When the Mountain View-based Community Health Awareness Council celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters this September, the event was billed as the "Miracle on El Camino."

The new building, located near the intersection of W. El Camino Real and View Street, is significantly larger than the organization's previous digs at the corner of Church and Hope streets. CHAC paid no money for the larger space, since both the old and new buildings were controlled by the same landlord, who agreed to swap locations free of charge.

The local non-profit, which focuses on delivering affordable community mental health and substance abuse services to local children, teens and adults, opened its new offices at the beginning of July, and according to CHAC representative Carrie Carstens, the new facilities have been "great."

"It has definitely been a blessing," Carstens said. "We need the space."

Due to the former building's size, Carstens said, the organization was having trouble meeting demand for services. Group meetings and classes on subjects such as parenting skills were constrained, and the limited number of individual offices meant that CHAC counselors weren't able to meet with as many people as they now can.

The Community Health Awareness Council is one of this year's beneficiaries of the Voice's annual Holiday Fund drive.

Supporting CHAC means supporting a stronger, healthier, happier community, Carstens said. The organization offers individual, couples and family counseling; psychotherapy; teen pregnancy prevention and support services; substance abuse support groups; help with diagnosing and treating learning and cognitive disabilities; and many more programs focused on improving mental health and well-being.

Assessment tools

Dr. Stewart Kiritz, chief psychologist and director of training at CHAC, runs the organization's newly established Assessment Clinic, which conducts extensive psychological assessments of local men, women, teens and children at the CHAC offices. Though the CHAC has done this kind of assessment since it was founded in 1973, they only decided to get "really serious about it" a year ago, Kiritz said.

Now they have an entire program devoted to diagnosing patients with learning disabilities and mental conditions, such as ADHD, dyslexia, depression and anxiety.

Here is the original post:
Room to grow

Fans of vintage video games rejoice: the geeky crew of Archive.org has powered up the Console Living Room. Its a massive online collection of games for systems like the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision that you can play right in your browser!

Console Living Room is an extension of Archive.orgs Historical Software Collection, and so far it includes the Atari 7800, Magnavox Odyssey, and Astrocade in addition to the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision.

The games are brought to life by JSMESS, a pure JavaScript version of MESS, the Multi Emulator Super System. More than 500 titles are available for the Atari 2600 alone, including classics like Tempest, Pitfall, and Zaxxon.[Read on:Portable Gaming: A Brief History]

And yes, the E.T. game that Atari buried in a New Mexico landfill is playable too. For as long as you can stand it, that is. Move up to the much newer Atari 7800 and youll be able to play much more advanced games with better graphics like Ikari Warriors and Double Dragon.

Archive.orgs official blog post notes that the library will expand rapidly in the very near future, so dont rage quit if you dont see your favorite titles just yet. Also dont expect to hear any sound.

Support for game audio hasnt been implemented yet, but JSMESS is still considered beta software. Its constantly being tweaked and improved, and soon youll get the full classic living room gaming experience you remember right inside your browser.

MESS supports loads of additional systems, like the Intellivision and VirtualBoy. Theres a good chance Archive.org will expand the Console Living Rooms offerings to include them at some point, too!

Visit link:
Console Living Room lets you play hundreds of old-school games in your browser

The mark of a truly top-notch hotel is its service.

In addition to the room upgrades, attentive staff, and perks like champagne, the world's best hotels go above and beyond great service to cater to the every whim of their guests and anticipate every desire.

A recent Quora thread asked, "what are the best service touches you've ever received at a hotel"?The answers revealed some incredible services you probably never knew existed.

"I had overslept [at the Al Faisaliah in Riyadh] and needed to finish some work and checkout quickly so I could make my flight back home. The butler had brought in my breakfast (they have butler service) and saw that I was rushing. He asked if I needed anything and I sarcastically replied "Well unless you can pack my bags." All I heard was a "why of course" and then he proceeded to perfectly fold all my dress clothes into my bags in a few minutes." -- Saikat B.

"When I wanted to eat at the rooftop restaurant but lacked the appropriate attire, Ian [the floor butler] brought a rack of suits to my room. When I called Ian to see when the jet ski rental booth closed, he told me it closed at six but not to worry. I did not know what this meant at the time. A few moments later, Ian called back to inform me that the rental booth reopened so that I could be dragged around on a tube behind a motor boat for a half hour. The Burj al Arab's service was almost uncomfortable." -- Alan D.

"I'll never forget one time on a Disney cruise when my cousin said he wanted nothing for dessert, and they brought out a plate with the word nothing written in chocolate sauce. It was cute, clever, and nice because he didn't have to sit there with no plate in front of him while everyone else ate, and it put a smile on all our faces." -- Kristen B.

"I recently checked in [to The PennyHill Hotel in Surrey, UK] and requested a cot for my daughter. When I arrived they had put a cot in the room, put a couple of blankets in the cot but also left a champagne bucket on the side, a kettle, some still water, a few small soft towels and a teddy bear with a note saying 'we do not have a bottle warmer available however please feel free to use the champagne bucket as a substitute alongside hot water. We have also provided mineral water in case you have milk formula and a complimentary teddy bear for company, hopefully this will be the first of many happy nights here for your family, best regards'." -- Anthony S.

"I unintentionally booked a room with 2 queen beds, instead of 1 king. At check-in, when I realized this, I asked if there might be any king rooms available; the hotel was booked to capacity and there was nothing. I didn't raise too much of a fuss, though, and assured the front desk manager despite his constant apologies it was my fault for having booked the wrong room type, and appreciated their looking in to availability nonetheless."

"I dropped off everything at my room and left the hotel for a number of meetings I had in town that day. When I returned to the hotel in the evening, I found a note from the manager apologizing for my having gotten the wrong room type (even though it was my own fault!). More impressively, though, they had actually disassembled and removed the 2 queen beds that were in the room, and brought in a spare king bed and set that up; while they had no king rooms available, they did have some king beds and used one to turn my room in to what I wanted.

"What's more, they did all of that for just a single night as they upgraded me to a suite that had become available (with king bed) the next night until the end of my stay."--Brian D.

Read the original:
Travelers Reveal The Best Service Perks They've Every Received At Hotels

This article is about private rooms for personal hygiene. If you have been redirected here from a search on the word "crapper", see also Thomas Crapper. For a room containing a toilet and possibly also a sink, see toilet (room). For a public toilet, see public toilet.

A bathroom is a room for personal hygiene, generally containing a bathtub or a shower, and possibly also a bidet. In North America and some other regions, it characteristically contains a toilet and a sink; hence in North American English the word "bathroom" is commonly used to mean any room containing a toilet, even a public toilet (although in the United States this is more commonly called a restroom). In other countries, including the UK, Australia, France and Japan, homes may have a separate toilet. In Iran almost all homes have two distinct rooms for bathroom and toilet room.

The first records for the use of baths date back as far as 3000 B.C. At this time water had a strong religious value, being seen as a purifying element for both body and soul, and so it was not uncommon for people to be required to cleanse themselves before entering a sacred area. Baths are recorded as part of a village or town life throughout this period, with a split between steam baths in Europe and America and cold baths in Asia. Communal baths were erected in a distinctly separate area to the living quarters of the village, with a view to preventing evil spirits from entering the domestic quarters of a commune.

According to Teresi et al. (2002):[1]

The third millennium B.C. was the "Age of Cleanliness." Toilets and sewers were invented in several parts of the world, and Mohenjo-Daro circa 2800 B.C. had some of the most advanced, with lavatories built into the outer walls of houses. These were "Western-style" toilets made from bricks with wooden seats on top. They had vertical chutes, through which waste fell into street drains or cesspits. Sir Mortimer Wheeler, the director general of archaeology in India from 1944 to 1948, wrote, "The high quality of the sanitary arrangements could well be envied in many parts of the world today."

Nearly all of the hundreds of houses excavated had their own bathing rooms. Generally located on the ground floor, the bath was made of brick, sometimes with a surrounding curb to sit on. The water drained away through a hole in the floor, down chutes or pottery pipes in the walls, into the municipal drainage system. Even the fastidious Egyptians rarely had special bathrooms.

Not all ancient baths were in the style of the large pools that often come to mind when one imagines the Roman baths; the earliest surviving bathtub dates back to 1700 B.C, and hails from the Palace of Knossos in Crete. What is remarkable about this tub is not only the similarity with the baths of today, but also the way in which the plumbing works surrounding it differ so little from modern models. A more advanced prehistoric (15th century BC and before) system of baths and plumbing is to be found in the excavated town of Akrotiri, on the Aegean island of Thera. There, alabaster tubs and other bath fittings were found, along with a sophisticated twin plumbing system to transport hot and cold water separately. This was probably because of easy access to geothermic hot springs on this volcanic island. Both the Greeks and the Romans recognised the value of bathing as an important part of their lifestyles. Writers such as Homer had their heroes bathe in warm water so as to regain their strength; it is perhaps notable that the mother of Achilles bathed him in order to gain his invincibility. Palaces have been uncovered throughout Greece with areas that are dedicated to bathing, spaces with ceramic bathtubs, as well as sophisticated drainage systems. Homer uses the word , loetr, "baths", later , loutr, from the verb , loein, to bathe. The same root finds an even earlier attestation on Linear B tablets, in the name of the River Lousios ("bathing" [river]), in Arcadia. Public baths are mentioned by the comedian Aristophanes as , balanea (Sing.: , balaneon, Latinized as balneum, a "balneary").

The Roman attitudes towards bathing are well documented; they built large purpose-built thermal baths, marking not only an important social development, but also providing a public source of relaxation and rejuvenation. Here was a place where people could meet to discuss the matters of the day and enjoy entertainment. During this period there was a distinction between private and public baths, with many wealthy families having their own thermal baths in their houses. Despite this they still made use of the public baths, showing the value that they had as a public institution. The strength of the Roman Empire was telling in this respect; imports from throughout the world allowed the Roman citizens to enjoy ointments, incense, combs, and mirrors.

Although some sources suggest that bathing declined following the collapse of the Roman Empire, this is not completely accurate. It was actually the Middle Ages that saw the beginning of soap production, proof that bathing was definitely not uncommon. It was only after the Renaissance that bathing declined; water was feared as a carrier of disease, and thus sweat baths and heavy perfumes were preferred.

In fact throughout the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, the use of public baths declined gradually in the west, and private spaces were favoured, thus laying the foundations for the bathroom, as it was to become, in the 20th century. However in Japan shared bathing in sento and onsen (spas) still exists; the latter being very popular.

See the rest here:
Bathroom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sanford Winery has opened a new tasting room in La Arcada at 1114 State Street in Santa Barbara. Sanford chose the arts and entertainment district of upper downtown, with the art museum, the Granada Theatre, and the new public market at Alma Del Pueblo all within a block or two. La Arcadas refined, cobblestone setting seemed the perfect fit for the winerys first tasting room outside of its facilities in the Santa RitaHills.

We are thrilled to join a vibrant community of wine producers represented in Santa Barbaras urban wine trail, Sanford Winemaker and General Manager Steve Fennell said. We love being part of the La Arcada business community and look forward to many years ofsuccess.

Michael Martz of Hayes Commercial Group represented Sanford in leasing the 1,016 sf retail space. While the rapid growth of wine tasting in the Funk Zone is exciting, the team at Sanford determined that La Arcada provides an elegant location that really spoke to their brand and their clientele, Martzsaid.

Sanford planted the first Pinot Noir grapes in Santa Barbara County back in 1971, likening the climate and soil conditions in the Santa Rita Hills to those of Frances famed Burgundy province. The grape has thrived in the area ever since and helped put Santa Barbara County on the map of the worlds premier wine regions. Sanford has also had great success with Chardonnay on its estate vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, a location that is now officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area. Sanford opened a state-of-the-art tasting room on its premises in 2007, and as the city of Santa Barbara has developed into a hub for wine enthusiasts, it is a logical place for the winerys first off-site tastingroom.

Being a recognizable and world-renowned name, Sanfords tasting room in La Arcada hopes to be a hit with wine connoisseurs, locals, and tourists alike. Michael Martz assisted the Sanford team in their thorough search, viewing spaces in all different areas of Santa Barbara before ultimately deciding on the location in LaArcada.

Sanford didnt want to rush into opening a tasting room just anywhere, Martz explained. They wanted a refined and timeless space that reflects theirlegacy.

The tasting room opened this week. Various tasting flights are available curtailed to the wine lovers preference, in addition to private tastings and wine club opportunities. With Santa Barbaras popular 1st Thursday events, combined with the buzz of new shops and restaurants opening nearby, Sanfords new home in Santa Barbara is right where it wants tobe.

Read the rest here:
Sanford opens tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara

LAKE PARK, Minn. School officials here got a first glance last week at a $4.5 million addition to the districts elementary school in Audubon.

The project is driven by a projected increase in enrollment and comes after the school just finished a round of new construction and renovation, including an addition and extensive renovation of the elementary school in 2011 that cost $3.5 million.

The preliminary plans for a proposed 22,000-squarefoot Early Learning Center addition were unveiled at a Lake-Park Audubon School Board meeting Dec. 17.

Brian Berg of Zerr-Berg Architects rolled out plans that included a 22,740-square- foot addition to the north of the existing elementary building, and renovation of 5,350 square feet of space inside the current facility.

In addition, a second playground would be added, and the current elementary playground would be relocated to the opposite side of the building.

A total of four kindergarten and five early-childhood classrooms would be built, along with a Head Start classroom.

Because of Minnesota Department of Education guidelines, the kindergarten rooms would each include 1,200 square feet of space, while the Early Childhood and Head Start classrooms would be 1,100 square feet each, Berg said.

The addition would also include an administrative office, lobby area, commons, activity area, mechanical room and storage.

Plans for the Early Learning Center have been on the boards radar since last spring, when projected enrollment numbers in the districts early-childhood, preschool and K-6 education programs indicated classroom space would soon be severely limited.

Construction of the addition would also allow five classrooms in the existing building to be freed up for other uses, though Superintendent Dale Hogie noted that the extra classrooms are not projected to be necessary until the 2015-16 school year. The need for additional music and special education space is more immediate.

Read the rest here:
Lake-Park Audubon considering $4.5M elementary school addition

Douglas Pope from Reydon has written a book 'The Sailors' Reading Room.

Kathryn Bradley Saturday, December 21, 2013 8:06 AM

Standing in a prominent position on Southwolds East Cliff, the Sailors Reading Room is one of the oldest institutions in the town.

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

But, despite its long and rich history, the humble red-brick building is often overshadowed by Southwolds more iconic and better-known landmarks such as its pier and lighthouse.

On June 2 next year, the reading room will have been open for 150 years making it 36 years older than the pier and 28 years older than the lighthouse.

To mark this special anniversary, reading room member and its former secretary Doug Pope has written a book celebrating the history of the Grade II listed building, which was founded as a place for sailors and fishermen to meet, read and chat rather than go to the pub for a drink.

The reading room was built on the instructions of the widow of Royal Navy Captain Charles Rayley and constructed by Benjamin Howard Carter, who had a workshop in Victoria Street.

Sharp-eyed visitors will be able to spot the letters and numbers BHC 1861 1 Feb carved into the brickwork.

It is believed the idea for the institution came from the Bible classes held by Charlotte Ellis in a redundant lifeboat house on the beach under the cliff. She was concerned about the spiritual welfare of the sailors and fishermen of Southwold because they did not go to church.

More:
History of Southwold Sailors’ Reading Room is explored in new book

Marianna- Had you met Dr. Ben Carson in the early days of his youth, you would have probably have never guessed he'd one day become Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkin's Children Center- let alone consider putting his name in the hat to run for President of the United States in 2016.

"Reading was so vitally important in my transformation from being a terrible student- to the extent that people thought I should be in special education- to moving to the top of the class," Carson explained.

Carson told us, had he not developed a love for reading, his humble upbringing could have been difficult to overcome.

"Between the covers of those books I could go anywhere, I could be anybody, I could do anything. And, I basically left the world of the ghetto and traveled the world through those books," he said.

Carson said what he had in common with everyone were challenges. He told us, while everyone faces adversity, he hoped to be an inspiration of what life could be for kids who felt overwhelmed.

That fighting spirit was not lost on eight year old Hunter Vandusen, His challenge has been living with a hearing impairment.

"How do you like the reading room? Do you like it," Hunter's interpreter, Kelli Todd asked him.

"Yes" Hunter squealed, "This" excitedly pointing to a sign hanging from the ceiling.

"What does that say," Todd asked. "Think big," he said with a smile.

Thinking big, he was. And as far as creating the jungle themed treading room, the teachers thought big too.

Visit link:
Anonymous Donors Fund 'Ben Carson Reading Room' at Jackson Alternative School

Tired, a little personally neglected and overwhelmed? No, that's not us all, as we struggle with the last minute preparations for Christmas - it's a description of the average spare room.

Around 54% of us have an 'unloved' room in our houses, according to recent research by B&Q, and most often that's the spare.

It's commonly a dumping ground and at the bottom of the list for decor attention, with the result that it ends up groaning with clutter and, style-wise, is way past its sell-by date.

Panic can set in with the impending influx of visitors, but there's still time for a revamp which can transform it into a welcoming space.

"For me, Christmas is all about family and friends coming together and guest bedrooms should always be welcoming, comfortable and cosy," says Jenny Blanc, designer and owner of Jenny Blanc Interiors.

"I often create a small seasonal display with berries, fir cones, dried oranges and holly to decorate the dressing table.

"This year I'll place decorative and scented candles around the room to create a festive glow and on the mantelpiece or window ledge, a small artificial tree, with reindeer, robins, and glass angels to bring a touch of Christmas to the room."

Be inspired by hotel room luxury, she suggests, and as well as choosing classic bedding, decorate the bed with beautiful, plump cushions, and soft cashmere or faux fur throws.

"In the wardrobe, I always make sure there are soft towelling robes, slippers, thick, fluffy towels and bath essences smelling of winter spices, such as pine, orange, bergamot and ginger."

This neglected nook can be saved, and making a few small changes to get it guest-ready could inspire you to lavish further TLC on it later and transform it into a sanctuary you'll love visiting.

See more here:
Don't spare the style

for - 4212 LaMarre Drive, Fairfax, VA
Property Site: http://tour.circlepix.com/home/SSAEPZ *PRICE JUST REDUCED TO $399900!! *CAREFULLY MAINTAINED SINGLE FAMILY, ALL-BRICK HOME IS A CLASSIC!*BEAU...

By: REMAXPremierVA

See the original post:
for - 4212 LaMarre Drive, Fairfax, VA - Video