FARGO Old Chicago is debuting a new look this month following the completion of a major remodel that began in September.

Changes include a new logo and signage, a bar expansion, relocation of the private meeting room and the installation of a permanent pizza bar for the lunch crowd.

Owner and operator David Forsythe said the restaurant, which opened in 2001, was simply in need of a facelift and it happened to coincide with a brand and logo redesign by the franchise.

Renovations were completed just in time for the annual St. Patricks Mini Tour that kicked off last week. Customers who drink all eight designated brews by St. Patricks Day earn a commemorative T-shirt.

Forsythe said beer tours like this one are popular with customers. He estimates 1,300 people will register, and at least 500 will finish.

He said North Dakotas only Old Chicago usually has the first- or second-most patrons finish among the 100 locations across the U.S.

While adding more seating to the bar was in response to customer demand, it isnt all about the drinks.

The restaurants lunch business has always been centered on a pizza bar serving pizza, pasta and choice of soup or salad weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During the remodel, the temporary buffet was replaced with a newly designed permanent pizza bar adjacent to the bar and dining area.

The party room, which is available for private parties of up to 40 people, was also relocated during the remodel. Under the new layout, that space can now more easily be opened up for regular dining.

Forsythe said he is extremely happy with the remodel.

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Old Chicago restaurant in Fargo debuts new look after major remodeling

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) February 27, 2014

Americans are once again spending disposable income on residential remodeling, as the industrys fourth-quarter growth demonstrates. Last years home improvement spending was the largest since 2007 and all indications for 2014 reflect continued growth (according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity, http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/double-digit-growth-remodeling-spending-expected-through-mid-year). Participating businesses in the Miami Home Design and Remodeling Show are enthusiastic about the sales potential of the first home improvement event of the year in South Florida. The show opens to the public and the trade March 21-24 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The Miami Beach Convention Center will be transformed into a four-day dynamic marketplace where ideas are presented, new products are debuted, and deals are made. Homeowners looking for remodeling ideas, decorating trends or home improvement services will find thousands among the displays featured in the nationally recognized event. In addition to a wide range of products on display, the show offers consumers the opportunity to talk one-on-one with professionals in the areas of home improvement, remodeling, interior design, landscaping, outdoor expansions, home security and much more.

The show offers attendees informative activities at the event including complimentary seminars by industry experts. The Home Improvement Stage will feature DIY Networks Million Dollar Contractor, Stephen Fanuka, who will share jaw-dropping million dollar home renovations with the audience on Saturday and Sunday (2:00 pm & 4:00 pm). The Million Dollar Contractor can be seen on HGTV and DIY Network (http://www.hgtv.com/million-dollar-contractor/show/index.html). In addition, South Florida professionals will offer tips on interior design, Feng Shui and more.

The Artist Encounter at the Home Show will feature the work of pop artist Stephen Gamson. Stephen Gamson's unique artistic style is easily recognized for its bold colors, iconic symbols and mass appeal (http://www.stephengamson.com). Gamson creates paintings and sculptures that are playful, witty and relate to pop culture. His art is optimistic and captures South Florida. Stephen will be on hand at the Home Show on Saturday to meet show attendees. His special exhibit is sponsored by Around Town Arts & Culture.

Original designer rooms, always a popular feature at the Home Show, will present the work of four South Florida design professionals. Each room setting will present the original work of a featured artist and will demonstrate how to create a visual focal point in a room design. Special seminars on this topic will also be presented on the Home Improvement Stage.

In addition, the event offers daily cooking shows with guest chefs from around South Florida. To see a complete listing of seminars and cooking shows, visit homeshows.net.

The Miami Home Design and Remodeling Show is produced by Home Show Management Corp. and Perl Advertising Group. Home Show Management Corp. specializes in quality home improvement and design events for the South Florida market. Larry Perl and Steve Plotkin, veteran show producers, have over forty-five years of experience in South Florida event production.

Show Info: http://www.homeshows.net. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FloridaHomeShow Twitter @FLHomeShows.

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Home Improvement Spending on the Rise in South Florida: Increased Spending Anticipated at Miami's First Home Show of ...

Houston, TX (PRWEB) February 25, 2014

OMI-Plus is excited to announce that they are currently in the process of remodeling their OfficeMakers location. Because of this, they will be having a huge sale to celebrate.

OfficeMakers is located at 1455 W. Sam Houston Parkway, Houston, TX 77043. This location is in the process of being remodeled. Excess inventory has been moved to OMI-Plus to make room for the remodel. OMI-Plus is located at 6605 Roxburgh Drive, Ste. 300, Houston TX 77041.

To celebrate this new remodel, OMI-Plus will be having a huge sale. For more details, call 713-983-6122. In addition, the excess inventory being held at OMI-Plus during the remodel will be on clearance. Customers do not want to miss out on this chance to find quality office furniture at discounted prices.

OMI-Plus is looking forward to the completion of the remodeling of their OfficeMakers location. Once it is finished, they will be inviting all their customers to come down and check out their new and improved showroom. To learn more about OMI-Plus and their ongoing remodeling, give them a call or visit their website.

About the company: OMI-Plus is a family-owned and operated business providing customers with quality, affordable new office furniture, used office furniture and home office furniture. OMI-Plus is committed to providing their customers with high quality products and superior service. With a combined 118 years of experience in the office furniture business, OMI-Plus is the premier choice for any office furniture need. They have a huge selection of furniture to suit any style or taste. Stop by and visit their impressive showroom in Houston featuring the best in new and used office furniture. From new cubicles to bookshelves, OMI-Plus is perfect for any home or business. OMI-Plus is located at 1455 W. Sam Houston Parkway N. Houston, TX 77043. Call them at 713-983-6122 or visit their website for more information.

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OMI-Plus Makes Way for Remodeling

Karl Strauss Brewerys Sorrento Valley site is undergoing a remodel, triggering the layoff of 67 employees last month.

The brewery plans to rehire the laid off employees once the remodel is finished in late April. Its also looking to add an additional 30 to 40 workers to bring the total at the site to about 100, says Melody Daversa.

To fill those spots, the brewery is holding a series of job fairs Feb. 27-28 and March 3-4 at the nearby San Diego Tech Center Tenant Conference Room, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.

The $1.5 million project will leave the koi pond and gardens intact, and the new design will be similar to what the company has done at its newer locations in 4S Ranch, Temecula, and the tasting room at the main brewery in Pacific Beach, says a spokeswoman.

For more information, go to http://www.karlstrauss.com/aboutus/jobs/SMHF14.html.

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Karl Strauss Holding Job Fairs as Remodeling Changes Staffing Needs

Washington - Washington Community High School's Babcook Field will be covered in turf, not grass come next fall.

Five out of seven District 308 board member approved the installation of artificial turf and a new long-jump runway.

Proposals to construct new tennis courts, a new wrestling and physical education room and an air-conditioning system also passed.

The total cost of the renovations will be $2.8 million with $2.5 million coming from a bond.

Dr. James Dunnan says the additions are a step in the right direction.

Our bonding rate is really good which meanswe were able to borrow the money at a really good rate for our taxpayers. We are just excited to get this going and move forward."

Construction of these projects will begin near the end of the school year. The football fields, tennis courts and air conditioning system are expected to be finished by fall.

Original post:
Washington Community High School Remodeling

Friday, February 21, 2014 2:14 am Friday, October 23, 1998 12:00 am

Locker room theft continues Editor's note : This is the third story in a weekly series about personal property crimes in the area. Last week: Valuables stolen from cars

When students use locker rooms in an athletic facility, the belongings left in the locker might not be there when they come back. They can be victims of theft from locker rooms because the rooms are often empty and clothing and valuables left behind are good bait for thieves.

"With all of the (belongings) left behind in locker rooms, it's like walking into a candy store for a thief," said Rich Lorenzo, building coordinator for Rec Hall.

A Macbook Pro laptop and a necklace worth $1,650 combined were stolen from a locker Tuesday at the YMCA, 677 W. Whitehall Rd., the State College Police Department said.

While the temperature outside may be getting warmer, students using Rec Hall's gym facilities may find themselves out in the cold.

Personal possessions, including coats and gloves, are being stolen from both locked and unlocked lockers in Rec Hall on a weekly basis, said Karl Stine, athletic equipment and facility worker at Rec Hall.

Lockers at Rec Hall are provided free of charge in the locker rooms. Students, however, must provide a lock.

Some accounts have Bo Schembechler distributing stacks of newspapers with instructions for his assistants to cover the walls of Iowa's visiting team locker room.

Others attest Schembechler used butcher's paper to shield his players from the walls, slathered in a color dubbed "innocence pink." Either way, the legendary Michigan coach hated the locker room and the psychological effects it had on his players.

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Friday, October 23, 1998 12:00 am

Art needs space. A house with low ceilings, dark rooms and expanses of windows and mirrors limits your options. Where can you hang a large canvas?

Ask architect Stephen Korbich that question and you may find yourself looking at a 1950s ranch-style house in northeast Portland that he transformed into a modern gallery-esque residence. Now the owner, a physician and lifelong art collector, can be in almost any room and see modern paintings on the walls.

Spotlighting art

True white paints are better than off whites if you want to create a clean gallery look.

That said, colored walls, both light and dark, could help set the mood of a piece of art. Dark backgrounds work well to draw attention to art.

Fir veneer panels with a clear oil stain are a type of tight-grain wood that adds warmth and complements artwork. Avoid complex patterns that distracts the eye from the art.

A simple color palette and restrained materials unstained fir wall panels and red oak floors serve as appropriate backdrops to the colorful paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures.

But that's not to say the house is dull.

Korbich installed dramatic architectural features that contribute to the overall sense of spaciousness. The once flat ceiling in the main living area has been remade into one that soars at an angle up to a 16-foot-high point.

A new fireplace is framed by black honed marble tile that rises to reach the ceiling's pitch.

Continue reading here:
From ranch to modern art repertory: Remodeling for better light, wall space

Parlier Unified will ask voters in the school district to approve a bond measure in June to pay for a locker-shower-weight room at the new high school gym. The $5.5-$6 million bond measure also would pay for the remodeling of existing cafeterias or construction of new ones at Brletic, Cesar Chavez and Martinez elementary schools.

It will take a 55 percent yes vote for the measure to pass, said Parlier Unified Superintendent Gerardo Alvarez.

Parlier Unified board members voted last week to put the bond measure on the ballot for the June 3, 2014 primary election. Board member Melissa Cano cast the only no vote.

She said in an interview after the board meeting on Feb. 11 that she believes the current school board mismanaged a previous bond that paid for the new Parlier High gym, and she believes the same thing could happen with a new bond.

Alvarez said in an interview that Cano had not requested information from him about the bond measure. All I know is that she voted no and didnt give an explanation for that decision at the meeting, Alvarez said.

Building the locker-shower-weight room with money from the proposed bond is about Parlier Unified keeping a promise to district voters, Alvarez said.

Those voters approved another bond measure 10 years ago to build a new high school gym that included the locker-shower-weight room, Alvarez said.

However, delays in building the gym resulted in cost increases, which the 10-year-old bond measure could not cover, Alvarez said.

He said the estimated cost of the locker-shower-weight room is $2-$2.5 million. State money for school buildings with safety or hazard problems might pay for half of the $2-$2.5 million, Alvarez said. State officials might feel the old showers are unusable, he explained.

Meanwhile, the cafeterias at the three elementary schools are outdated and busting at the seams, Alvarez said. Martinez Elementary, for example, schedules three 15-minute lunch periods to accommodate its students.

More here:
School board sets June bond vote

Rockford-Milton Clarks ceilings in his laundry room are heavily damaged due to ice melting from his roof leaking into the walls.

Clark says I woke up a little after 12, I come downstairs and immediately I heard a dripping.

Clark isnt the only Stateliner hearing that dreaded dripping noise. Crews at Instant Roofing and Remodeling were busy working on rooftops removing ice so water can flow down the roof. Its to help prevent Ice Dams.

Marty Hayes from Instant Roofing and Remodeling says Ice Damming forms after so many layers of ice that dont get a chance to melt off the roof because it was so cold for so long. And then when we have extreme warm temperatures like this where all the snow is melting at once, it ponds up behind the ice where it doesnt flow off the roof. And it pushes its way underneath the shingles.

This winters persistent sub-zero temperatures have not given ice much time to melt. Hayes adds in recent years it usually warms up every other week, so the ice doesnt build up as high. This year Ive seen ice build up four to five feet up the roof line.

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Warm Weather Wreaking Havoc on Local Rooftops

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 18, 2014

Paula McDonald PMD Development LLC of New York, NY, has been awarded Best of 2014 by Houzz, the leading platform for interior design and home renovation in New York City. The relative newcomer to the New York community (not quite 7 years old) was chosen by more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community.

The Best of Houzz 2014 is awarded in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013. Where the Design category is based on the award winners popularity among the more than 16 million monthly users on Houzz, known as Houzzers, who saved more than 230 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site, iPad/iPhone app and Android app.

Winners will receive a Best of Houzz 2014 badge on their profiles, showing the Houzz community their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

I am thrilled that we won this award and are recognized as one of the Best of Houzz 2014 remodeling and design professionals for customer satisfaction, said Paula McDonald, owner and managing director for PMD Development. I think our success begins with treating each project as if it were my own home and providing extraordinary attention to detail from start to finish. Houzz is a proven new business resource for us, and this award raises the bar for both our credentials in this profession and our differentiation from our competitors in this market. With the business underway, we hope to add to it in 2014.

To see an introductory video about the business, visit the Paula McDonald Design Build Youtube Trailer.

Houzz provides homeowners with the most comprehensive view of home building, remodeling and design professionals, empowering them to find and hire the right professional to execute their vision, said Liza Hausman, vice president of community for Houzz. Were delighted to recognize Paula McDonald PMD Development LLC among our Best of professionals for customer satisfaction as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only top-rated professionals like Paula McDonald, but also those whose work matches their own aspirations for their home. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and reviewing their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

Follow the Paula McDonald Design Build Profile on Houzz.

About Paula McDonald PMD Development LLC The Paula McDonald Design Build practice has been bringing New York City homeowners visions to life through its ultimate full service Residential Construction firm since 2008. This one-stop shop enables a faster, seamless and easier way for homeowners to approach remodeling any type of residential space. From the first meeting to final finished project, Paulas approach to delivering each clients dream residence is through innovation in design and a holistic delivery of each clients vision and lifestyle. This award-winning firm, recognized in prestigious design and consumer venues, is located in the heart of NoMad on 220 Fifth Ave, 4th floor, New York, NY. For more information, visit Paula McDonald Design Build.

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Paula McDonald PMD Development LLC, a New York City Design Build and Renovation Firm Receives Best of Houzz 2014 Award