Jon Pompia|The Pueblo Chieftain

In November, property owners who reside within the expansive Pueblo County School District 70 will be asked to improve all schools by approving a $75 million bond that would see no new tax increase implemented.

Ballot Measure 4A would raise funds for schools in Pueblo West, the Mesa and the Mountain Region without a tax increase, through the restructuring of bond debt already on the books.

If approved, the bond would provide more than $6 million for infection control and COVID 19-mitigation measures, and security camera system and intercom replacements and upgrades, at all schools.

This series will examine how the bond funds would be spent at each school.

SOUTH MESA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (BUILT IN 1959) WOULD RECEIVE $3.9 MILLION IN BOND FUNDS:

UPGRADE ROOF

The existing roof has reached the end of its expected life and would bereplaced with a new, high-quality roof system with a life span of 22 to 30 years. It is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly and would include a redesign to improve drainage.

SECURE ROOF ACCESS

To prevent unauthorized access to the roof, fencing and/or secure ladders would be installed to secure all access points.

REPLACE SELECT EXTERIOR DOORS

The aging exterior wood doors would be replaced with new metal doors to improve function and security.

UPGRADE ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The buildings antiquated electrical distribution system would be upgraded to eliminate safety concerns and accommodate an increased demand due to modern teaching tools such as computers and tablets.

NEW HEATING/COOLING SYSTEM AND CONTROLS

The existing heating/cooling equipment is outdated and inefficient. Replacing this failing equipment with new high-efficiency systems wouldbring the building up to code, eliminate maintenance issues, and lower energy consumption. New controls for these systems would be integrated into the districts control system to optimize performance and provide a more comfortable environment for building occupants.

NEW KITCHEN HEATING/COOLING

The kitchens heating system would bereplaced with a new, high-efficiency system that adds cooling to provide a more comfortable work environment.

REPLACE CAFETERIA PARKING LOT

The cafeteria staff parking area and sidewalks would berepaved and replaced, and the dumpsters relocated to the north on a separate concrete pad.

REPLACE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

The outdated playground equipment would be removed, and new equipment installed further from the building to help with drainage issues. The new equipment would expand the play area, be ADA compliant, and meet modern equipment safety standards.

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AND LUNCH AREA

The area north of the cafeteria would be transformed into an outdoor classroom/lunch area with a concrete pad and an open-side pole barn to provide shade and protection from the elements.

South Mesa Elementary is over 60 years old and is in need of attention," said Principal Shad Glenn. "The school was well built but over time, it hasbecome evident that the building is in need of structural repairs and upgrades in order to bring it up to code. It is not only important for the building itself to be updated but it is necessary for the students, staff and community members to feel safe both inside and out.

"There is a big concern that if the updates/upgrades do not happen, then eventually South Mesa will be dealing with larger issues in regard to infrastructure: which in turn directly affects the safety and overall learning environment of our students as well as impacts the community use and availability of the facility.

Chieftain reporter Jon Pompia can be reached by email at jpompia@chieftain.com or at twitter.com/jpompia.

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After 61 years, South Mesa Elementary is in need of attention - Pueblo Chieftain

Last spring, as the coronavirus swept New York City, it hit hard at a nine-story seniors-only public housing development on Union Avenue in The Bronx.

In the 10 weeks between March and mid-May, at least 15 of the 232 elders living there became infected with the virus. Six ultimately died of lab-confirmed COVID-19 in the single-building residence known as Union Avenue 163rd Street, city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene data shows.

Testing showed an infection rate of 6.4%. Overall, 2.9% of the citys 8.1 million residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemics arrival in March, though estimates of the percentage of New Yorkers infected are much higher.

All told, some 47 NYCHA developments 22 of which are seniors only recorded COVID-positive rates higher than 2.9% from March to mid-May. NYCHA oversees 302 developments across the city.

All but two of the 47 developments including the Union Avenue senior residence rely on old mechanical ventilation systems that NYCHA had promised to fix by last year. And all but two of NYCHAs 41 seniors-only developments use the system.

Across the city, 240 NYCHA developments employ mechanical exhaust roof fans to circulate air out of apartments. The systems, which serve 260,000 residents, are prone to breakdown, and the ducts leading from apartments to the roof often are clogged with decades of dust and debris.

Meanwhile, NYCHA has prioritized a list of buildings including Union Avenue for immediate roof fan replacement. But the plan is now off track and far behind schedule.

Experts say poor indoor airflow due to lousy ventilation systems, along with crowded conditions caused by other NYCHA ills such as broken elevators, contributes to the spread of COVID-19 and amplifies underlying medical conditions such as asthma that make people more vulnerable to the virus.

Its a perfect storm for people to get COVID-19, Dr. Abraar Khan of Harvards School of Public Health, whos working with Massachusetts health officials on the response to COVID-19. Now theyre crowding into the apartments that are not well ventilated, getting into elevators. These are situations with the most contact risk.

On Monday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted an advisory citing new evidence that coronavirus can be spread beyond six feet indoors. These transmissions occurred within enclosed spaces that had inadequate ventilation, the advisory noted.

Khan is particularly worried about how this will play out as the weather cools, flu season arrives and many tenants, especially the elderly and ailing, are stuck indoors.

When youre indoors a lot more as we head into the fall and the winter, were going to need better ventilation, he said. I would not be surprised that this leads to a potential indoor spread.

More than 7,800 NYCHA tenants tested positive for COVID-19 during the initial runup of the virus between March 1 and May 11, according to city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene data. During that time, the deaths of 1,241 NYCHA tenants were deemed either lab confirmed or probable COVID-19.

In releasing this data, health officials pointed out that the share of COVID-19 cases among public housing tenants was proportionate to NYCHAs representation in the citys overall population: 4.4%. The agency did not note the 47 developments with disproportionately high rates of infection.

Its impossible to know for certain whether inadequate airflow in apartments contributed to higher-than-average infection rates in the 22 NYCHA senior developments.

Some 25 senior developments registered average or below average infection rates, including two that have natural ventilation meaning they rely solely on opening windows for airflow.

But 95% of the 47 NYCHA developments that registered a higher-than-average rate depend on mechanical exhaust ventilation systems to circulate apartment air.

A NYCHA development on East 152nd Street at Courtland Avenue in The Bronx thats mostly seniors logged a 9% infection rate, with 35 of 378 tenants testing positive March and mid-May, data shows. No residents died of COVID-19 during that period.

Six tenants died of lab-confirmed COVID at a seniors-only development in Upper Manhattan known as UPACA Site 5. Some 17 of the buildings 212 elderly tenants contracted the virus an infection rate of 8%.

At the seniors-only Woodson Houses in Brooklyn, tests showed 23 of 452 elders were infected with the virus, for a rate of 5%. Eleven residents of the Brownsville development died of lab-confirmed COVID-19.

Work Behind Schedule

The Metro Industrial Area Foundation, a coalition of housing advocates that sued NYCHA to eradicate mold in the apartments of tenants with asthma and other respiratory ailments, had raised a red-flag about poor ventilation, long before COVID arrived.

The virus, the group has said, makes the need to fix the ventilation even more crucial.

As THE CITY reported in August, the authority originally promised to repair all busted roof fans by May 2019. But NYCHA officials abandoned that plan and, instead, vowed to replace all of the systems roof fans 10,000 across 243 developments.

Now the new plan is off track after questions arose about the safety record and financial history of the contractor NYCHA had hired to do much of the work. That contract is now on hold.

As a result, the first phase of the campaign which was supposed to start in July with 38 developments targeted for fan replacement by June 2021 has yet to begin.

Some 940 tenants in the 38 developments in line for new ventilation systems tested positive for COVID-19 last spring. The virus killed 61 of them between March and mid-May, a review of NYCHA and health records shows.

It should have been fixed a decade ago and it wasnt, Susan Popkin, senior fellow at the non-partisan Urban Institute, said of NYCHAs ventilation woes. They dont have that money now and they didnt have it before the pandemic, so all the problems with NYCHA before that you have documented are playing out now in a way that is creating more risk for the staff and the tenants.

In a response to questions from THE CITY, NYCHA emphasized that it is pressing on with the plan to replace the 10,000 fans as soon as possible.

NYCHAs statement said the authority is currently evaluating bids of several contractors and requesting the Department of Investigation do background checks on each.

Phase I has begun and we are currently completing the necessary engineering work, the statement said. Thus far, 34 developments (130 buildings) have either been assigned engineers to handle roof fan replacement; a contracting company to handle roof fan replacement; or an internal team assembled by NYCHA to handle roof fan replacement.

But because the ventilation systems have yet to be fixed, the poor ventilation creates an environment that can exacerbate asthma.

And many of these developments particularly in The Bronx are located in neighborhoods with high rates of asthma, THE CITYs examination of state data revealed.

Health Department asthma rate records for 2012 through 2014, the latest years available, show that 20 of the 38 developments NYCHA prioritized for immediate roof fan replacement are located in ZIP codes with rates of asthma hospitalizations above the citywide average. Meanwhile, 18 of the 20 also have asthma emergency room visits above the citywide rate.

Take the Mill Brook Houses, a 61-year-old Bronx development that relies on mechanical exhaust ventilation. Mill Brook is located in a Mott Haven ZIP code with the citys highest rates of both asthma hospitalizations and asthma ER visits.

The 10454 ZIP code registered an asthma hospitalization rate of 99 per 10,000 residents, far above the citywide average of 27.9. The rate of asthma ER-related visits there is 482.9 per 10,000 residents, far outpacing the citywide average of 135.

Between March 1 and mid-May, 76 of Mill Brooks 2,772 tenants tested positive for the virus, a 2.7% rate, slightly below the overall city percentage since March. Five Mill Brook tenants deaths were deemed lab-confirmed COVID-19.

Mill Brook became a test case for the effect of poor ventilation on asthma as part of an ongoing court settlement with NYCHA.

Authority management and then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg promised to remedy a chronic mold problem in developments all over the city as part of the deal with Metro IAF. That was in December 2013.

By 2016, Metro IAF was pressing NYCHA to fix broken roof fans to improve airflow in apartments to help staunch mold growth. NYCHA initially agreed to fix every malfunctioning fan by May 2019.

As part of that effort, Microecologies, a consultant hired by NYCHA under the court decree, discovered an alarming situation in one of Mill Brooks buildings: Five of 10 roof fans that were supposed to keep apartments ventilated there didnt function, according to Microecologies report.

As for the Mill Brook fans that did function, the ventilator ducts leading from apartments to the roof had become clogged with years of dust and junk. In one, Microecologies found airflow blocked by a wayward brick, in another by a football-sized nest of roaches.

The lack of airflow in most of the buildings apartments led to a build-up of moisture in kitchens and bathrooms. That triggered the mold that aggravates asthma.

NYCHA fixed four of the five busted fans, but didnt follow up with the duct cleanup in that building until three months ago. In a report on the Mill Brook inspection filed in the court case, Microecologies made clear the authority needed to upgrade roof fans and clean out all the ducts across the Mill Brook development.

We estimate that exhaust ventilation problems in bathrooms (which directly result in excessive shower vapor condensation) account for (or contribute to) more than 50% of mold problems in NYCHA housing, Microecologies officials wrote in a report filed as part of the court case.

As of last week, Mill Brook was on the list of the first set of developments scheduled to get new fans.

Tenants interviewed recently at Mill Brook told THE CITY that NYCHA had gone years without cleaning the network of ducts throughout the buildings.

They were surprised when NYCHA crews showed up in July to clear out the system. By then, the virus had already peaked in New York City.

Ive never had the vent cleaned since Ive been here, said tenant Jacklyn Corley, 59, who moved into Mill Brook in 1998.

Corley said the vent in her apartment now seems to function, but other tenants said even after a recent cleanup they were still getting no air circulation in their bathrooms.

In some cases, mold proved persistent. One tenant, who did not want to give her name, said, It was working for a minute and then it stopped working again.

Tenant Robert Nevarez, 58, recounted his struggles to get NYCHA to eradicate recurring mold that keeps coming back inside the tiny bathroom of his two-bedroom apartment. Last week, his vent was once again drawing no air out of his bathroom.

He said NYCHA first came to clean up the green-black mold that had begun to accumulate in the corner of his bathroom in 2018. But Nevarez said NYCHA never fixed the underlying problem, which was the leak thats buckling the wall.

On Aug. 7, NYCHA workers returned to the apartment and cleaned out the vent. The form they left behind promising to return read: NYCHA has found mold, water damage, and/or a moisture level indicating excessive moisture or a possible leak. Inspection found mold.

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Seniors in NYCHA Buildings with Poor Ventilation Slammed by COVID-19 - THE CITY

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BLOUNTSTOWN Its been two years since Hurricane Michael barreled into the Panhandle. But Molly Glass is still dealing with its wrath.

The storms Category 5 winds had split her house, a double-wide in Blountstown along the Chipola River. It wasnt until January more than a year after the storm that a local charity was finally able to install a new roof on her home.

But months later, one morning in June, Glass heard a sharp crack echo through her home.

She jumped out of bed and ran toward the sound. To her horror, she saw an arch of electrical current shooting out of a power outlet in the bathroom. The room filled with smoke.

As Glass flipped the main breaker, her husband scooped up their 18-month-old grandson and they ran out of the house.

Molly Glass peers down at the ground through a hole in the floor of her bathroom Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. She and her husband Tony made repairs on their home after damage from Hurricane Michael two years ago and moved back in, only to realize it had more serious issues with electrical wires in the walls earlier this year, also caused by the storm and threatening to burn the place down. The two have once again moved out and are working on more repairs.(Photo: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

A fire marshal came out there, Glass said. After taking a look, the woman said, " Yall have been living in a death trap.

Michaels winds had damaged the electrical wiring. The house could have burnt down.

Shes not the only one still wading through damage. As they watched life-threatening Hurricane Delta churn through the Gulf for a landfall in Louisiana Friday morning, many residents throughout the rural Panhandle are still rebuilding after Michaels aftermath amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Jana Whitehead, a disaster case manager at Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, juggles about a dozen cases at a time with survivors in Calhoun and Liberty counties. The nonprofit has assisted about 60 families over the past year, she said.

Theres people that still have leaky roofs. Im one of them actually, said Whitehead, a retired Calhoun County teacher. Those roofs have damage underneath the underlayment of the roofs are now deteriorated so bad that they have to be replaced.

Molly and Tony Glass stand in front of the ripped apart bathroom in their home, which is currently undergoing repairs after major electrical issues were discovered in their walls earlier this year, lingering damage from Hurricane Michael two years ago.(Photo: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

Glass husband is a carpenter, and she cleans, paints and installs flooring in student housing apartments in Tallahassee.

While staying at a friends home, Glass and her husband are tearing down the walls to make room for electricians to inspect and repair the electrical damage.

Even before her house almost caught fire, Glass was on edge. She knew that something was wrong with the electricity: Outlets would melt, she said, and wiring turned red but didnt illuminate a light bulb.

"Not only did my business get shut down completely with this coronavirus, Im scared to death I cant sleep at night, afraid our house was going to burn up," Glass said.

The disaster and its aftermath have taken a toll on her mental health, she added: The ongoing stress of repairs is compounded by the trauma of living through the storm itself.

Now if the wind blows just a little bit, Im under the bed. I will never be OK after that storm, Glass said.

Molly Glass tears up as she holds a framed gift of her son's Ren's handprints and a poem he gave her for Christmas before he died at 9-years-old. Glass was grateful that her keepsakes of her son were not harmed when Hurricane Michael damaged her home two years ago. (Photo: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

She was alreadystruggling with PTSD before the storm. Several years ago, Glass lost her son Ren. Her little boywas 9 years old when he died. All she has left are keepsakes of him that can't be replaced. Glasswas relieved those weren't burnedin a housefire or destroyed in the storm.

Alternative housing is hard to find in the vast, sparsely populated rural counties, Whitehead said. In many cases, survivors are living in rental properties that landlords cant afford to fix.

We cant help the rental owner because theyre not living in the house its a money maker for them and they did not have insurance on those rental properties, she explained. Its a liability. It has to be by the homeowner thats living in the home. And theres definitely a housing shortage. No place for people to go.

About a quarter of residents in Liberty County and afifth of residents in Calhoun County are living in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many can't afford to move elsewhere because of work or because they simply cant afford to move.

Craig Fugate, former FEMA administrator and formerdirector of the state's Emergency Management Division, called that difficulty the resiliency divide. He spoke in a Thursday webinar hosted by Rebuild850, where local leaders discussed a need to create morejobs as well as other priorities to help boost the economy ofMichael-afflicted Big Bend counties.

They've endureda double hit from both the storm and the coronavirus, which threatened businesses, including Glass'. Her business closed down for three months as campuses shut down and students moved home.

Molly Glass stands in her home outside of Blountstown which is currently undergoing major repairs for the second time in two years because of damage from Hurricane Michael. (Photo: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

Those who dont have the resources to rebuild or move oftentimes end up in the same situation in future disasters, Fugate said.

Were not out of the woods yet, said state Sen. Bill Montford, who is originally from Blountstown. The whole issue of jobs was a problem even before Michael. We literally have people driving 100 miles ...to Panama City to work Weve got to have private investment.

For now, Glass toils away over the weekends to slowly ensure her house is livable again.

That kind of toll onmental health is among thehealth impacts the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine is studying among storm survivors. The CLEO Institute, aclimate change advocacy and education group, worked withUM to survey Hurricane Michael survivors on health effects post-storm. The groups also surveyed survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Ricoand Hurricane Irma survivors in South Florida.

The groups will release data by the end of this month, saidlead researcher Naresh Kumar. And the first wave of research analysis is slated to be presented atan annual climate and health symposiumnext month.

Damage from Hurricane Michael can be seen on the ceiling of Molly and Tony Glass' home outside of Blountstown Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, two years after the storm. (Photo: Tori Lynn Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

Kumar, a professor who specializes in environmental health,found that Panhandle residents' hospital visits the year after Michael decreased. He hypothesizes that's because people were insurvival mode.

"One of the things I focus on is the persistence of health effects after these storms," Kumar said. "Generally people think about days or weeks but thats not the case."

One issue, he says, is the onset of certain health conditions, such as a delayed reaction to mold.

Those minor leaks might result in a significant increase in mold," Kumar said. "You may get sensitized. You may begin to develop allergies (to mold) which you were not earlier allergic to.

"The environmental modifications dont reinstate right after the storm. They persist for years," he said.

2019 File Photo: Kaye Elmore and her grandson Camron Elmore, 6, walk through the living room of the home they shared before a tree fell on the roof during Hurricane Michael last year, destroying the home and forcing them to find somewhere else to stay.(Photo: Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat)

Pollen count increases as tree and vegetation regrowth happens, Kumar said, aggravating those with asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions.

Whitehead says as people remain indoors during stay-at-home orders to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, they're "surrounded by the damage" indoors. COVID-19 has prevented the charity from doing indoor repairs.

"You walk outside and you see the remnants of those trees orthe little Dr. Seuss trees that have been growing two or three puffs with the overhang," she said. "It used to be that you walk outside and see the trees."

Glass reminisces, gazing at old photos of her intact home, a gathering place for the holidays and her adult children's families.

"We had a beautiful life in that bruised and battered home and we will again," she said."Those were the best of times. But there will be more."

For now though, as she rummages through the repair journey, Michael is"the storm that just keeps on giving."

Donate to nonprofits helping those still in need of repairs:

Reach Nada Hassanein at nhassanein@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @nhassanein_.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat.

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Two years later, the impacts of Hurricane Michael persist in the Florida Panhandle - Tallahassee Democrat

if you thought youd seen the last of radical proposals on how to rebuild the notre dame cathedral, then think again. despite french president emmanuel macron having declared that paris beloved building would be restored to its original state before the fire of april 15th 2019, dutch architecture studio, trsnfrm, has shared their alternative concept for a sculptural glass roof that twists into a spire.

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the history and cultural heritage of the notre dame cathedral serves as the starting point for trnsfrms design. in respect of the buildings 800 year history, the concept is conceived of first and foremost as a place of worship. to replace the destroyed roof and spire, the architects propose a contemporary sculpture made from colored glass. the idea is partly inspired by the new basilica of our lady guadalupe in mexico city by the late architect pedro ramirez vazquez and the galleria vittorio emanuele in milan. here a huge roof structure embraces the people inside.

the sculpture is made out of stained glass, in this case, fixed in a steel frame. as a result, during the day, the stained glass sculpture brings sunlight into the cathedral. at night, the interior lighting of the cathedral creates the opposite effect. the sculpture becomes a glow in the dark point of reference on the parisian skyline.

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a stained glass roof twists into a spire for this alternative vision of notre dame cathedral - Designboom

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. Hillsborough County school leaders are set to approve school improvement projects at several of its elementary, middle and high schools at a board meeting on Tuesday.

Many of those upgrades will be paid for with the half-penny sales tax that voters approved back in 2018.

Repairs, including fire alarm system repairs and a partial heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) replacement at Blake High School are now complete.

Lithia Springs Elementary School and Mintz Elementary Schools will be receiving roof repairs.

Hillsborough County School district leaders are also expected to approve security upgrades to two schools on Tuesday.

Those upgrades include a security wall modification project, proving securable classrooms will improve sound qualities for Bellamy Elementary School.

School board leaders are also approving a completed project to install a new secure entrance at Chamberlain High School. This project was completed in August 2019.

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Hillsborough County School District to approve HVAC, roof and security upgrades at many schools - ABC Action News

While there are no final decisions on what projects Chautauqua County will be doing this year, it appears there will be fewer of them.

During last weeks County Planning Board meeting, board members were asked to rank submitted projects.

There will be a smaller number of projects this year, said Planning Director Donald McCord.

The Sheriffs Office requested seven projects: a scheduled storage server replacement, a convection oven, a planetary mixer for the jail, a hot water heater, a tower site UPS battery replacement, and parking lot maintenance.

McCord noted they were holding off on requesting any new vehicles, because of the financial challenges created by current pandemic. He expects new vehicle requests in 2021.

Other county departments requesting projects included the legislature for an A/V upgrade; an office expansion design for the District Attorney; a roof replacement for EMS; an emergency notification system and wireless network for the countys Informational Services; a Discover eGOV Civil Service System for Human Resources; a first-floor renovation for Health and Human Services; and a replacement of voting machines by the Board of Elections.

No costs for any of the projects were listed.

The countys Department of Public Facilities/Buildings and Grounds requested a skid steer, a building and grounds maintenance building, some door replacements, carpet and a Mayville arc flash study.

CARTS the Chautauqua Area Rural Transportation System requested a bus replacement, a bus wash and some new software.

Jamestown Community College listed 16 projects, including furniture, interior repairs, LED lighting, roofs, as well as a soccer field and an athletics stadium.

County Planning Board members requested JCC prioritize its own projects, to assist them in determining the best option for the county.

There were 12 projects listed for the county airports. Ninety-five percent of all funds come from the federal or state governments, but planning board members were still concerned about the local costs.

Its going to be impossible for the county to get out of running these airports, said Rick Ketchum, board member.

Another board member, whose name was not listed on the zoom call, agreed. Why are there two airports in the county this size? It doesnt make sense, he said.

McCord said he understood their concerns and suggested the board hold a separate discussion on the countys airports at a future meeting, although no date was discussed.

The Planning Board is scheduled to meet again on June 16 to try and finalize a priority list.

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Fewer capital projects expected by Chautauqua County this year | News, Sports, Jobs - Evening Observer

With the coronavirus pandemic eroding state budgets across the country, many communities risk having this disaster make them less prepared for looming climate-drivendisasters.

Still recovering from devastating wildfires, California was poised to spend billions of dollars to prepare for future fires and other extreme weather disasters. The infrastructure projects, designed to make communities and homes more resistant to wildfire, have long been overlooked, fire expertssay.

But with a $54 billion budget deficit, the programs are being put onhold.

Its really a shame, says Alexandra Syphard, a fire scientist at Sage Underwriters, a wildfire insurance company. Obviously COVID has been a shame on so many different levels. We were ramping up to provide what I believe is one of the most progressive and important investments in terms of fire risk that there couldbe.

With more than 25,000 homes and buildings lost over the last three years, California has focused recent spending on adding new firefighting crews and emergency response capacity. This year, the state planned on investing in something that could lessen the need for fire-fighting: hardening millions of homes to make them more resistant to burning.

Similar home-retrofitting programs, piloted in communities around the state, have been verypopular.

Up here in the mountains, a wood-shingled roof is another name for a matchbook, says Bill Seavy, a homeowner in South LakeTahoe.

Until a few years ago, Seavy had a wood-shingled roof, but he replaced it through a program that incentivized homeowners to install fire-resistant roofing. The local fire agency, the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, created the program after the 2007 Angora Fire, which destroyed almost 300 buildings and homes in theregion.

In Lake Tahoe, were vulnerable, and theres three million people in California that live in areas like this where youre vulnerable, says Seavy. So weve got to do everything wecan.

Through federal funding from FEMA, homeowners could get 70 percent of their cost covered for a replacement roof. Wood roofs can fuel the spread of wildfires by catching burning embers.

Most homes are not burned by fires just marching up to them and burning them down, says Syphard. Most are destroyed because the fires are occurring during really high wind conditions and there tend to be these burning embers that can fly kilometers ahead of the fire front. And its these burning embers that tend to get into all the little nooks and crannies of ahouse.

Even small fixes to a house can make a big difference, like putting mesh screens on attic vents or covering the eaves under aroof.

Things that in particular would prevent embers from penetrating the house are super significant in making a difference between whether a home survives a fire or not, saysSyphard.

Last year, California lawmakers approved the first major statewide program for incentivizing such home-retrofits. In January, Governor Gavin Newsom announced $100 million in state and federal money to help homeowners replace roofs and make their homes more fire-resistant, particularly in low-income communities where upgrades may be out of reach formany.

But in May, Newsom proposed suspending the program, citing the need for deep budget cuts to offset the falling tax revenue from the economicdownturn.

We learned that in the Paradise fires, homes built or retrofitted with home-hardening materials and features often withstood the deadly flames and stood to live another day, says California Assemblymember Jim Wood, who authored the bill to create the program. It is a sorry state when we refuse to acknowledge the importance, and financial benefits, of investing inprevention.

Two other substantial climate initiatives were also put on hold in the Governors revised budget, which would have funded projects to prepare for fires, droughts, floods and sea level rise. Those include a $4.75 billion Climate Resilience Bond scheduled for the November ballot and $1 billion in state funding over five years for climate-related projects. State lawmakers are still trying to push ahead with a bill that would put a $7 billion climate and economic recovery bond on theballot.

The wildfire funding left in Californias budget this year will likely go to firefighting and emergencyresponse.

Were staring down the barrel of another intense wildfire season given how dry it was this winter, says Wade Crowfoot, Californias Secretary for Natural Resources. So we are anticipating actually having to juggle disaster response from differentdisasters.

Supporters of the resiliency initiatives say spending money to prepare for disasters in advance is substantially more economical than waiting for them tohit.

A dollar spent today saves you about six dollars in future emergencies, says Kate Gordon, director of Californias Office of Planning and Research. And if you think about that, its really logical. The cost of emergency response is enormous. Look at Paradise rebuilding an entire town and relocatingfolks.

State officials say theyre looking for other ways to fund climate preparation in hopes of preserving momentum after the recentdisasters.

We are retooling in real time to really continue to drive forward those same priorities, particularly climate resilience, in a more constrained fiscal environment, says Crowfoot. Our residents get it. Californians want us actually to do more to protect communities fromimpacts.

California, like many states, is looking to federal stimulus funding to fill in the gaps, since climate-related projects could qualify as infrastructure spending. Theyre also looking at partnerships with privateindustry.

There is a moment at which this kind of economic disaster creates opportunity for thinking differently about how to build forward, says Gordon. Not to bounce back, but bounce forward.

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California Was Set To Spend Over $1 Billion to Prevent Wildfires. Then Came COVID-19 - OPB News

Spring and summer warm weather brings both showers and roofing scams. BBB Scam Tracker is getting reports of free roof inspections that turn out to be anything but free.

How the Scam Works

You get a call or knock on the door from someone claiming to represent a roofing company. According to BBB Scam Tracker reports, con artists often use the name of the state plus Roofing or Construction as their business name. The bad mimics the good in order to sound legitimate.

The roofer offers a free inspection. The person may claim that their companys working on a neighbors home, so were offering free inspections to those living nearby. But often when you ask questions about where the business is located or how their services work, youll just as often be met with vague answers. If so, this is a great big red flag.

What happens next if you accept the free inspection? If they dont find enough wear and tear to merit a whole new roof, they may fabricate it by tearing off shingles to mimic wind damage. Or they may simply show you pictures of someone elses damaged roof. Dont hire this company! Any repairs done by such a dishonest business are not likely to be high quality.

How to Avoid Roofing Scams

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To learn more about hiring a roofing company, see BBB.org/Roofers. You can also find valuable information at BBB.org/AvoidScams.

If youve been the victim of a roofing scam, report it on BBB.org/ScamTracker immediately. Your report will help alert others to the danger.

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Better Business Bureau warns about free home inspection scams - fredericksburg.today

Protests in the USA are still going strong over the murder of African-American George Floyd by a Minneapolis PD officer on May 25, and without any concrete decisions on the authorities' part, it doesn't look like they will die out anytime soon.

Since every apple has some bad seeds, the peaceful protests have turned violent in the past and some will probably continue to, but for the overwhelming majority of cases, these have been nothing more than people taking to the street to express their anger and disappointment with the way society - and above all, authorities - continues to treat people of color.

Under different circumstances, seeing four people jumping up and down on the glass roof of a Tesla Model S might have been interpreted as vandalism, but considering one of those on top is the owner of the vehicle, it's safe to assume the other three have his permission as well.

It all happened this Friday, June 5th, on the streets of Seattle. According to CleanTechnica, that car belongs to musician Raz Simone who is a known hip hop artist and one of the four people sitting on top of the car. I don't even begin to imagine how they mustered up the courage to get up there and bounce on the EV's roof, but it appears to have worked. Still, I don't imagine they take any responsibility if anyone else tries it and fails.

Tesla has a strange relationship with glass. The company holds multiple patents and is clearly paying a lot of attention to the transparent bits of its vehicle. You only need look at the windshield of the Model X electric SUV or the number of its vehicles that have a panoramic roof. On the other hand, there was that incident at the Cybertruck launch where the steel ball thrown by the lead designer made a huge gash into what was supposed to be armored glass.

Watching Eric Jensen's footage and the electric (excuse the pun) atmosphere, you get the feeling more would have joined in if there was any room left. That got me thinking. I wouldn't be surprised if this sparks the idea for a new record: how many people can the glass roof of a Tesla hold? Now we just need to find somebody with enough friends and the masochistic disposition to deal with the Tesla service center for eventually replacing that glass.

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Four Protesters Sit on a Tesla's Glass Roof, But Not Why You Might Think - autoevolution

Homeowners looking for a roofing contractor offering roof replacement within budget can get in touch with All Trades Enterprise Inc. They are one of the best when it comes to dealing with all sorts of roofing issues.

This press release was orginally distributed by ReleaseWire

Colorado Springs, CO -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/01/2020 -- The roof is one of the essential parts of the house, and it needs to be kept in proper shape. If left unattended, a small problem will not take a lot of time to turn into something big. The last thing that any homeowner will probably want is to see the entire roof crashing down. That is why one needs to take the responsibility of getting in touch with a company that can help them fix the problem. All Trades Enterprise Inc. seems to be an excellent place to get in touch with for roof replacement in Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

When it is time for the roof to be replaced, it is better to consider investing in Asphalt Roofing. This valuable suggestion also comes from the roofing professionals at All Trades Enterprise Inc. They recommend homeowners to invest in Asphalt roofing because of its durability. Since the roof of the house is something that one will not change frequently, it is advisable to invest in a sturdy roof and can withstand the harshness of the weather. However, it is a roof, and it can sometimes require replacement due to extensive wear and tear. If the gutters are filled with granules from the shingles, then the roof needs to be replaced at the earliest. A quick roof replacement can save one from lots of repair work in the future.

All Trades Enterprise Inc., also offers kitchen and bathroom remodel in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, painting services, landscaping and more.

Call 719-375-0504 for more information.

About All Trades Enterprise Inc.All Trades Enterprise Inc., is one of the companies that has been offering roof replacement services in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. They also offer kitchen and bathroom remodeling and more.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/all-trades-enterprise-inc-is-one-of-the-top-places-for-roof-replacement-in-colorado-springs-and-pueblo-1292913.htm

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All Trades Enterprise Inc Is One of the Top Places for Roof Replacement in Colorado Springs and Pueblo - Press Release - Digital Journal