Photo by Earl Noble

The driver of a pickup truck left a trail of destruction after crashing multiple times last evening.

The driver of the truck, a man, was taken to hospital with unknown injuries after crashing his vehicle at least three separate times. The first collision, which happened on Rennies Mill Road near Bannerman Park, left a parked car with significant damage and debris strewn across the road. A third vehicle was also, struck, causing only minor damage.

A short while later the same truck left the road and crashed into a retaining wall at the intersection of Portugal Cove Road and Glenridge Crescent , sending stone flying and dislodging the cap from over the trucks bed.

Photo by Earl Noble

The truck finally came to a stop up the road at the corner of First Avenue and Portugal Cove Road, after it crossed oncoming traffic and collided with a telephone pole. The three separate impacts caused extensive damage to the vehicle.

A resident in the area reported hearing tires squealing prior to a loud bang, which was followed by squealing tires once again.

The driver, a man in his 40s, has been charged with failure to remain at the scene of an accident. Police say further charges are anticipated.

Photo by Earl Noble

Read this article:
Driver Charged Following Three Separate Crashes in St. John's - VOCM

Cantilever walls are commonly built to retain soil or similar earth material to ensure the structural integrity of a project site. There are several important factors that need to be considered when designing a retaining wall using a cantilever block system.

When calculating the pressures exerted at any point of the cantilever wall during the design process, its important to consider factors such as the height of the water table, the nature and type of soil, the subsoil water movements, type of wall being constructed, and the materials used in the construction of the wall, all of which can have an impact on the stability of the structure.

Failure to do so can result in problematic outcomes post-construction including the wall moving into a sloping position or exhibiting a curve on its surface, appearance of a crack, or collapse of the entire wall. Consulting with a professional such as a builder or an engineer on the correct methods of preparation and installation is recommended.

The cantilever block systems from Baines Masonry Blocks deliver the structural integrity required to secure a project while providing an aesthetically pleasing design to suit any style.

Baines Masonry provides a one-stop-shop solution for all retaining wall needs, with a range of supplementary SRW products including geofabrics and other soil containing solutions.

Image: Mackintosh Photography

Read the original here:
Designing retaining walls using cantilever block systems - Architecture and Design

In this episode: A story about trash and dirt flowing from one side of the U.S.-Mexico border to the other, and two guys plan to stop it.

The state of California spends $1.8 million annually on a system that keeps trash and dirt from clogging up the estuary in Border Field State Park, a park that butts up against the U.S.-Mexico border fence.

The agency that takes care of the park, the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, says the system has stopped approximately 2 million pounds of debris from entering the environmentally sensitive estuary.

But the trash just keeps coming and coming, pouring through a culvert under the border that's connected to polluted canyons in Tijuana. And perpetually managing the pricey problem instead of actually solving the problem seems like the forever plan.

That is, unless Steven Wright and Waylon Matsons idea gets funded. The environmentalists want to use re-purposed trash from the canyon to build retaining walls and other structures in Tijuana's Los Laureles canyon that would prevent the trash and dirt from reaching the U.S. in the first place.

The hills bleed trash.

At least, thats what it looks like from Jorge Ibaez nursery.

Clip 1 Nursery Dude"were one of the small nursery that works with native plants, and thats the plant thats used a lot so the canyons don't erode.

Standing on Jorges plant-filled perch on a hillside of Los Laureles canyon in Tijuana, theres a clear view of about a half dozen illegal dump sites. People who live on the mesas above have for decades dumped trash into the canyon below.

Music bump

In the beginning, Los Laurels was a slum where waves of migrants unable to cross to the U.S. have taken up shelter in shoddy shacks they hastily build for themselves. Those dumping the trash from above care little about those below who are forced to live in it.

Over the years, the slum has grown into a recognized Tijuana neighborhood, with water pipes and electricity lines connecting it to the city that once pretended it didnt exist. Theres even trash pickup now, unreliable, but its there.

Nicer houses, taco shops and small businesses like Jorges have popped up here, too.

Adela Pinata Clip 0

Adela Bonilla runs a pinata and craft shop near the bottom of the canyon.

Adela Pinata Clip 1 "This is a studio/workshop for recyclables. I work with recycled things. I make artisanal crafts, artistic piatas.

And yet, no matter how much the neighborhood grows and gets better, the flow of rainbow-colored trash keeps coming plastic bottles and bags cascading down the hillsides and flowing through the center of town Other peoples junk cutting deep gullies into the eroding earth beneath it.

Natsound: rain

When it rains, the trash is swept up in a swelling stream that runs right through the middle of Los Laureles canyon.

Natsound: flowing water/creak

The flow pushes through the neighborhood, then under the six-laned highway leading from Tijuana to Ensenada.

Natsound: Highway traffic

From there, it cuts through a culvert running underneath the international border fence.

Once the trash and sediment-filled water hits the U.S., its in a wildlife reserve.

Natsound from Border Field State Park

The state of California spends $1.8 million annually on a system that keeps that trash and dirt from slipping too far into the park. They use small ponds to catch the sediment and a fence stretched across the ponds catches the plastics.

The Tijuana River Research Reserve, the agency that takes care of the park, says the system has stopped approximately 2 million pounds of debris from entering the environmentally sensitive estuary.

Natsound: Border Field State Park

But the trash just keeps coming and coming... And perpetually managing the pricey problem instead of actually solving the problem seems like the forever plan.

That is Unless Steven Wright and Waylon Matsons idea gets funded. The environmentalists want to use repurposed trash from the canyon to build retaining walls and other structures in Los Laureles that would prevent the trash and dirt from reaching the U.S. in the first place. ****Fourwalls 3 Clip 53...This this tire retaining wall. You see here. This was a really good but I retaining was a really good example of the economics behind it. Right? So the this tire wall has I believe it's 450 or 500 scrap tires in it and about 67 cubic yards of sediment and we built it for $3500 true cost that's including wailing in time if that same quantity of material had crossed into the sediment ponds. It would have been 9,500 to clean up. So therein lies the relatively simple math. ***Fourwalls 3 Clip 54This is you know, the Border. Yeah, so Why spend dollars if you can spend pesos. Good question.Im Alan Lilienthal, and youre listening to Only Here, a KPBS podcast about the unexplored subcultures, creativity and struggles at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Today, a story about trash and dirt flowing from one side of the border to the other, and two guys plan to stop it.

More after the break.

ad

When it rains, ginormous flows of raw sewage from Tijuana often overwhelm the sewer system and end up flushing through the canyons and tijuana estuary, eventually dumping into the Pacific Ocean, washing up on beaches in San Diego. Newsclip on sewage Its a huge problem. But its not the problem Steven Wright and Waylin Matson are trying to solve. The two are laser-focused on solving something different, but intertwined -- the cross-border flow of trash and sediment from Los Laureles canyon. Natsound of driving in vanSteven and Waylins old van kicks up billows of dust as we drive up a steep dirt road in Border Field State Park, a park at the southwestern-most tip of the united states.

Natsound of Border Field State Park Were at the place where the border fence dives into the Ocean. And once we get to the top of the hill, Steve points out the views of Los Laureles canyon on the south side of the fence, and the sediment ponds on the north side. 180 View Clip The Mexican side is densely populated and bustling, filled with people and cars. In stark contrast: The American side is empty, except for a few birds and one border patrol agent sitting in a truck parked below. Fourwalls 1 Clip 3 Steve: because Spooner's Mesa is the spot where you can. Show people visually geographically why and how work Upstream in Tijuana would directly benefit California in the United States, San Diego.Steven and Waylin are both tan and leathery from working out in the sun. Their hands are calloused. They look like they work in construction, but sound like Southern California surfers. They love being outside. Natsound of driving in vanWhile we drive, Waylin constantly scans the horizon, looking for American kestrels, small falcons that call the park home.

Fourwalls 1 Kestral SightingThere's one right there.

Waylin named his baby daughter Kestrel. Thats how much he loves the birds. Natsound of driving in vanSteven and Waylin have spent a lot of time in Tijuana, tromping around Los Laureles canyon. The neighborhoods residents are now close friends. And there are some things they can't unsee after their time here. The dead pig floating through the middle of the neighborhood, so bloated the little guy looked like he was about to explode. The kids playing next to water so green it looks like its glowing. Hypodermic needles and other biowaste washing through the neighborhood. The migrants losing their homes and all of their belongings when it rains because the hillsides cave in. They finally -- finally -- they think theyve pinpointed a real, lasting solution. But It took them some time to get here. Music bump Steven and Waylin met on a rugby pitch at college in Riverside, California. They were immediately struck by their similarities. Fourwalls 1 Clip 23Steve: Yeah, we're Star Brothers for sure. It's pretty cool. Born on the exact same day, the exact same year, thousands of miles apart, the two grew up chasing critters and running through forests -- hardcore nature boys right from the start. Both knew early on that they wanted to save the world. They were early environmentalists.And the border region hit Steven and Waylins radar early, too. Both took family trips to Mexico when they were young. And Stevens first-ever trip south with his family pressed a firm imprint on his brain. It was one he could never shake. ********Fourwalls 1 Clip 22Steve: . my dad's a geography teacher. They challenged me, if I memorized all the state capitals that give me 40 bucks to go buy a whip and some cowboy boots down in Tijuana. And maybe six and so yeah, so I memorized them. I got it. I got the money we went down and that was really the first time I'd ever seen like just crushing poverty. There's a lot of folks on the street. I never really seen anything like that seen a lot of kids my age around the street, and so long story short. I gave all my money away and then my parents thought that was good. They bought me the Whip and the boots anyway,Those two things -- their love of nature and the border -- would end up shaping the rest of Steven and Waylins lives. They just didnt know it yet.MUSIC BUMPThe two became close friends in college, but went separate ways after graduating. Almost a year went by, and then Waylin called up Steven on a whim. They got to talking and found out they were both thinking about starting environmental nonprofits. They met up at a coffee shop with some colored pencils, drew up a logo and wrote down the four pillars of their future nonprofit -- shelter, self-reliance, sustainability and community. And that was the start of their new thing -- a nonprofit they called 4 Walls International. At first, they focused on building single-family homes for people in need in places like Mexico and Columbia, teaching themselves and their volunteers how to turn trash into sustainable building materials. ****Fourwalls 1 Clip 26Steve: And really it's a hell of a thing to unite a whole community and sweat and bleed together and work together and one of the things we've learned, you know, is that well when you're doing that together for a project. Potentially only is benefiting one family. Did it can kind of lead to splintering within those groups are those Community groups of them Community. It's really better as far as a leverage point of entry point if it's a public and that's really where the experimentation with the binational placemaking program.That right there - the splintering some of their projects were causing in the communities in which they were building -- it led to a big pivot. They started focusing on public instead of private projects. And they really started involving the community through the entire process, from identifying the need, to planning the design and then actually helping build the thing. They built a few small public parks. One right near the border fence in Border Field State Park. For that project, they used about 4,000 plastic bottles filled with trash they collected from the sediment basins, plus 250 old rubber tires.

The repurposed trash is covered in plaster that makes it indistinguishable from more traditional building materials.Fourwalls 1 Clip 2 Steve: It used to be really foreboding place there was two black chain link fences here that pretty much covered everything out and that border field state parks. I was in front and there's just a simple the normal sign and when we were working here, man, you can't you can't imagine how many people would come up and just turn around we thought the place was closed right and we saw a lot of cross-country trips or like north-south trips that there they were planning to end here and they just turned around for the thought. It was closed. So we kind of got charged with the task of opening this up when we took the fences down and we built a bunch of park infrastructure and signage here with trash out of the sediment basins, which was released shortly. Okay. And And on the other side of the border in Los Laureles canyon, they built some small public projects too -- like an outdoor basketball court surrounded by murals. They also built a small workshop space that some of the women in the neighborhood could use to make crafts and other things to sell. *********Fourwalls 1 Clip 27Steve: it really the biggest key to long-term sustainability to these projects. Is that there's a high degree of ownership by the community, you know, the our golden rule is don't do anything about me without me and the second Golden Rule is under promise over perform. because a lot of especially when you work in some of these communities you can't I mean they get too big it made promises all day every day all the time politicians, NGO groups, academic whatever they promises all the time and it is there's not always the follow-through so. So yeah, those are our important rules as far as the. Our building techniques in our strategy and everything we do is sustainable, but for it to really be sustainable. It's got to be the community making the decisions and it financially needs to be sustainable which is led us to that final pivot Those community projects Steve and Waylin were doing were amazing.But they were small and werent leading to any large-scale, long-term change. They were using repurposed trash to build nice public places, but then new trash and dirt just started piling up all around these spots. It was frustrating. So they hit the pause button. And now, theyve turned their attention to the thing they think both the people of Los Laureles and the trash problem need most.money. *******Fourwalls 1: Clip 28Steve: We could have been going we could go at the rate we've been going for the next hundred years and not really even make a dent. We knew that it has to go. It has to go way up a level in several levels and very quickly. Yeah.More on that when we come back.

Midroll Ad

Natsound of driving in vanSteven and Waylin leave Border Field State Park and drive through the international border crossing. Today, theres a line of vehicles snaking their way into Mexico, so it takes about 20 minutes to make our way through the cameras and speed bumps and the other intimidating infrastructure that makes up the crossing. Natsound: Crossing through border After navigating through downtown Tijuana traffic, they drive back toward the border, down a steep, bumpy road into Los Laureles canyon. Natsound of driving in vanTrash. Is. Everywhere. But so are examples of people using the trash in creative ways. Stacks of old rubber tires are common here, mostly serving as retaining walls to stem the erosion. We drive by a set of tires painted hot pink and serving as a decorative fence in the front yard of a small house.Across the stream from the pink fence, in the center of the canyon, a retaining wall made of discarded tires is literally holding up a triangle-shaped patch of land underneath a shack that looks like itll be wiped out once the rainy season begins. *****Fourwalls 2 Clip 43You'll see there's a lot of you knows retaining walls built with tires and stuff is but there's a couple things that could be done engineering wise. They make a little more secure and make them really advantageous and not necessarily dangerous. Some of them can be kind of dangerous. We've been down here like in the winter and walls have collapsed and I crushed houses with people sleeping in them and stuff like that. So,Our first stop is the shop where Adela Bonilla makes pinatas and other goods, many from recyclables she finds in the canyon. Adela wears an apron and a big smile. She stands below huge pinatas made in the shape of childrens cartoon characters, like Pikachu and Mario. Natsound: Arriving at Pinata ShopClip 3: Those are bottles, transformed into. (Alan: you could drink wine from em), hahaha no it could be a flower vase or other things

Clip 4: those are wallets made from old plastic bags, they have no colorants, just the bags.

Clip 5: These are bags made from intimate towels, its made from the wrappersA few years back, Steven and Waylin partnered with Adela and other women who live in the canyon to build the shop out of glass and plastic bottles stuffed with trash. The building is beautiful and the only hint that its made of trash are the colored glass bottles in the ceiling they purposely left exposed.Clip about building and cost Theres more for us to see deeper into the canyon, so we say goodbyeClip saying goodbye and pile back into the van. Natsound getting back into van Steven and Waylin want to show me and Only Here producers Kinsee Morlan and Emily Jankowski the three areas where they want to build structures to stop the flow of trash and dirt. Van nat sound They call the areas hot spots and hardpoints. Fourwalls 3 Clip 47... this is one of those hardpoints. Can you just you see there's clandestine dump sites that use it for this right here is that this will become a whole mound of trash bags for trash pickup. And so what happens is I. As you can tell there's plenty that's left behind and these are all bottles that would float across. The spot is a total mess. A tunnel the city installed sped up the water flow, which made the erosion here worse. A few old chairs sit at the center of whats become a large pile of plastic bottles, bags and other junk. To us, the situation feels overwhelming. But Steve and Waylin see opportunity. One mans trash is another mans treasure, as they say. In this case, they see building materials.*****Fourwalls 2 Clip 40Bottle bricks is what you're seeing, they just haven't been processed yet. Kinsee: laughs. Ha. That's one way to look at it. Music BumpThe guys want to transform the trash-bleeding, eroding hillsides of Los Laureles into beautiful terraced landscapes. terraces built from the very trash currently clogging it up. And they want to pay the people who live in Los Laureles -- many of them new migrants who got stuck in Tijuana as they tried to cross the border -- to do the work of collecting glass and plastic bottles and stuffing them with trash from the canyon. ***Fourwalls 3 Clip 48 NEWKinsee: So.I look at what I see and I just think it's hopeless but that's not what you see? Steven: No it's not hopeless, man. I Mean, there's like I said, there's tens if not hundreds of thousands of people that would work their ass off to clean up the Watershed, they just need the right opportunities. I mean as long as we're all like going to you know, implicitly uphold this system, then we can all agree that opportunity and upward Mobility are good things, right? So we need to provide everything is just it's like the same problem ever it's access and not you know,Kinsee: so you look at this and you see jobs? Waylin: The world is littered with opportunity Steven: because this shit is everywhere when we can. Transform a relatively simple and relatively cheaply a lot cheaper than digging it out later retroactively. That's for sure. Steven and Waylin think that once word gets out about trash equalling money, a lot of the illegal dumping problems will be resolved. Trash will be seen as more of a commodity. *****Fourwalls 1 Clip 9. So you very rarely find aluminum can in the river because it has value.*****Fourwalls 2 Clip 41Waylin: You know, the only naysayer, I think I've ever heard was what you gonna do when they run out of trash around. Well, they're not just pack up and move on somewhere else. Will they haven't finished their trash situation is kind of nice a comment. I think I've ever heard would be what are you going to do? When someone thinks they can do it better than you and wants to start a competitive business. That's when we say absolutely great. That's awesome. That's all compete for this stuff. Let's overfish it and mind the crap out of it just like we're good at and yeah by all means compete over it, you know Drive the price of it down make it more obtainable and let's just cut the stuff off.Music fade Natsound: border field state parkWhen Steven and Waylin look at the sediment ponds back on the other side of the border at Border Field State Park, they see so many ways to save tons of money, it seems ridiculous. Because all that trash and dirt that flows from Mexico to the U.S.. every year the state pays to get it scooped up, sifted and then piled up south of the pond. The price tag for that process is almost 2 million a year. Nature sound Steven and Waylin say they can spend a fraction of that money to pay people in Los Laureles to help build structures in the canyon -- and eventually other canyons in Tijuana. They say the projects could stop most of the trash and sediment from ever getting to the U.S.*****Fourwalls 1 Clip 7There's a lot of money spent to clean this up downstream. So kind of working backwards from that we can figure out a value to this stuff...The idea is straight-forward enough, but the execution is tricky. MUSIC BUMP: mischief ****Fourwalls 3 Clip 49Alright, are you guys ready? ready for what? Ahhhh! Oh my god.Steven and Waylin drive up a steep, narrow dirt road that looks precarious at best. The hillside it snakes up on is eroding and it looks like our van could be the thing that washes away the road for good. Were heading to Jorge Ibanezs native plant nursery.Natsound of getting to Jorges place, closing car doors Fourwalls 3 17:17 - 18:10Fourwalls 3 Clip 55So this is a very first project we ever built in Tijuana. It's was just native plant nursery the that's what to eat this. So this like I said, it's built with about 500 scrap tires. Same thing you saw on that that retaining wall here. It's got Earth. It's packed out with Adobe mud, and it's got an Earthen plaster on it. It's made of cactus juice. Every free minute and then I thought this was about the same size group about 13 people mostly ladies and then build this originally as an office space. It is sort of become like the catch-all shed for all the work that happens here...Steven and Waylin want Jorge and others here to help stem erosion by filling the terraces theyll build with the native plants he grows.Jorge clip in Spanish, Alan translatesNatsound: Saying goodbye, getting back into vanFrom the nursery, we keep driving into the canyon, where we see another project the guys helped build. ****Fourwalls 3 Clip 52{chatter in background} This is a little park project Oh, they put a fence up. This was the last Brick-and-mortar project we did in TJ before we decided we weren't going to build anything until we knew we could be here for several years and not stop. We drive even deeper into the canyon and Steven and Waylin show us two more hot spots where they envision focusing most of their efforts. The last spot is near a church that serves as a shelter for homeless migrants, many of them from Haiti and Central America. Clip: Arriving at shelter Basically were going to a place, a migrant shelter. Pastro gustavo has seen it al. the region has become known as little haiti. ...tents jammed up in there. And theres a lot of kids in there. The smell here is very intense thanks to a nearby farm and the extremely polluted waterway.Clip from last hotspot here Yeah, thats some funky green right there. Anyway, this is another one of the hotspots.theres just a lot of need here and definitely a lot of people whod be willing to work really hard. Steven and Waylin see the homeless migrants as the perfect workforce. They envision being able to pay them to walk through the canyon and pick up bottles. If they stuff the bottles with trash, theyll get more money for them. Then theyll use the bottles as bricks in their erosion-control projects. ******Fourwalls 2 Clip 37Steve: So we're going to be creating lots of jobs for a lot of people that call this place home. But there's also an opportunity to create jobs for migrants that are being forced to await their asylum claims on this side of the border.So now, they just need the money. But getting money from government agencies and grantors in the U.S and spending it on projects in Mexico -- thats where things get difficult. Steven and Waylin, though... they think theyve found a way to get the money flowing from north of the border to south. Fourwalls 1 Clip 5Well, The Border impact bond is a way to create jobs and economic incentives upstream in Tijuana to reduce government spending downstream and while improving environmental and Public Health on both sides of the line. Music bump to give money part momentum Thats the elevator pitch for the social impact bond theyve dreamed up. A social impact bond is basically a contract with a government agency. That agency then pays for better social outcomes in certain areas in need and passes on part of the savings to investors who bought into the bond. Steven and Waylin have identified a few government agencies that would benefit and save money from a contract like this. And for investors who buy into the idea, the bond is a way to make some money and pay for something thats good for the environment at the same time. They can feel warm and fuzzy about how theyre using their money.Not everyone is able to fully understand the plan, though. It confuses a lot of people. But thats why Steve and Waylin take potential investors and reps from government agencies on tours of Border Field State Park and Los Laureles canyon, just like the one were on today. Natsound: Inside VanOnce people see the situation on the ground with their own eyes, the idea starts making a lot more sense. Fourwalls 1 Clip 15.. you know Steve I have been doing this for a long time and about four years ago we were introduced to these market-based approaches to conservation which it with impact bonds being one. And we realized right then and there that this the only way that we can scale our work up, is by is a guy by front-loading private impact investment that that there's you know, there's billions of dollars in the ESG Market which is environment sustainability and governance, which is what you know governments around the world companies are all refocusing on in their Investments, you know, people don't want to invest in oil anymore. And so we want to be able to capitalize on that to be able to front-load the cost of these interventions with the idea of then saying repayment would be structured around our performance. So if if we are very successful we would see a higher return rate to our into the investment Steven and Waylin just got $70k from a federal border program run by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Optimistic music bump

That money will help fund the planning stage of the project. Soon, theyll begin holding workshops with people in Los Laureles and coming up with designs.But the last piece of the puzzle has yet to fall in place. They still need a government agency to step up and sign on to the border bond. They say theres too much at stake and are confident it will happen. Fourwalls 2 Clip 38Steve: because what political entity doesn't want that handshake and photo at the end of it? Fourwalls 2 Clip 39Steve: This is a bipartisan solution. You have serious measurable social environmental benefits right for the left. Then you have a fiscally responsible reduction in government spending to the right. So those things together. I mean this is conceptually, it's it's a very bipartisan solution to these problems.Music bump

Next episode teaser

Next time on the podcast. we continue our border-art series with a story about an opera singer whos painting a picture of border culture through song.

******Anishka 1 Clip 12And, uh, I started to realize that this was like. This was a thing. This was a thing that people were interested in and that it felt really good to talk about our border experiences in other places, and that there was fear. And, um, for lack of a better word, ignorance on both sides of the wall.

Anishka Lee-Skorepa wants to break cultural barriers surrounding both the border and opera music.

Show credits

Only Here is a KPBS podcast hosted by me Alan Lilienthal. It was written and produced by Kinsee Morlan. Emily Jankowski is the director of sound design. Lisa Morrissette is operations manager and John Decker is the director of programming.

KPBS podcasts are made possible by listeners like you. Go to kpbs DOT org to make a donation or become a member today.

Read more here:
Slowing The Flow (Only Here) - KPBS

MANCHESTER A water main break had a West Side couple on edge after their garage and basement filled with 32 inches of water two days after Thanksgiving. Back-to-back snowstorms didnt help.

Lynn Chabot and Jason Loy said neighbors came to their aid.

When the insurance company said, You have to wait until Monday and everything else, these people were here for us, Loy said.

Silt on the walls of the home at 5 Alpine St. and a Porsche Cayman S sports car parked in the garage show just how high the water rose. Loy said his baby is likely a complete loss.

It found the path of least resistance, which is our driveway, Chabot said of the small geyser that burst from the street around 8 p.m. Saturday.

The couple said they were originally told the damage wasnt covered because they dont have groundwater or flood insurance, but Hanover Insurance has since opened a new claim and will send an adjuster.

Guy Chabot, the citys water works deputy director in charge of water distribution, said the bolts of a 1997 valve corroded, causing the water to gush down the couples driveway. He is not related to Lynn Chabot.

The break is legally considered an act of God, meaning the city is not responsible for any damage.

It has to be shown that we did something to create the liability, Guy Chabot said. Lets say we were out there digging and pulled the top off the valve, then yes we typically would be responsible. This was a valve with corroded bolts and the top basically broke off of it.

The city will help repair part of the driveway because of a sinkhole.

But what about all the stuff in here? Lynn Chabot said Tuesday afternoon pointing to the garage.

As the couple continued to clean Tuesday, Hanover Insurance called saying they would be covered, prompting Lynn Chabot to shed tears and embrace Loy. A Hanover Insurance spokewoman said an adjuster and claims manager visited their property Wednesday morning.

Now, a water cleanup and restoration company can be called to help because of the claim.

Lynn Chabot, who grew up in the home and moved back in in 2014, said there is no estimate on how much the damage caused. A finished room in the basement had to be demolished and a retaining wall outdoors needs to be replaced.

Many photos and other childhood memories are being sorted through and air-dried.

I didnt sleep for 36 hours, she said. I feel relieved now and Im overwhelmed, but I know this is only the beginning.

The couple, who married in June, said they were touched by the generosity of neighbors, some they barely know.

We had people here helping who I had met him and his wife one time, Lynn Chabot said.

One neighbor helped shovel and a plumber worked for hours to restore heat, they said.

Follow this link:
Water main break floods Manchester home in 32" water - The Union Leader

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI)will sponsor a webinar, GeosyntheticReinforced MSE Walls; Overview, Failures and Items for Improvement on Dec. 11, from11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) member companies and their employees receive discountedrates on all GSI webinar and short course registrations.

Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE)walls represent a grade separation structure which functions at a slope betweenunreinforced soil to classical (i.e., vertical) concrete walls. The soil massitself is layered with geogrids or geotextiles such that a coherent stable massis formed. The facing is usually either vegetated or masonry block, including manyaesthetic variations. MSE walls have reached to 25 meters in height, supported railroadsand heavy surcharge loads, buildings of moderate bearing capacity and can readilyfunction adjacent to water courses and seismic conditions.

Furthermore, they are shown by arecent survey to be the least costly of any other type of retaining wall by 20to 50%.

Design of such MSE walls is wellwithin the state-of-the-practice and is usually addressed using a computer code.The six essential elements of design being the following; each of which are numericallyaddressed.

Internal Stability

External Stability

Unfortunately, there have been failures consisting of eitherexcessive deformation or actual collapses. The presenter has been collecting suchfailures since 2000, and the worldwide database includes more than 300. They willbe analyzed to learn where ongoing concerns exist. In this regard, five areas appearto be fundamental insofar as remedies are concerned. They will be described accordingly.

Summarizing comments and conclusionswill be offered accordingly.

Participants will learn aboutthis new class of retaining walls (and steep slopes), cost comparison to other walltypes, elements of design and where problems have existed in the past. Thesepast problems have been classified into groups, which give clear insight intothe mechanisms involved. Five aspects of design and/or construction will beoffered which, if followed, would minimize such failures from occurring in thefuture.

The webinar is intended for ownersof sites needing grade separation in both the public and private sectors; federal,state, and regional geotechnical, transportation and environmental engineers; engineersfrom municipal districts and townships; private and municipal land developers, architecturaland landscape designers; general civil consulting engineers; hardscapedesigners; testing laboratories servicing these organizations; manufacturers andrepresentatives of geosynthetic and masonry block materials; ground modificationcontractors; academic and research groups; and others desiring technically relatedinformation on this important aspect of our constructed infrastructure.

The webinars instructor, Dr. RobertM. Koerner, is professor emeritus of civil engineering at Drexel University,and founder and director emeritus of the Geosynthetic Institute.

Webinars cost $200.00 for GSI andGMA members, and $250.00 for nonmembers. Successful completion of amultiple-choice test after the webinar carries 1.5 professional development hours(PDH).

For more information or to register, visit http://www.geosynthetic-institute.org/webinar.htm.

Read more from the original source:
GSI to host webinar on geosynthetic reinforced MSE walls - Geosynthetics magazine

WOODBURY, N.J., Dec. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --The crackle and flicker coming from a fire pit is one of the iconic sounds and sights of fall nights. Fall is the best time to enjoy a warm fire outdoors the air is crisp and the heat from the fire is cozy and comforting. People have been having outdoor fires for millennia, but not all of them are done efficiently or safely. Here are a few secrets to getting the most out of an outdoor fire pit.

Getting started

The driest wood and tinder are necessary for a quick-lighting fire. Tinder can be small twigs, strips of birch bark, pine straw, or, strangely enough, broken pieces of potato chips or cheese-based snacks like Doritos or Cheetos. Newspaper does not make good tinder because it flames out too quickly and it sends lit embers into the air.

Place tinder in the clean fire pit. Put the smallest bits in first and pile upwards according to size, with the largest pieces on top. Kindling is the wood that is bigger than tinder but not as large or as long. Dry twigs and branches less than one inch in diameter make good kindling. If the kindling snaps easily underfoot, then it is ready for burning.

The best dry logs are hard, show their rings and cracks on the edges, and have no signs of mold or fungus growing on them. Layer dry wood on top of kindling in a crosshatch pattern. While triangle structures for fires are popular, a crosshatch pattern will burn the wood more thoroughly. Also, for fire pits, the lower height of the crosshatch pile will be safer than the taller pyramid shape. Be sure not to build too high a stack.

Lighting

Simple is best. Matches are the way to go. Long-armed matchsticks are convenient and keep hands away from flames. Holding the match in the tinder or dropping it in should be enough to ignite it. Smoke will rise if the tinder lights. Gently fan the embers. If the wood is piled on too tightly, the tinder may not get enough oxygen to burn. Re-light the tinder in three places and fan gently until the kindling begins to burn.

Safety

As with indoor fireplaces, there are screens that help retain embers and sparks that may pop from the fire. Also keep the wood supply a safe distance away from the flames and seating at 3 feet away or more. Fire pits themselves should be at least 10 to 20 feet away from any structure, including the home.

Having an active hose or buckets of water nearby is essential for outdoor fires because some embers may escape. With the many dried fallen leaves around this season, caution is paramount. Some homeowners douse the fallen leaves before having a fire pit night for an added measure of safety. Be sure the fire is completely out before turning in for the night. The hose or bucket of water can be used for this purpose.

Treats

Anything goes. S'mores are classic. Hot dogs, kebabs or other food items that can be cooked quickly over a flame make for great fire pit meals. Avoid paper plates and cups. Stoneware or heavy duty plastic dinnerware and cloth napkins are less likely to be caught in the flames than paper accessories. Set up a table with condiments and drinks in an open area at least 10 feet away from the flames to allow guests to prepare their food.

Enjoy

Enjoying a fall evening outside with s'mores, warm drinks and stories shared among friends and family can be as easy as starting up a fire in the fire pit. Nothing draws out neighbors like seeing those inviting, flickering flames or smelling the unique and wonderful aroma of a campfire. Outdoor fire pits are a classic way to gather friends and family and share a cozy evening together.

About EP Henry EP Henry is the oldest American family-owned and -operated manufacturer of unit concrete products in North America. Based in Woodbury, New Jersey, EP Henry manufactures a wide range of Hardscaping paving stone and retaining wall products. EP Henry also offers beautiful patio pavers, outdoor kitchen kits, garden wall solutions and more to homeowners throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. For more information on EP Henry Hardscaping products, visit EPHenry.com or call 800-44-HENRY (800-444-3679).

SOURCE EP Henry

Go here to read the rest:
Using an outdoor fire pit the right way leads to cozy nights with family and friends, by EP Henry - Benzinga

A New York developer hoping to build a mixed-use project on the Connecticut River in Hartford has proposed a more modest version of his plan to woo the interest of city officials.

Developer George Bryant, president of Aqua Ark LLC, said his firm has compiled a dozen proposals for potential development on city-owned land near Mortensen Riverfront Plaza.

Aqua Arks initial $40-million proposal aims to build two structures on land-based floating technology to house several retail and restaurant vendors and event or hotel space.

Bryant on Wednesday said his startup is also pitching a scaled-down, $9-million development that would include a single-story amphibious promenade that would also be able to float on the water during flood conditions.

Bryant aired his various plans at the citys planning, economic development and housing committee meeting Tuesday night.

The smaller, single-level development includes a series of kiosks for food and retail vendors and a separate restaurant that would feature indoor and outdoor seating.

Germany-based Clement and Westport engineering firm Collective Design Associates are supporting Aqua Ark, with design plans.

We just want to make sure we are putting something forward that is fine-tuned to what the city thinks will work best there, Bryant said. We dont want to develop something that is oversized or undersized.

Aqua Arks scaled-down proposal includes a series of kiosks for retail and food vendors.

The waterfront redevelopment builds off Hartford City Councilman John Gales resolution last year that encouraged development along the Connecticut River. But the resolution has been met with criticism from environmental advocates, including Robert Klee, former commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Bryant said his firm is willing to address any environmental issues the proposals may pose to existing levees and other underground barriers protecting the city from river flooding.

Riverfront Recapture, the not-for-profit organization managing Hartford and East Hartford's riverfront parks and Riverwalk trail system, has identified at least one potential issue the proposal poses to a retaining wall.

We may have to remediate that, said Bryant, who does not yet have any meetings scheduled with the nonprofit or the city.

Aqua Arkhas not completed a project in the U.S., but it has completed several floating developments in Europe and the Middle East.

The firm, which is working on a proposal for a floating development in the Bronx, pitched a similar waterfront project in Bridgeport in recent years, but city officials denied it.

Bryant has not discussed his vision for waterfront development in Hartford with DEEP or the Army Corps. of Engineers, which would both need to grant permits for the project before it moves forward.

The city and Riverfront Recapture would also need to award Aqua Ark various land use and development agreements for the development.

Bryant said hes optimistic city officials will support at least one his riverfront proposals.

We believe we have interest, he said. Members of the city council at the meeting last night appeared to be supportive from my side.

More here:
Developer gauging support for several mixed-use proposals on CT River in Hartford - Hartford Business

Jeanie Stephens, jeanie.stephens@thetelegraph.com

The Alton City Council will meet as a committee of the whole Monday night to discuss a new tax levy and continue its talks on how to address a damaged retaining wall on Riverview Drive discovered earlier this year. An engineering firm has provided three suggested options for the city, ranging in cost from $169,000 to more than $561,000.

The Alton City Council will meet as a committee of the whole Monday night to discuss a new tax levy and continue its talks on how to address a damaged retaining wall on Riverview Drive discovered earlier this

The Alton City Council will meet as a committee of the whole Monday night to discuss a new tax levy and continue its talks on how to address a damaged retaining wall on Riverview Drive discovered earlier this year. An engineering firm has provided three suggested options for the city, ranging in cost from $169,000 to more than $561,000.

The Alton City Council will meet as a committee of the whole Monday night to discuss a new tax levy and continue its talks on how to address a damaged retaining wall on Riverview Drive discovered earlier this

Alton to discuss tax levy, retaining wall on Monday

ALTON Several demolitions and an annual tax levy ordinance are among the listed agenda items for Altons aldermanic Committee of the Whole meeting planned for 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, inside city hall.

Resolutions to commence with three demolitions at 728 Alby St., 614 Ridge St. and 2510 Maxey Street are among those on the agenda, with bid reports for the demolition of seven other properties, including 1317 and 1321 Pearl St., 615 Sering Ave., 1720 Maupin St., 3410 California Ave., 616 Anderson St. and 928 Hawley Ave.

Another resolution, an ordinance for the annual property tax levy, is to be considered for fiscal year April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2020. An amount for the tax levy will be recommended by the city comptroller.

In other committee business, city aldermen will preliminarily vote on resolutions pertaining the disposal or scrapping of a 2006 trailer used by the public works department and the scheduling of a public hearing to allow comments and questions concerning the proposed Transition Plan drafted by the officials of the City of Alton, pursuant to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

Aldermen are also scheduled, again, to discuss the damaged retaining wall on Riverview Drive and modifications to the rules of the Civil Service Commission.

This spring, the Alton Public Works Department noticed cracks in the retaining wall after a series of heavy rains. The walls condition worsened after additional downpours in August and the area around it was closed to traffic.

Since then, an engineering assessment has been made by Sheppard Morgan and Schwaab Inc. with three options generated for the repair of the wall. The costs of the options range from $169,000 to more than $561,000.

The Committee of the Whole meets at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month in Alton City Hall.

View post:
Alton to discuss tax levy, retaining wall on Monday - Alton Telegraph

You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to ourTerms of Service.

We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information.

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers.

We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers

We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites.

We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation.

We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly.

We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sentvia e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article.

Read this article:
Closed stretch of Nadine Road reopens earlier than expected in Penn Hills - TribLIVE

There has been much discussion with regards on what to do with the Bighill Furniture Store in Fairfax. Three firms have submitted bids to tear down and dispose of the building, but there is also hope that filmmakers for, Killers of the Flower Moon, might come in and refurbish the building. Joe and Carol Conner also say they have found citizens who are willing to help restore the building.

The balancing act that the Board of Osage County Commissioners face is that there is a retaining wall currently holding the building up. That retaining wall is only made to last for a few more weeks before it becomes structurally unsafe and the building could fall.

If the commissioners choose to tear the building down with one of the three firms that submitted a bid, they only have another two weeks to choose one of those firms before those bids become non void. Carol Conner said she doesn't expect to get any further information within the next month. District Three Commissioner Darren McKinney expressed his concern if the county were to get any bad weather this winter.

The commissioners took no action on the agenda item, but the bids will expire on Thursday, December 19th. If they haven't yet made a choice by then, the commissioners would have to go out for bid a second time and possibly see higher prices.

See the original post here:
News Commissioners unsure on what to do with Bighill Store - Bartlesville Radio