ANTIOCH -- The work is over; now it's time to play and learn.

After almost two years of renovation, Special Haven is reopening a bigger and better version of its multisensory room for children with special needs.

The nonprofit will celebrate the project's completion from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, with a ribbon cutting, Lego playtime with Bricks 4 Kidz, and performances by Elite Dance Studio and magician John Gardenier.

The room is located inside the Intuitive Healing Center, 213 G St.

Assemblyman Jim Frazier, D-Oakley, will be attending Sunday's event.

"Special Haven is filling an ever-growing need for the special needs community in Antioch and the surrounding areas," Frazier said in a news release.

The multisensory room, the first of its kind in East Contra Costa County, now has a lot of activities and specialized equipment aimed at stimulating the senses of those with autism, brain injuries, behavioral issues and developmental delays. It helps encourage learning, improve a child's focus and builds self-esteem, said Christine Schwab, a Special Haven board member.

"It provides access for a very fun and soothing, therapeutic experience," Schwab said.

The $36,000 addition, which was made possible by a grant and training assistance from the Christopher Douglas Hidden Angel Foundation, includes bubble tubing from the floor to the ceiling, a ball pit that includes lighting, a tactile corner, color-changing fiber optics, a stereo system for music and vibrations and a waterbed with speakers underneath.

The Antioch room is unique because it is open to the public, as similar rooms are usually attached to a school or hospital, Schwab said. The cost is $5 for a one-hour session.

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Celebration to be held for reopening of Antioch multisensory room

Sitting on a bench beneath an enormous 70-year-old magnolia tree in Norfolk, Va., I gazed across the waters of the Lafayette River. The huge cranes and derricks of busy Portsmouth and Norfolk harbors dominated the far shore. When the tree whose shade I was enjoying was planted, though, the view would have been far different, more bucolic, with tree-lined banks, extensive wetlands and sandy strands.

Behind me, the rambling Hermitage Museum has undergone an equally impressive transformation.

Details: Norfolk

Originally a five-room summer residence built for William and Florence Sloane in 1908, the house over the years was added to, remodeled and literally turned 90 degrees to accommodate the growing art collection of Florence Sloane, a transplanted New Yorker who came to Norfolk with her husband, who owned several nearby knitting mills. The house eventually became the family home, where the Sloanes raised their two sons. Today, the mansion contains one of the finest Asian art collections in the Southeast, as well as American impressionist paintings and a sculpture collection.

Its a hidden gem, said curator Colin Brady, who greeted my wife, Carol, and me at the front door on our recent visit.

Wed just driven up the entrance road that winds through the estates 12 acres of gardens, walks, woods and fields in a residential area of Norfolk. The drive gave us a sense of the place. The house is a 42-room Arts and Crafts structure built in the Tudor style, with Gothic- and Tudor-inspired rooms. In addition to the museum and gardens, the estate includes a Visual Arts Studio, where art courses and workshops are available to the public, and a Studio Artist Cottage, offering studio space to guest artists.

Florence Sloanes collection, which spans 5,000 years of art, started in 1901 with her sisters gift of a Japanese bowl. For the next 50 years, Florence would dedicate her life to the thoughtful acquisition of art, showcasing it in her ever-expanding and evolving home. And that collection remains here today, complete under one roof.

Brady took us first to the drawing room, done in Gothic revival style, with a hand-carved rood screen and a pipe organ, a Steinway piano and the family silver. Built in Philadelphia in 1922 and transported to Norfolk by rail, the room felt like something out of Elizabethan times with its oak paneling, half-beam ceiling, plaster walls and walnut floor. Mrs. Sloane wanted her house to be 500 years older than it actually was, Brady said. And thats certainly the feeling it conveys.

Evidence of Florence Sloane is everywhere. A handle placed unusually low on the drawing room door tells a story of its own. Standing only 4 feet 10 inches, Florence required latches that corresponded to her height. In the large painting of her with her Russian wolfhound, Zonoza, that hangs in the central gallery downstairs, the artist rendered the dog shorter than it really was so as not to accentuate Mrs. Sloanes diminutive stature.

The dining room is a hand-carved wood masterpiece. Artisan Charles Woodsend took three years to construct this room, which felt to me like the interior of a wooden sailing ship. The walls and ceiling are hand-cut wood. The large wooden table and other furniture are also hand-carved. A blue Persian carpet designed by Sloane graces the floor.

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Norfolk’s Hermitage Museum, home to an impressive art collection

Homeowner Lynn Foster doesnt search for words when describing the renovation-and-restoration project that on Wednesday won her a Polly Earl Award from the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.

Its about a love affair rather than just a home. I fell in love with this house, Foster said about the top-to-bottom project at her landmarked Mediterranean-style house at 424 Brazilian Ave.

The lake-block house was designed in 1930 by noted society architect Maurice Fatio and christened Tradewinds, the name it bears today.

Foster accepted the award during a private ceremony that was held in conjunction with a meeting of the foundations trustees at the nonprofits headquarters.

The Polly Earl Award, established in 2005, honors small-scale, historically sensitive renovation projects. It complements the foundations Robert I. Ballinger Award, a similar award that honors projects carried out at large estates.

With a home in New York City, Foster, a retired investments executive, bought the house to use as her primary residence in 2011. She then worked closely with her two grown sons to hone ideas for the renovation. One son, John Claflin of Los Angles, is a screenwriter with professional experience designing homes. The other, Richard Claflin of New York, also is a screenwriter.

They turned to architect Patrick W. Segraves of SKA Architect + Planner, who had worked at the property 25 years ago.

We wanted to make the house 21st-century livable while keeping its integrity and charm, said Segraves, who pointed out original features such as the saltbox-style, the pecky-cypress ceiling in the two-story-tall living room and the Cuban-tile floors.

His plan included a 348-square-foot addition at the rear of the main residence that provided enough space on the ground floor for an en-suite third bedroom, which Foster uses as a sitting room, and a larger master bedroom above. Both rooms have views of the pool.

Completed in 2012, the yearlong renovation increased the size of the house to nearly 4,000 square feet of living space, inside and out. Overseen by contractor Benno Chip Janssen III and project superintendent Dave Elhage of Janssen Construction, the renovation replaced every window and door with mahogany-framed, impact-resistant versions.

Link:
Polly Earl Award honors owner for renovation of 1930 Fatio house

Several new faces and a few familiar ones were sworn in at municipality reorganization meetings throughout the area Jan. 6.

The board room at the Abington Township building was packed with friends, family and community members as newly elected Court of Common Pleas Judge Gail Weilheimer swore in re-elected Commissioners Larry Jones, Ward 3; Stephen Kalinoski, Ward 6; Peggy Myers, Ward 8; Thomas Farren, Ward 12; and Lori Schreiber, Ward 14, in addition to newly elected Commissioners Michael Markman, Ward 2; Jimmy DiPlacido, Ward 4; Benjamin Sanchez, Ward 7; and Tom Hecker, Ward 10.

Many of the commissioners expressed their excitement to start a new year, work with one another and improve the township.

Also sworn in was re-elected tax collector Jay Blumenthal, who was named the townships treasurer.

There were numerous appointments made Jan. 6 as well.

Commissioner Wayne Luker was appointed the new board president and Commissioner Steven Kline was appointed vice president. Both men received applause after they accepted their new status on the board.

I want to personally thank my fellow commissioners for their vote for president of the board of commissioners of Abington Township, said Luker, who has served on the board for 22 years. This is an honor, and I consider it a vote of confidence that I will lead this board in a positive direction. My expectations are high that we all will use our talents, time and energy to further the success of this first-class township.

In addition, Rex Herder was reappointed township solicitor for a six-month term, Michael Powers was named township engineer for another two-year term and Township Manager Michael LeFevre was appointed to the office of secretary and Finance Director Susan Matiza was appointed assistant secretary.

In Cheltenham Township, newly elected Commissioner Ann Rappoport, Ward 4, and re-elected Commissioners Morton Simon, Ward 6, and Art Haywood, Ward 2, were sworn in, according to the township managers administrative assistant Anna Marie Felix.

Veteran commissioner Harvey Portner was appointed the new president of the board and fellow long-standing board member Morton Simon was appointed vice president, she said. Continued...

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Board rooms across the area reorganize

Samsung is going all out this year. Building on the 2013 launch of the Samsung Shape Wireless Audio Multiroom System, Samsung has made its way into every room of the house with its new multi-room offering and integration of wireless and multiroom technology across its 2014 flagship soundbar, Blu-ray player and home entertainment system products. The new product line reflects the growing demand for solutions that offer consumers the ability to manage multiple audio sources.

In the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada (MB Tech News editor Art Samaniego Jr. is there to provide us live updates), Samsung products on display include:

The addition of the entry-level M5 speaker to the Samsung Shape Wireless Audio Multiroom system. These speakers can be used alone or wirelessly with other Samsung products to create custom audio home systems.

Samsungs stylish and versatile Sound Bar and Sound Stand products offer vivid and consistent sound as well as space efficiency through innovative design and engineering.

Under a TV, Samsungs ultra-slim technology and elegant design maximize surround sound and deep bass performance for rich and clear sound.

Samsungs MX-HS8500 GIGA Sound System, the worlds first component audio system to integrate the main system and speakers, is ready to rock the house. With integrated wheels that maximize mobility, booming sound and synchronized lighting effects, the GIGA turns any setting into the hottest club in town.

The Samsung HT-H7730WM Blu-ray Home Entertainment System is an experience not found anywhere else. Its a one-of-a-kind 7.1 channel system with virtual 9.1 channels that only Samsung can provide, thanks to its exclusive integration of the DTS Neo: Fusion II codec. Carbon Nano Tube speakers combine with Vacuum Tube Digital Amplification to provide sound thats warm and natural, yet amazingly powerful and clean.

Samsungs latest additions in audio technology give consumers big, high-quality sound that is easy to incorporate into their entertainment experience, said Jim Kiczek, director of digital audio and video at Samsung Electronics America. This years lineup will deliver not only great sound and breakthrough design but also the flexibility of wireless support to take the home entertainment experience to the next level.

The Samsung Shape Wireless Audio Multiroom system enables music lovers to enjoy tether-free entertainment in any room of the house, from various music sources.

The flexible speakers can be used alone or in combination with the Wireless Audio Multiroom Hub and additional M7 or new M5 speakers to create a multi-room, multi-channel surround sound system.

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Life and design for Samsung in 2014

Summary: Monday Morning Opener: As CES 2014 kicks off Lenovo launches an Android all-in-one. Android desktops plus Chromebooks could give Microsoft's Windows 8 franchise a headache.

Lenovo on Sunday rolled out an Android all-in-one home computer designed to be a living room multimedia PC. Should Android-powered PCs do well it would further disrupt the PC market and splinter the operating system selection a bit more.

The company's first Android home computer, the Lenovo N308, has a price tag that may spur some interest. The N308 starts at $450 and has a 19.5 inch 1600x900 touchscreen desktop.

According to Lenovo, the general idea is to put the PC at the center of folks who already use Android for browsing, apps and entertainment on their smaller screen devices. The N308 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and is powered by a Nvidia Tegra processor.

The N308 has up to 500 GB of storage, a Webcam, keyboard, mouse and integrated battery with 3 hours of life. The N308 can stand or lay flat should you want to use it as a big tablet.

Add it up and Lenovo's N308 is an inexpensive spin on its larger tabletop PC, the Horizon 2, which is 27-inches and runs Windows 8 and the PC maker's custom interface. Horizon 2, an interesting living room addition that starts at $1,499, is basically a big tabletop tablet, that's positioned more upmarket than the Android all-in-one PC.

The N308 was outlined as part of Lenovo's larger play for the digital home. Lenovo also announced a personal cloud storage unit dubbed Beacon starting at $199 to share content and media in a home as well as the A740 all-in-one desktop starting at $1,499.

What's interesting is that PC makers are pushing toward Android after seeing Chromebooks sell well. Why? Chromebooks remain the domain of Google. With Android PCs, hardware manufacturers can customize more, add security features and preserve the application ecosystem. Google has all the control with the Chrome OS.

Rumor has it that Google has been working with various PC vendors to launch Android product lines.

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Android desktops arrive as Lenovo eyes your living room

After founding Eby Exteriors Inc. in 1997 with a focus on home improvements, such as windows and doors, President Phil Eby began branching out into larger projects.

Today, his Akron company does its share of additions one of which was recently honored with a Building Industry Association Remodelers Award of Excellence.

The award was for a two-room addition that enlarged the home of an Ephrata Township family with five children.

Eby Exteriors was among nine local contractors to receive remodelers awards, with 20 projects earning recognition by the six judges. They ranged from a $6,418 wainscoting and interior trim job to a $500,000-plus whole house transformation.

The two-story dwelling on which Eby built the $85,000 or so addition was a 17-year-old residence in a neighborhood near Ephrata Borough, he said.

The homeowners wanted to stay where they were but add more space for entertaining, Eby said.

It was one of three projects for which Eby Exteriors was honored in the 2013 Remodelers Awards of Excellence, the other two being for exterior work.

The Ephrata Township addition took about two months and was finished in August. "They wanted it (done) in time for school," he said.

Eby Exteriors created a one-story, vinyl-sided addition in the rear of the house. Before doing that, the contractor removed a backyard deck, a patio door in the living room and a triple window in the kitchen. A new roof with dimensional shingles was installed on the home as well.

New floors also were laid throughout much of the first floor, including vinyl tile in the kitchen and morning room and dark maple hardwood elsewhere. The vinyl gives the appearance of ceramic tile, Eby said, and the hardwood has a rough, distressed look.

Excerpt from:
Award for Akron contractor recognizes 2-room addition

JESSIE HIGGINS / Courier & Press Rose Love, 28, sorts through the blankets available at the United Caring Shelters emergency night shelter, called White Flag, on Friday afternoon. Love usually sleeps in her car, but shes stayed at white flag during the coldest nights. Some of them are pretty run down, Love said. They do what they can. The shelter staff says they need more blankets for the coming cold weather.

JESSIE HIGGINS / Courier & Press A homeless man gathers up a new blanket and a few other supplies he received from the Aurora Homeless Outreach Team Friday. The man, who did not wish to be named, said he stays in a camp with his girlfriend. Because they drink regularly, he is not usually permitted in the Evansville shelters, and he is reluctant to try because he would have to leave his belongings out. The United Caring Shelter and the Evansville Rescue Mission both open emergency shelter space for people during extreme weather.

Homeless shelters in Evansville are making room to take in as many people as possible when the subzero temperatures hit next week.

The United Caring Services and the Evansville Rescue Mission both open whats called white flag shelters whenever the temperatures drop below freezing. That means when all the beds are full, the shelters give people blankets, pads or cots (if they have them) and a space on the floor.

With temperatures forecast to reach record lows by Sunday, the shelters expect they will be inundated with people seeking warmth.

At least youre out of the cold, said Rose Love, an Evansville woman who has stayed at the UCS White Flag Shelter for the past few days. Its not bad.

Love usually sleeps in her car, but that is dangerous when the temperature drops. In freezing weather, homeless people sleeping outside, under bridges, in abandoned buildings or in cars are susceptible to frost bite and hypothermia. And that risk increases if they have consumed alcohol, which some do, homeless service workers say.

No amount of clothing or cover will be adequate to maintain body temperature when it is near zero degrees for an extended period of time, the United Caring Services wrote in a public service announcement issued Friday that urged homeless people to come to their white flag shelter at 324 NW Sixth St.

Under normal circumstances, UCS will not allow people to stay if they are intoxicated. However, the shelter suspends the rule when the weather drops below freezing, as long as the intoxicated person complies with staff and does not disturb other white flag residents, said Kimron Reising, UCS executive director.

Sheriffs deputies will usually stop by two or three times during the night, but we have very few problems, Reising said. Everyone is really grateful for someplace to be out of the cold.

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DEEP FREEZE: Shelters make room for homeless who need to escape the cold

Perhaps in an effort to keep pre-CES 2014 buzz going, Samsung has again released details on its new audio line-up ahead of the big show. Included in the suite is an entry-level addition to the companys brand new wireless multi-room speaker system, a new sound bar, a new all-in-one home theater audio system, and Samsungs answer to the growing popularity of speaker bases for televisions. Here are the vital details.

Samsung only recently introduced its Shape M7 speaker, a wireless multi-room audio solution similar in some respects to Sonos wireless audio solutions because it uses a wireless mesh network to allow a significant amount of control over music playback via a simple mobile device app. We recently reviewed the M7 and we think the system shows a lot of promise, but weve felt there needed to be a cheaper alternative available to attract a wider array of consumers. The M5 (picture currently not available) aims to fill that need. As a smaller speaker, we expect the M5 to come in at a lower price point than the $400 M7, but pricing wont be discussed until the official product unveiling at the show.

Samsungs previous flagship sound bar offerings saw the addition of vacuum tubes in the pre-amp stage and increasingly slim form factors. This year, the companys premium model adds compatibility with the aforementioned wireless multi-room audio systems mesh network for enhanced music distribution and control. Samsung says the sound bar packs a 320-watt amplifier, and is compatible with its Television Sound Connect feature, which offers wireless audio signal delivery and volume control from compatible Samsung televisions. Details on wired connectivity are not yet available.

The Sound Stand (pictured left and above) breaks Samsung into a rapidly developing new category of speakers that double as television stands. By making the speaker short and deep, manufacturers can capitalize on a greater amount of cabinet space than can be afforded to sound bars. The result is a speaker with richer sound quality and more bass than can be achieved by a sound bar that isnt aided by a subwoofer. Since the speakers are so slight in height, they dont take up much more real estate than a stand mounted television occupies, making them an easy addition to any entertainment setup.

Samsungs flagship all-in-one system this year offers a handful of attractive features for those seeking true surround sound from a hassle-free, all-inclusive system. The HT-H7730WMs tall boy speakers feature midrange drivers, which can be angled up in order to bounce sound off the ceiling. This approach is meant to generate an effect similar to that of the height speakers found in elaborate surround systems. The systems rear surrounds get their audio signal wirelessly, though they must be plugged in for power. The Blu-ray player in the system boasts Ultra HD upscaling for enhanced resolution from standard and high definition sources played on new Ultra HD televisions. Once again, Samsung includes its vacuum tube technology for supposedly smoother sound from digital audio sources. Finally, Samsung boasts that this system is the only one being introduced at CES 2014 that is compliant with DTS new Neo:Fusion codec, a type of surround processing which creates a virtual 9.1 system from a 7.1 speaker system.

DT

Caleb is a professional musician, amateur chef and A/V electronics guru. Growing up, Caleb was the guy you would find in the garage tearing apart vintage electronics while other kids rode bikes or played football. His early immersion in consumer electronics has led to countless car stereo, home theater and live audio installations which laid down the foundation for his current work as A/V Editor and reviewer at Digital Trends. Contact him on twitter (@caleb_denison) or via email (cdenison@digitaltrends.com).

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Samsung dishes details on its audio lineup ahead of CES 2014

If a new wine-focused restaurant with proprietor-sommeliers who specialize in obscurity sounds like a great night out, then get yourself to The Barrel Room in Rockridge.

Sarah Trubnick and Carolyn Johnson are in launch mode for The Barrel Room, an expanded version of their San Francisco wine bar of the same name. Theyre furthering a win-win trend of successful businesses like A-16 (also in Rockridge) that are crossing the Bay for better rents and eager, sophisticated diners in Oakland.

The Barrel Room in Oakland (photo: Granate Sosnoff)

As media guests, we visited this new restaurant with a twist, which builds a menu around the wines rather than vice-versa. They feature a rotating wine list with an emphasis on small-production, terroir-expressive (buzzword alert) wines from around the world.

Accompanied by a food menu slated to change every 8 weeks, the idea is to keep it fresh and inventive, sharing new food, wines and wine education without a lot of pomp.

The Barrel Room in Oakland will feature the gifts of Chef Sam Paulding, (formerly of Paulding and Co., and Oliveto) an East Bay native, excited to live and work in Oakland as a part of this creative venture.

Sarah Trubnick and Sam Paulding

Open since mid-December, theyre starting with a French-influenced menu including classic charcuterie options paired with the certified sommeliers wine flights.

In the coming year, diners and drinkers can look forward to German, Italian and other international and regional menus, sure to be inspired and surprising.

Because were lazy and trust, we let owner Sarah Trubnick choose our food and wine pairings. We werent disappointed.

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The Barrel Room rolls out in Oakland