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Balant construction workers Charlie Howell (left) and Shawn Joyce jackhammer away at the base of the Joe Palooka monument during a renovation process Tuesday morning on Route 309 in Hanover Township.Mark Morancv09palookap2

The Joe Palooka MonumentMark Morancv09palookap3

Members of the Home Builders Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania began work Tuesday to restore the historic Joe Palooka monument on state Route 309 in Hanover Twp.

The monument was created by a group of Wyoming Valley residents to honor Wilkes-Barre native and cartoonist Ham Fisher and Joe Palooka, a comic strip character.

Fisher created the comic strip about a heavyweight boxing champion in 1921 and it debuted in 1930. At its peak, 900 newspapers carried the comic strip.

Balent Construction provided machinery and labor to remove the deteriorating foundation at the monument and will form a new base with new concrete provided by Oley Industries in West Wyoming.

When the work is complete, the Home Builders Association and the original organizers will rededicate the monument.

A bronze plaque honoring Fisher was in another location on the highway, but it was pried from its base and stolen.

David DeCosmo, Sam Greenberg, Fred Ney and the late John Cicero, with the aid of the Sunday Independent a Wilkes-Barre newspaper that ceased publication in 1993 and its publisher, Tom Heffernan, initiated a community-wide fundraiser to replace the monument on Joe Palooka Mountain in 1976.

More than 150 contributions were received for a total of $1,750 and the bronze plaque was replaced with the solid granite monument that now stands on the site.

Any group or business interested in beautifying the surrounding landscape or providing assistance to this project can call the Home Builders Association at 570-287-3331.

DENISE ALLABAUGH

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Joe Palooka restoration begins - Standard Speaker

Bullet holes are prominent in the farm office at Carter House as a reminder of the Nov. 30, 1864 Civil War battle at Franklin.

By CLIFF HIGHTOWER

The Carter House farm office is undergoing a major restoration and should be open to the public to see within just a few months.

Eric Jacobson, CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust, said he anticipates the farmhouse will be available for public view by Nov. 30, the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Franklin.

Theyve been working on it for two or three weeks now, he said.

The farm office has been empty and unused for years. But, Jacobson said the Battle of Franklin Trust was able to raise private donations to help restore it back close to its historic role in the Civil War.

When work first began months ago, the interior boards were carefully removed. The results were breathtaking to those who were priviliged to see the interior of the office. Sunlight poured through the hundreds of bullet holes left from the battle.

Jacobson said it is one of the most battle damaged properties the Trust has. He said the cost of restoration will be around $150,000 to $175,0000.

Thousands of men died on either side of this farm office on Nov. 30, 1864 and it is home to a pivotal battlefield of the Civil War.

On the anniversary of the battle in 2016, Jacobson and a core of volunteers remembered the soldiers that fought and died the day of the battle by calling out each of their names one by one in this hallowed ground.

Its all private donations, he said, that will save this place in history.

But visitors can see it wasnt just the soldiers that survived that day. The residents of Franklin had to pick up the pieces and go on. This farm office was part of the before and after of the Battle of Franklin.

The Carter family had to continue on despite the memories. It was the very basic human instinct to survive. This was a small group of people dealing with something completely out of their control and they tried to do their best with their situation.

This farm office was a part of the recovery, part of the normalcy of the life the Carters lived. The small building represents the battle because of the bullet holes you see but it also represents how the Carters continued on after the battle. They banded together as a family and as part of the community to go forward.

Jacobson said workers are busy putting in new timber and will make sure the base is structurally sound so that future visitors will be able to see the farm office during their visits.

He said plans are to make the farm office as original as possible. He said it is believed to have played a dual role during the era of the Civil War as a house and an office. But, he said that wont be the selling point.

I think the most important thing is opening up that door and seeing the sunlight come through those bullet holes, he said. Theres hundreds and hundreds of them.

Cliff Hightower can be reached at cliff.hightower@franklinhomepage.com or follow him on Twitter @FranklinHomePage.

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Carter House farm office going through restoration - Nolensville ... - Nolensville Home Page

Ronald Rule outside the restored Brandon Engine House. He was born and grew up on Brandon Park estate and remebers learning how to use tools in the engine house. He is holding a framed piston ring which was used by his father. Picture: Rebecca Murphy

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Ronald Rule, 90, said returning to Brandon Engine House at Brandon Country Park brought back vivid memories of when it provided water and power to Brandon Park House and the estate buildings.

During the 1920s Mr Rues family moved onto the estate, where his father was the chauffeur for the estate owners and looked after the vehicles and engine house machinery, and lived there until he was nine.

He first revisited the building, which is believed to have been built between 1883 and 1900, 11 years ago and it was falling into a state of disrepair.

Highlighted as one of the Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnerships (BNG) flagship projects, restoration works, funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of 200,000, began in January this year.

The engine house and an adjacent building known as the Bothy will now be used as a multi-functional community facility.

Mr Rule, who lives in Cringleford, said: Being here brings back so many memories for me. This building was the beating heart of the estate.

They have done an incredible job. Restoration is a very difficult thing but they have managed to have a good facility for modern use but still retaining the old feel.

The engine room will be used as dirty space for practical workshops and a new extension links it to the Bothy which can be used as a conference room. The building will be available to community groups, organisations and businesses.

Some of the original features, including old machinery and the 150ft deep well, are still in place.

Interpretation boards celebrating the history of the park and buildings have also been installed.

Nick Dickson, BNG project manager, said: It was about saving the building and the unusual thing about this is the machines were still in place. That is what was most exciting as a lot of these buildings have been restored as holiday lets.

The heritage of the building has been saved and brought back to life and can be for modern use. It is a community space for the community.

History of the Brandon Engine House

The Engine House, also known as the Pump room, has quite a history.

It was built some decades after Brandon Park House, which was constructed in 1826.

The building generated electricity to power the house and water was pumped to feed the grounds - and the estate was the first part of Brandon to have electricity.

The park was sold to the Forestry Commission in 1936 who then began to re-plant much of the estate as part of Thetford Forest.

It was requisitioned during the Second World War and part of the park was used as a training ground for the Home Guard.

The Bothy probably housed ammunition and similar supplies.

More recently the building was used for storage, as a kennels and workshop, while slowly deteriorating through lack of maintenance.

In 2012 BNG was established and funding secured.

BNG is hosted by Suffolk County Council. The facility, owned BNG partners the Forestry Commission, will be leased and managed by the team at Brandon Country Park.

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Historic engine house at Brandon Country Park officially opened after restoration works by 90-year-old whose family ... - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press

The Roanoke City Council has agreed to sell its historic Compton-Bateman House and surrounding 3.4 acres to a small nonprofit that wants to lease the building to a program that serves youth.

Isabel Thorntons Restoration Housing will buy the house for $1 but will be required to spend $868,000 on renovations. Thornton said the money will come from $234,000 in insurance proceeds the city received after a 2011 fire at the house, tax credits from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and various grants for which she has yet to apply.

The circa-1827 house, off Lafayette Boulevard in northwest Roanoke, for decades served as the Villa Heights recreation center but was seriously damaged in the 2011 fire and has been on the market for several years. The council is partial to Thorntons idea to lease the house to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, benefiting the community while preserving the houses history.

This is a true win, win, win for everybody, council member John Garland said. Its a win for the old house, its a win for the users of the house and its a win for the community.

While Thornton is still in preliminary discussions with the Boys and Girls Clubs, she said theyve discussed working together with the architect so the house meets the groups needs.

Were both optimistic and hopeful that the partnership will work, Thornton said. Theyre an ideal tenant for the use of the building. They want to serve the community around Villa Heights.

Roanoke Councilwoman Michelle Dykstra is the Boys and Girls Clubs executive director, so she recused herself from participating in the citys vote.

Under the contract, Thornton must begin construction within 12 months of closing, but she said she wont know until March whether she will receive the tax credits.

Construction ideally would begin next summer, according to Thornton, who said she is thankful for how supportive the council has been through the process.

Historic property in northwest Roanoke is just as deserving of preservation and restoration as historic property in any other part of Roanoke, council member Bill Bestpitch said.

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Roanoke City Council agrees to sell historic home to nonprofit - Roanoke Times

By CLIFF HIGHTOWER

The Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen are still mulling over three proposals for a 54-acre plot of land along Mack Hatcher Parkway near Spencer Creek Road.

Weve got a difficult choice, said Alderman Clyde Barnhill.

The city accepted letters of interest from potential developers on the property located along the Harpeth River and three developers responded.

Cheekwood Golf Course wants to expand its golf course across Mack Hatcher Parkway, the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro wants to build a childrens museum and the Franklin Housing Commission wants to build affordable or workforce housing on the site.

A month ago, all three parties presented plans to the board; over the weekend, they met with the board on site to hear once again about proposals.

City staff put together a chart listing all the different selling points of the proposals.

We recognize the board has three very well-thought-out, good proposals, said City Administrator Eric Stuckey.

One key point was the staff presented potential costs and revenues about each property, as well as if the city sold the property or if the city kept it.

Creekwood Golf Course had agreed to pay $72,900 a month for the lease, the Discovery Center proposed a $1 a year lease and the Franklin Housing Commission proposed not paying. But, the housing commission has proposed that property taxes would be assessed on the houses, not the land because it is city owned.

According to the city, the golf course would bring in $2.6 million in revenue, while the city is projected to lose about $2 million if the childrens museum were developed and it could lose anywhere from $1.7 million to $3.6 million with housing.

Bob Ries, a Franklin resident, pointed that out.

When you go to the bottom line, you only have one paying you any money, he said.

But, Stuckey, and other city staff warned not to only look at city revenue. It did not take into consideration any other potential economic development that could happen because of those other properties.

Lets be careful about painting it as a picture of anything, he said.

The board is expected to vote on the proposals within the upcoming months.

Barnhill said it may end up being two of the three get to share the property, or as he called it one-and-half.

It wont be everyone satisfied with our decision, he said.

HIRAM LODGE UPDATES

Representatives of Hiram Masonic Lodge #7, located at115 2nd Ave South,appeared before the board Tuesday during its work session to talk about upcoming restoration on the property.

Jim Patterson, chairman of the lodges board, told the Franklin board they are in the midst of diversifying their board and getting more community involvement.

We are a part of this community, Patterson said.

He said right now there has been a protective barrier put on the building and they hope to start doing a restoration within months.

The building was constructed in 1823 and is the oldest public building in Franklin. In 1830, President Andrew Jackson met with leaders of the Chickasaw nation to negotiate the Treaty of Franklin at the site.

Its been underused and underexposed as a historic place in our city, said Alderman Pearl Bransford.

Alderman Mike Skinner asked about specifics.

Do you know how far out before you do the restoration? he asked.

The next three weeks well have a better understanding, Guil Ezell, president of the lodges board, replied.

Patterson told the Franklin board the building is still in pretty good condition.

Theres no deterioration, he said.

Cliff Hightower can be reached at cliff.hightower@franklinhomepage or follow him on Twitter @FranklinHomePage.

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Franklin board hears more on Mack Hatcher proposals - Franklin Home Page

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Mr. Veevers-Carter does not intend to return the kitchen to the look of the 1950s, when Mrs. Child cooked on an industrial-sized stove she bought from Sherman Kent, a friend and towering figure at the C.I.A. (The stove is now featured in the Smithsonians National Museum of American History.) When she talked of Washington, she would always mention the stove, said Alex Prudhomme, who helped Mrs. Child his great-aunt write her memoir.

The Olive Street kitchen, last redesigned by the architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen in the 1960s, will be modern, Mr. Veevers-Carter said. Julia Child had all the latest gadgets in her kitchen, the latest conveniences, he said. (Including her garbage disposal, which she lovingly called her electric pig.) Why wouldnt you have that today?

The story of the house begins in the years after the Civil War, when it was built by a black carpenter. At the time, the black population of Georgetown had swelled to more than 3,000 in a city of 100,000. By the turn of the century, signs of change were afoot: A police record in The Washington Post on Nov. 16, 1913, noted that the owner of the home at 2706 Olive Street was riding a horse and wagon when he collided with an automobile at 1st and F Streets.

The Childs, who had met in what was then Ceylon when both worked for the O.S.S., bought the house in May 1948, after they returned to Washington from overseas. In their first year on Olive Street, Mrs. Child struggled to impress her new husband with a limited culinary repertoire, and toiled in the kitchen late at night. Id usually plop something on the table by 10 p.m., have a few bites, and collapse into bed, she wrote in her memoir, My Life in France.

The two soon left for France, where Mrs. Child discovered the wonders of French cuisine, and returned to Olive Street eight years later. What fun to feather our own little nest, the only nest we actually owned, she wrote. By then she had become a classically trained chef and was well into her work on her masterpiece.

Most of my time was spent revising and retyping our now dog-eared, note-filled, butter-and-food-stained manuscript, Mrs. Child wrote of her time in the home. It would be years before a pared down version of these early drafts of Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published, in 1961.

In 1956 on Olive Street, American cooking was almost foreign to her. As she wrote in her memoir, the veal was less tender than in France, the herbs harder to find, the turkeys much bigger.

In retesting certain dishes in my American kitchen-laboratory, I discovered that hardly anyone used fresh herbs here, she wrote in My Life in France. She complained to her co-author, Simone Beck, that my beloved crme frache was nearly impossible to find in America.

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Mastering the Art of Home Restoration: A Julia Child Sequel - New York Times

A number of automakers have launched in-house restoration services for their models, and they will soon be joined by Mazda, which has announced a restoration program for the first-generation MX-5 Miata.

Starting in 2018, the Hiroshima-based automaker will offer complete restorations as well as a parts support program for the NA-generation Miata, known as the Eunos Roadster (it's a long story) back home. The automaker has already performed a test restoration and is currently accepting applications for customer restorations scheduled to start next year. Each restoration will be tailored to the requirements of each car and customer, which will open up some customization options, but we suspect that applicants will be those seeking to keep their cars stock or return them to stock condition.

For now this service will apply only to the first-gen Miatas and will only be offered to customers in Japan, but rereleased parts such as the Nardi steering wheel, the convertible top and Bridgestone SF-325 tires (for those who demand originally supplied tires) should be available worldwide via mail order. Of course, if you're already shelling out some yen for a factory restoration for your Miata, the cost of the car's round trip to Japan is a pretty modest expense, so we expect to see some Miatas from other countries make the pilgrimage back to Japan.

Along with restoration, the factory program will produce some spare parts that are now in short supply.

The NA-generation MX-5 Miata (as if it needs any introduction) debuted in the U.S. in May 1989; its 1.6-liter and later, 1.8-liter engines complimented a short wheelbase, compact exterior dimensions and a choice of five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The pocket-size roadster was a hit from the outset, ruling its segment with little to no direct competition and offering plenty of thrills despite the relatively modest horsepower output. The Miata was about driving dynamics rather than sheer power, which were slowly coming back into vogue in the early 1990s, but with a curb weight of just over 2,000 pounds, the roadster didn't need much zoom-zoom underhood to game the traffic.

For a car approaching its 30th birthday, the Miata's design has aged remarkably well, but it's still the roadster's driving dynamics that attract new fans. The first-gen models now have a cult following, so it makes perfect sense that Mazda wants to preserve the legacy of the debut model.

H/T: Japanese Nostalgic Car

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Mazda is starting Miata factory restoration program to celebrate the roadster's 30th birthday - Autoweek

Luxury Portfolio International, the luxury face of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), is hosting the 2017 Affluence Forum this August in Chicago, Ill., the network recently announced. The two-day Forum, be held August 22-23 at The Merchandise Mart, is open to staff members at Luxury Portfolio member companies and select invited guests.

Having The Merchandise Mart so near our Chicago office is a real opportunity to do something special, says Paul Boomsma, president of Luxury Portfolio International. We are excited to be joined by many luxury brands and speakers that work with the high-net worth, who will offer education on a myriad of trends in the home/shelter industry and more.

Former CEO of Dwell Media Michela OConnor Abrams, a noted lifestyle expert, will be on hand at the Forum to speak to the growing trend of experiencing marketing, and how brands can use it as a differentiator for their customers.

Luxury Portfolio is committed to providing actionable research and information for their members, says OConnor Abrams. Ive attended their annual conference and been impressed by the variety of speakers they bring together, creating a comprehensive view of the way real estate touches all aspects of our lives.

The agenda additionally includes the latest research on the affluent consumer from YouGov and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chief Economist Dr. Marci Rossell, who will share an analysis of the global economic landscape. The Forum will also bring together representatives to speak about the latest trends in home technology, customization, restoration and wealth management, from companies such as Barretts Technology Solutions, The Lord Companies, Fraser Builders and UBS Wealth Management.

Attendees will also have enrichment opportunities, including an architecture cruise which will showcase some of Chicagos innovative local buildings and visits to some of The Merchandise Marts showrooms to view the latest in home renovation.

We are always challenging ourselves to do something different, Boomsma says. This Forum will deliver real value for attendees who need to be conversant with the latest trends in luxury.

For more information, please visit http://www.luxuryportfolio.com.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmarkRISMedia.com.

Link:
Luxury Portfolio International to Host 2017 Affluence Forum - RisMedia.com (press release)

By Andrea Rose

Most people who are searching for a home are looking to find something that fits their family's needs, whether it be more bedrooms, a bigger kitchen or a safer community, and they need the home to fit their price range.

But Dwaine Gipe is on a different kind of house hunt. He isn't looking to buy.

Gipe, 81, is searching for homes in this area that were built by his father, Edgar "Murphy" Gipe.

Building a family home

Gipe was born and raised in Franklin County, spending his early life in the Marion area before his parents moved to 606 S. Washington St., Greencastle.

His dad built the stone home over the course of a couple years. The homestead began with a garage. "We lived above dad's workshop and garage from 1945 when I entered seventh grade until the home was finished in 1947," Gipe, 81, recalled. "It was the first home east of Mississippi River with radiant heat in ceiling plaster, installed by Howard Cook, a plumber in Marion."

Gipe said the house was built with local materials. "The beautiful blue limestone came for a mine in West Virginia," he said. "It was my father's dream home.As most examples go, this dream home didn't come without a cost.

"This home, when registered, became one of the highest taxed homes in the county," Gipe said. "Contrary to much of today's thinking, my dad was proud to be paying the fiddler."

The elder Gipe built homes and barns, updated businesses, made bridge repairs and completed church renovations throughout Franklin County, including Marion, Greencastle and Chambersburg, as well as Halfway, Maryland, from probably 1925 through 1970.

"The part of Chambersburg most interesting was a group of properties covering about three blocks from the square to a Waffle House. Dad worked long-term in the late 1930s updating the right-hand side of old U.S. 11 south. The properties were owned by a Jerry B. Hanks or Henks by my memory and guess at his last name. He was a single poor farmer who owned a beautiful farm near New Franklin. I never saw this person wearing anything but coveralls," Gipe recalled. "The faces of the buildings were upgraded, but in keeping with design of the times. On occasion Jerry paid in hams, beef or other farm-raised foods. We ate well when Jerry came up a little short," Gipe said with a chuckle.

"In Fort Loudon, Dad turned a bank barn into the retail and mail-order business, home of the worldwide known Hawbaker's Trappers Supply."

Beyond his childhood home and a few places in Chambersburg he can recall his father working on, Gipe can't identify other properties his dad built or worked on.

He knows the accomplished craftsman sent somewhere in Virginia, working for Civilian Conservations Corps for several years in the 1930s.

His lack of knowledge clearly has nothing to do with lack of memory.

Gipe was just a boy when his dad was zig-zagging across the county working to feed his family. The young man was focused on things beyond his father's construction business.

Quest for knowledge

Gipe, who now lives in the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, area, kept busy as a young man.

When he moved to Greencastle from Marion, he had a paper route for the Echo Pilot and Grit.

During high school he participated in Fred Kaley's gym circus, played varsity basketball and became a Troop 13 Eagle Scout, working seven years at the Boy Scout's Camp Sinoquipe in Fort Littleton.

He was also a junior Rescue Hose Co. fireman under Chief Dave Warren.

Gipe went on to become recognized as a top amateur Pennsylvania archer at the Greencastle Sportsman's Association's Archery Club and shot in his first Professional Archers Indoor Tournament in Chicago earning 37th among the nations best tournament archers.

He went on to marry his high-school sweetheart, Elizabeth Ziegler, and the couple raised two boys, Daniel, now a dentist in Portland, Oregon, and Douglas, a retiring professional fireman.

He graduated from Shippensburg State College in 1959 and taught for three years in the Waynesboro Area School District at Clayton Avenue and Hooverville elementary schools, before taking a job as principal of a county-run school for children with special needs in Pond Bank.

Gipe then took a job with Boy Scouts of America as a district scout executive in Williamsport, before working a variety of other jobs, including salesman, boiler restoration, tool franchise operator and doll restoration doctor.

Having worked most of his life, Gipe wasn't about to rest on his laurels in retirement. He focuses on his work with a camera as a freelance photographer and is hoping to combine his passion for photography with his desire to document some family history.

Anyone who has knowledge of homes or businesses built or worked on by Edgar "Murphy" Gipe can email Gipe at dolldoc4@comcast.net.

"I'd like to see some of the stuff my dad built," he said.

If he can find the properties, he plans to photograph them. "Hopefully, our children and grandchildren will enjoy the photo scrapbook of our family interests," he said.

Contact Andrea Rose at arose@therecordherald.com or 717-762-2151 or on Twitter@AndreaCiccociop.

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Area native seeks homes his father built - Waynesboro Record Herald