thorough inspections to ensure that any mold that has formed in the basement in the past year is removed safely.

As more funding continues to be disseminated among those still in need, 911 Restoration will be leading the way in New York providing essential water restoration services to more and more homes in the area. With Hurricane Sandy striking over a year ago, the situation presents a unique challenge given the length of time many homes have been left unattended. In addition to mold inspections, 911 Restoration crews are paying special attention to any structural damage that long-term exposure to moisture may have caused in the interim so that these homes are completely safe and fully restored to their pre-storm conditions.

Hurricane Sandy's path of destruction affected countless homes in New York, and while it is unfortunate that so many people have been unable to secure adequate insurance money and have been left waiting, 911 Restoration is honored to be a part of the ongoing recovery process. With crews working 24/7 throughout the state, many will be getting their new year off to a great start with the help of new private funding and 911 Restoration.

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911 Restoration Repairs New York Homes Damaged by Hurricane Sandy with New Funding

It was used as a dumping ground by fly-tippers and on the verge of falling down after lying abandoned for 50 years.

Now the 18th century mill that supplied the world-famous Wedgwood Potteries industry has been transformed into a stunning family home.

The two-year rebuilding project in Staffordshire can be seen tonight on Channel 4s The Restoration Man, presented by architect George Clarke.

Owners chartered surveyor Alan Appleby and his wife Dora said they will be watching the programme from behind the sofa.

The Grade II-listed structure in Mill Street, Stone, had begun to collapse when the couple began the rescue project in 2011.

Mr Appleby said: George described it as knackered and my father, whos 95 and was in the construction business all his life, said he wouldnt touch it.

Even my surveyor friends said Do you know what youre doing? It was that bad.

The old building had been rocked to its roots over the decades but its given good service to a number of trades and industries.

Now weve given it a new lease of life, not only as our home but as a base for my own business.

The Applebys believed their project would be perfect material for The Restoration Man.

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Old abandoned Staffordshire mill now a luxury home

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A COUPLE who saved a former 18th century flint mill and transformed it into their home are to feature on a popular TV series this week.

The Grade II-listed building in Stone had begun to collapse when Alan and Dora Appleby began the mammoth rescue project in 2011.

Now their efforts have been filmed for Channel 4's The Restoration Man, which is presented by architect George Clarke.

Viewers can watch the dramatic moments unfold when the episode is screened tomorrow evening.

For Alan, who works as a chartered surveyor, it was more than simply a chance to create a unique home with bags of character.

The flint mill is also an important relic of Staffordshire's industrial heritage as it was used to grind flint for Josiah Wedgwood's pottery factories.

Alan said: "This old building has been rocked to its roots over the decades, but it's given good service to a number of trades and industries.

"Now we've given it a new lease of life, not only as our home, but as a base for my own business."

The building in Mill Street had lain abandoned since the 60s and was used as a dumping ground before the Applebys stepped in to rescue it.

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Stone couple's efforts to transform an old flint mill to feature...

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A COUPLE who saved a former 18th century flint mill and transformed it into their home are to feature on a popular TV series this week.

The Grade II listed building in Stone had begun to collapse when Alan and Dora Appleby began the mammoth rescue project in 2011.

Now their efforts have been filmed for Channel 4s The Restoration Man, which is presented by well-known architect George Clarke.

Viewers can watch the dramatic moments unfold when the episode is screened on Wednesday evening.

For Alan, who works as a chartered surveyor, it was not just a chance to create a unique home with bags of character.

The flint mill is also an important relic of Staffordshires industrial heritage as it was used to grind flint for Josiah Wedgwoods pottery factories.

Alan said: This old building has been rocked to its roots over the decades, but its given good service to a number of trades and industries.

Now weve given it a new lease of life, not only as our home, but as a base for my own business.

The building in Mill Street had lain abandoned since the 1960s and was used as a dumping ground before the Applebys stepped in to rescue it.

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Historic Stone flint mill to feature on Channel 4's Restoration...

Honking geese soar overhead in a V formation, buffeted by bitter gusts off nearby Lake Erie, while flocks of mallards bob along the shore. Even blanketed in snow, the sprawling wetland south of Monroe is a magnet for water birds one reason a public-private project is under way to improve it.

Crews are building levees, canals and pumps that will regulate water levels and upgrade fish passageways in a 946-acre section of Erie Marsh, making it a better home for wildlife and limiting the spread of invasive plants.

Its an example of decades-old efforts by government agencies and private groups to rebuild Great Lakes coastal wetlands such as swamps, bogs and marshes that have been depleted by development. A federal report released in November suggests the work is beginning to pay off.

The eight-state Great Lakes region extending from western New York to eastern Minnesota was the only section of the U.S. where coastal wetland acreage increased during a five-year period when scientists took extensive measurements with satellites and field photography.

The gain was modest 13,610 acres, an area not quite as large as the New York City borough of Manhattan. Yet it happened as the rest of the nations coastal wetlands shrank by 360,720 acres. The loss amounted to less than 1% of the U.S. total but continued a longtime negative trend.

Wetlands dont have the cachet of spectacular natural features that oceans and mountains do. Theyre sometimes dismissed as worthless, especially by those wanting to cover them with shopping centers or highways. But they help prevent floods by absorbing excessive rainwater. They are known as natures kidneys, filtering out pollutants that otherwise would wash into lakes and rivers, and also provide vital wildlife habitat nesting grounds for ducks and geese, temporary refuges for migratory birds and spawning areas for fish.

Scientists say the continental U.S. has lost roughly half of the wetland acreage that existed before the European settlement era. Wetlands have been relentlessly filled and drained for farms, housing and cities.

The biggest losses from 2004-09, the period covered by the study, were along the Gulf of Mexico, where coastal wetlands form a crucial buffer against storm surge during hurricanes. They have been battered by decades of erosion and salt water intrusion caused largely by flood-control projects and development. Atlantic coast acreage also dropped substantially.

Replacing wetlands is a primary goal of an Obama administration program called the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that is focusing on the regions biggest environmental problems. Separately, the U.S. and Canada signed an agreement last year to upgrade the lakes water quality that calls for boosting wetlands.

If theres a cure-all for the Great Lakes, wetland restoration is just about the highest on the list as anything gets, said Cameron Davis, a senior adviser with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Great Lakes wetlands restoration efforts paying off as acreage grows

Home Restoration Video

By: Video My Story HD Productions

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Home Restoration Video - Video

Outfitting a play space for children might consist of nothing more than setting up a few old furniture pieces, plastic storage bins and the extra TV.

But some parents want the play space to reflect their design aesthetic. Does the rest of the home read more Eero Saarinen than Superman? More Verner Panton than Pokemon? Is the vibe less Nickelodeon, more George Nelson? If so, youll want to try balancing kid-friendly with cool.

Some options:

Mod Mad

Lots of decor from the 60s and 70s works well in a play space: mod lamps, modular furniture, pop art, and fun, space-age prints for wallpaper and textiles. Hues popular back then orange, yellow, teal, green, white add energy to furniture, cushions and rugs.

New York-based designer Amanda Nisbet used a Roy Lichtenstein print and a chrome-trimmed bubble chair in one of her childrens space projects. Victoria Sanchez, a designer in Washington, D.C., used colorful Missoni fabrics to liven up a teen lounge.

Check out Modshop1.com and Designpublic.com for pieces many of them kid-size that fit the style.

Hip, retro-style robot, typography and animal patterns designed by New Yorker Nancy Wolff are at AllModern.com.

And chocolate, tangerine or red knitted poufs and flat weave rugs with zingy geometric graphics are part of the signature line at Fab.com. For a low-key look that still fits the aesthetic, think smooth-edged Danish modern wood furniture. Armless upholstered club chairs look smart and are perfect for lounging; find new ones at Overstock.com and vintage ones on Etsy.com. Or take a cue from Australian designer Anna Williams and use mid-century credenzas for toy storage check out ThriveFurniture.com and OneKingsLane.com for options at various prices.

Accent with Mad Men -era posters or toy ads, and add floor pillows covered in patterns drawn from the era. Soothing hues like umber, avocado, mustard and sky blue keep the energy relaxed.

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At Home: Cool but kid-friendly playrooms

By DAVID SHARP/Associated Press/January 4, 2014

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Hundreds of utility line crew workers and tree trimmers left the state when they finished their work for Central Maine Power instead of staying after the Christmas week ice storm because Bangor Hydro Electric Co. waved off the extra help even as hundreds of customers remained in the dark for four to five more days.

But the Maine Public Utilities Commission consumer assistance division received only 10 to 20 calls from people who were concerned about the length of time they were without lights and heat.

Bangor Hydro had already called in reinforcements and couldnt provide logistics for extra workers as the utility raced to finish its own power restoration in eastern Maine, said spokesman Bob Potts.

By the time we got additional crews, got them briefed, got housing, by the time all that happened, we felt we'd have people in those areas and have power restored. Theres a lot of logistics of getting them up here, Potts said, noting that all hotel rooms in the Ellsworth area were already booked.

The ice storm began on the weekend before Christmas, and by Dec. 23, utilities were beginning to see power outages increase as the ice accumulated on power lines and tree limbs.

Before it was over, more than 160,000 homes and businesses were in the dark for some time. Some customers, especially around Ellsworth, lost power for eight to 10 days. Highs were in the 20s and 30s that week.

George Elias, owner of Rooster Brother, an Ellsworth store that sells kitchen items, cookware, wine, cheese and baked goods, said it was a bad time to lose electricity.

This was a really a hard one for a lot of people. People had no heat or power for days. They had family coming. They had to cancel all their family gatherings, he said.

Central Maine Power called in an additional 370 utility crews and 320 tree-trimming crews, some from as far away as Pennsylvania, bringing the total number of line crews to 455 and tree-trimming crews to 450, said spokesman John Carroll.

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Line workers sent home as Mainers remained in dark

PONTIAC The recent cold weather isnt doing much to help volunteers restoring the Strevell House, but the president of the Livingston County Historical Society said work on the home that once hosted Abraham Lincoln will resume full scale in the spring.

A lot of our volunteers head to warmer climates for the winter, Bob Sear said. It gives us a chance to focus on some other aspects such as fundraising.

The outside restoration is complete, Sear said. It includes a new roof, restoration of doors and windows and the replacement of ornamental fretwork. The foundation has been repaired, and the exterior has been painted in a historically accurate scheme.

It looks really good when you drive past it, Sear said. We still have some yard work and things like that to do, but it looks much better than it did.

Now, the focus has switched to the interior of the home at 401 W. Livingston St., which had been an apartment building in recent years.

There is still a lot of work to do there, said Ellie Alexander, director of Pontiac Tourism. A lot of progress has been made, but its going to take a lot of work and a lot of time.

The Historical Society acquired the property in 2009, and about $60,000 has been spent so far on the project, Sear said. Most of that money has been spent on the exterior, but the interior restoration and repair will be even more expensive, he said.

Sear said several businesses and volunteers have contributed labor and, sometimes, supplies.

The inside is pretty much gutted out, he said. We have some electrical and plumbing work to do, but things have slowed down a lot and will remain that way until the weather gets warmer.

The 1850s home of Jason Strevell is the last existing structure in Livingston County known to have hosted Lincoln.

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Restoration of historic Pontiac house to pick up in spring