Radnor Townships Historic and Architectural Review Board gave developer Cas Holloway a 3-0 nod of approval Wednesday night, deeming his plan for restoring Louella Mansions Second Empire architecture and gabled mansard roof appropriate to safeguard the architectural and historical integrity of the iconic building.

Radnor Township commissioners had voted 4-2 in February to approve the final plans of C.F. Holloway III & Co. to convert the existing Louella Mansion apartments into condominiums and construct a new underground parking garage, but the issues heard by HARB Wednesday were considered important enough to be brought back before the board.

Of particular interest to the HARB board were proposed exterior renovations that included the enclosing of the porch at the west end of the building; the removal of a coal chute, two existing at-grade windows and a basement entrance; and the relocation of two windows on the north side of the building.

Also discussed was the roof line, as the plan would opt to continue the mansard roof out and over the enclosed porch, and also shutters, windows, doors and roofing materials.

Holloways architect summarized the history of the 1867 house with its additional wings added in 1890 to accommodate its change of function into a hotel, and the western porch addition somewhat later on, in the 1920s or 30s, when Louella became an apartment building. He noted the original wrap-around porch, which was discarded with the buildings enlargement, the three-story porches that were built onto the south and north facades, and also the fact that enclosed porches have been common additions to many of the homes in the Louella Court historic neighborhood as well as other historic buildings in Wayne and elsewhere.

Holloway plans to reconfigure the existing 25 apartments into 12 condominiums with attention paid to upgrading all of the mechanical aspects of the badly outdated building to conform to code while preserving the historical look and quality, but with modern replacement materials where age and rot have taken their toll.

Neighbors and local historians have questioned and criticized Holloways choice of AZEK molded products for trim, moldings, decks and other architectural features, referring to the proposed restoration as plastic.

HARB board member John Dziedzina noted, however, that three preservation projects he is familiar with, all with no budget for the exterior work, have specified AZEK, which will, apparently, outlast wood.

Board chair Cameron Lacy summarized his opinion on the issues that the board had heard about -- that enclosing the west porch represents an architectural feature that has been done many times before, that removing the coal chute and basement entrance would have no significant impact, and that the relocation of the windows is an improvement.

Louella court neighbors have retained counsel to appeal the Board of Commissioners approval to the townships zoning hearing board. That appeal is expected to come up in April. Continued...

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Approved Louella Mansion plan gets HARB nod

To: ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND NATIONAL EDITORS

Standout line-up features headlining pop, rock, and country performers including Bonnie Raitt, IL DIVO, Barry Manilow, Ben Harper, Norah Jones, Martina McBride and Crosby Stills & Nash; the Annual NSO @ Wolf Trap series featuring Marvin Hamlisch and Idina Menzel; and Don Giovanni and The Rake's Progress by the Wolf Trap Opera Company

***TICKETS AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS NOW; ON SALE TO GENERAL PUBLIC SATURDAY, MARCH 24 AT 10 AM***

VIENNA, Va., March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announced yesterday 35 new shows to its summer schedule at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. The 2012 season features some of the hottest in-demand acts, as well as the innovative repertoire and cast of the Wolf Trap Opera Company. Tickets are on sale now to members and go on sale Saturday, March 24 at 10am to the public.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120307/DC66191)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110414/MM83739LOGO)

Must-see highlights from the latest performance additions include the National Symphony Orchestra returning to Wolf Trap as its summer home with stunning performances for the eyes and ears; a unique new production of Mozart's classic Don Giovanni by the Wolf Trap Opera Company, featuring double-casting of its two lead roles; and some of the brightest names in music making their debut or much anticipated return for entertaining summer evenings under the stars.

NSO @ Wolf Trap Shoots for the Moon with Scores from a Star-crossed Romance, a Legendary Video Game, and a Little Help from NASA!

Wolf Trap welcomes back Emil de Cou as the NSO@Wolf Trap Festival conductor, joined by conductors Eimear Noone and Steven Reineke in guest appearances. National Symphony Orchestra performances include a screening of the iconic West Side Story, featuring the full score conducted by de Cou, and a rendition of Gustav Holst's The Planets, with captivating HD film featuring new NASA images. Reineke, one of the nation's most coveted pops conductors, will conduct the NSO in a performance with Broadway superstar Idina Menzel, a Tony Award-winner for her acclaimed roles in Wicked and Rent. Noone will conduct a spirited performance of music with footage from the legendary video game franchise The Legend of Zelda.

Wolf Trap Opera Company Presents the Country's Most Promising Opera Talents

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Wolf Trap Announces 35 Additions to its Summer 2012 Schedule; 74 Shows Booked to Date

So this is what the final leg of expansion has come to for the Big East, welcoming back a team that was kicked out for terrible performance only eight years ago.

Well, eight years might as well be eight decades considering the way realignment has turned conferences into corporate raiders, all too eager to destroy each other to preserve themselves. At turns, expansion has been part "Lord of the Flies," part Generation Me. But it has completely taken the biggest toll on the Big East -- turning a conference that had already lacked national respect into one that is a collection of teams formerly known as non-automatic qualifiers.

As in most of its other moves in the past four months, the Big East adding Temple to the football fold immediately had a sense of desperation attached. The Big East appeared to have no plan once West Virginia bolted for the Big 12 to the tune of $20 million. Playing with seven members for 2012 was not feasible. The Big East called on Boise State to join a year early. The Broncos thought the financial price too steep.

One-win seasons ended shortly after Big East membership ended. Joining the MAC and hiring Al Golden helped the program turn a necessary corner. Slowly but surely, the Owls began to win. The breakthrough came in 2009, when Golden led Temple to a 9-3 regular season and its first bowl berth since 1979. The following year, the Owls went 8-4 but were passed over for a bowl game.

When Golden left for Miami, the Owls went and hired one of the best assistants in the nation in Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. He led the Owls to a 9-4 season -- Temple's third straight winning season -- and a win over Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl, which was just the second bowl win in school history.

So perhaps the story today should not be what expansion has done to the Big East. That storyline has been rehashed about as many times as John Marinatto has told us all about the value of expanding the league footprint from coast to coast. Losing Syracuse, Pitt, TCU and West Virginia painted the Big East into this corner. We could play Sunday Morning Quarterback about whether perceived passiveness or ineptitude got the Big East here. Bottom line: Adding Temple had to be done.

Therefore the story today should be the second chance that has been afforded Temple -- much in the same way TCU got its second chance in the Big 12. Like the Owls, TCU was the bottom feeder of the Southwest Conference for years before getting kicked to the curb in 1994. There was little need for yet another Texas school, especially one that had made a habit of winning only a handful of games a season.

TCU worked its way back up, making it to multiple BCS games and securing an invite to the Big East before its true love, the Big 12, came calling last year. Temple has yet to achieve the same success as TCU. For all its improvements, Temple is still in its infancy as a winning program, and never once played for the MAC title -- despite being favored to win its division in 2010.

An added bonus this time around is the inclusion of its entire sports program, giving the Big East a solid hoops power to help make up for the heavy losses it took in that sport. Remember, this is the Big East we are talking about, and basketball has absolutely played a role in the additions of Memphis and Temple.

No matter how this move is perceived on the outside, Temple -- perhaps more than all the others -- must show the Big East made the right call in re-extending an invitation. No more falling back into the 1-10 doldrums, the winless conference seasons. The Big East may look different, but the league is still a step up from the MAC. Have the Owls made enough progress in just a handful of seasons to be a legitimate contender? Or at least a team that can continue to go to bowl games?

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Temple gets second chance in Big East

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Rich Engel and Michele Morris outside Bride Row on Penn Avenue.

House tours are fun, especially when you don't have bottlenecks of tourists in the upstairs hallways gawking at chandeliers and other effects that prompt envy. I prefer tours that provoke inspiration, ones with before-and-after pictures.

The tour I took the other day of two houses on Bride Row on Penn Avenue in Garfield was before before; you'd have to unboard the windows to see well enough to take photos.

Bride Row is so named because the eight houses in the row are set off by a trompe l'oeil mural of a bride ascending steps to what looks like a ninth house; the mural is on the flat side of a commercial building.

Rich Engel, Mainstreets Program manager for the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp., is working with Friendship Development Associates to market for redevelopment the five houses the Friendship group owns.

Last Friday and Saturday, he led tours for developers and extended the chance for me to see them. Of course I wanted to see the insides of these boarded-up century-old houses. There's no house tour I like better than those that are spooky, suggestive and a little risky.

On our tours of 5439 and 5441 Penn Ave., we entered around back. When Mr. Engel opened the door, the vacant-house smell came rushing out cold and familiar, a cross between cellars and attics, damp trunks and old books.

We stepped gingerly over panels of foam and debris in the hallways and the rooms, our flashlight beams bouncing over peeling plaster as we stepped around toys, clothes, chairs, a toilet, bulging garbage bags, cushions, pieces of wood and bedding.

It was as if a tornado had torn through these homes, strewing the contents but leaving the structure intact. In one room, a pink plastic dollhouse lay on its roof.

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Walkabout: A buyer should find plenty of appeal in Penn Avenue blight

Denver, CO (PRWEB) March 06, 2012

George Reeves, a real property law veteran with almost 40 years of experience, has compiled this essential treatise on Colorado real property law. Providing almost 200 years of state land history in one source, this book is filled with reference material for real property lawyers, litigators, title professionals, and law professors, as well as anyone who needs detailed information about Colorado law on real property.

Now a two-volume set, this book provides all the relevant legal history, legislation, and case law on which modern real estate practice in Colorado is based. Plus, it provides broad substantive information about the current status of real property law in Colorado over a wide range of topics. Whether dealing exclusively with real property or only occasionally this book has the answers.

George Reeves has been engaged in private practice since 1966 in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Denver with an emphasis on real property title law and related litigation. He has served as in-house counsel for Homestake Mining Company and Houston Oil & Minerals Corporation, and has been a member of the Title Standards Committee of the Real estate Section of the Colorado Bar Association since 1987.

Colorado Real Property Law is a tool for clarification of issues or a starting point for almost every real property research project. With 33 chapters and more than 7,000 footnotes, it is the one publication no one who deals with Colorado real property should be without.

About Bradford Publishing Co.

Founded in 1881, Bradford Publishing Company is Colorado's oldest and most trusted publisher of legal information, including legal forms, electronic legal forms, law books, and Colorado statutes. With a retail store and offices in Denvers historic LoDo district, Bradford Publishing provides legal forms and reference materials on a variety of legal topics for attorneys, other professionals, and consumers.

Their commitment to quality is the cornerstone of Bradfords business philosophy and they regularly update the content of their books and other publications, so consumers can rely on the most accurate and current information available.

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Bradford Publishing Releases the Second Edition of the Most Comprehensive Treatise Ever Compiled About Colorado Real ...

March 5, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) Wisconsin Rapids Rafters Wisconsin Rapids, WI - March 5, 2012. The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters added two right-handed hurlers to the 2012 pitching staff today by announcing the additions of junior Ben Heller (Olivet Nazarene University) and sophomore Cole Webb (Coffeyville Community College). Webb is currently playing for former Rafters manager John Martin, who was named head coach of Coffeyville Community College (Kansas) last July. Current Rafters manager Jake Martin is working as an assistant coach at the College this spring.

"We are excited to add these two experienced pitchers to this year's team," said manager Jake Martin. "Ben is a hard-throwing, right-hander who will bring past summer league experience to Wisconsin Rapids. Cole is a hard worker that pitches and also provides a utility option in the field. On the mound he attacks the zone and is capable of filling in at a variety of positions on the diamond."

RHP-Ben Heller, 6'3", 205 lbs (R/R) Junior, Olivet Nazarene University

Ben Heller has gotten off to a tremendous start to begin his junior season at Olivet Nazarene University (Illinois). Through his first three starts of the season Heller has pitched 18.2 innings, allowing only 11 hits and one earned run, while recording 25 strikeouts. He currently carries a 2-1 record with a miniscule 0.48 ERA. The Olivet Nazarene University baseball team is coming off a 33-win season and a third consecutive trip to the NCCAA World Series.

Heller will bring summer league experience with him to Wisconsin Rapids after spending the 2011 summer pitching for the Athletes in Action Fire in the Alaska Baseball League. He finished with a team-best 2.20 ERA in 14 appearances and was selected to play in the league's All-Star Game. Athletes in Action is a campus and pro sports ministry.

As a sophomore at Olivet Nazarene, Heller appeared in 14 games (13 starts) and finished the season with a 4-6 record. In 66.1 innings pitched, he struck out 55 batters while allowing 27 walks. He was named Academic All-Conference during the spring of 2011. As a freshman, he appeared in 16 games (13 starts) and posted a 6-6 record and 4.11 ERA. In 76.2 innings on the mound he struck out 41 batters.

Heller is a native of Whitewater, Wisconsin where he earned First Team All-Conference, Academic All-State, and First Team All-District baseball honors as a senior in 2009.

RHP-Cole Webb, 5'10", 180 lbs (R/R) Sophomore, Coffeyville Community College

Cole Webb has created a favorable first impression for his new manager this spring. Playing for former Rafters manager John Martin, who is now the head coach at Coffeyville, Webb began his season by throwing a no-hitter against Western Oklahoma on February 17th. Webb pitched seven innings and recorded six strikeouts in the dominating performance.

His second appearance of the season appeared to be headed for a similar result. Webb had an opportunity for a second no-hitter on February 26th as he held Redlands Community College hitless through five innings, before allowing two hits and a pair of runs in Coffeyville's 12-2 win. Webb walked three and struck out seven batters in the outing. Through three starts this spring, spanning 19 innings, Webb has allowed only 6 hits and has struck out 19 batters. He carried a 3-0 record and 2.21 ERA through March 3rd.

Continued here:
Rafters Lock-Up Pair of Promising Pitchers for 2012

By Alex Kowalski - Sun Mar 04 05:01:09 GMT 2012

A Macy's employee helps a customer at a Macy's store in Chicago. Macys Inc., the second-biggest U.S. department-store chain, may hire about 4,000 new employees this year, matching the number of additions it made last year.

A Macy's employee helps a customer at a Macy's store in Chicago. Macys Inc., the second-biggest U.S. department-store chain, may hire about 4,000 new employees this year, matching the number of additions it made last year. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg

Employers probably added more than 200,000 workers for a third straight month in February amid optimism about the U.S. expansion, economists said before a report this week.

Payrolls increased by 210,000 last month after rising 243,000 in January, the most in nine months, and 203,000 at the end of 2011, according to the median projection of 55 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. It would mark the strongest three- month stretch in almost a year. The jobless rate probably held at an almost three-year low of 8.3 percent.

Bigger employment and wage gains would go further in bolstering household spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy and is threatened by higher fuel costs. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said last week that while the labor market is making progress restoring the 8.7 million jobs lost as a result of the recession, its far from normal.

There is a much more encouraging labor-market backdrop for the consumer in early 2012, said Conrad DeQuadros, senior economist at RDQ Economics LLC in New York. But economic growth is moderate, which leaves the unemployment rate fairly elevated by year-end, and thats the Feds main focus.

The Labor Department report is due March 9. Payroll estimates in the Bloomberg survey ranged from increases of 130,000 to 275,000. The January gain was the biggest since last April, when employers hired 251,000 more employees. Employment in December rose 203,000.

Another report may show the services industry, which makes up almost 90 percent of the economy, expanded near the fastest pace in a year.

Private payrolls are forecast to expand by 220,000, after a 257,000 gain in January that was also the highest in nine months, according to the survey median. Factory payrolls are projected to rise by 20,000 after a 50,000 gain.

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Employers in U.S. Probably Add More Than 200,000 Workers for a Third Month

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Nashville Predators center Mike Fisher (12) shoots on Florida Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Associated Press

(AP) Mike Fisher scored early in the second period and Pekka Rinne made 39 saves in the Nashville Predators' 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

David Legwand and Andrei Kostitsyn also scored, and Kostitsyn added an assist as the Predators won for the fifth time in seven games.

Wojtek Wolski had the lone goal for the Panthers, who got 20 saves from Scott Clemmensen. Florida lost for the fifth time in six home games.

The Predators went ahead 2-0 28 seconds into the second on Fisher's goal. Martin Erat passed the puck from behind the net to Fisher below the left circle for a shot that beat Clemmensen on the far side.

The Panthers cut the deficit to 2-1 on Wolski's second-period goal. Marcel Goc passed the puck to Wolski who wristed a shot from the bottom of the right circle past Rinne's glove side at 7:49.

Nashville restored its two-goal lead in the third when Legwand skated in on Clemmensen and backhanded a shot past him at 7:02.

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Fisher, Rinne lift Predators over Panthers 3-1

People who survive near-death experiences often talk about a new appreciation for their second chance at life.

The same can hold true for an event.

While Mercy Medical Center didn't exactly swoop in with an 11th-hour save, Merco Cycling Classic founder Doug Fluetsch's sponsorship shortfall had him contemplating a mental obituary.

Founding race sponsor McLane Pacific and Fluetsch went their separate ways in the fall after 18 successful years. Fluetsch acknowledged the partnership had likely run its course, but with a major sponsor pulling out, Merco was essentially on life support.

If something couldn't be worked out, Fluetsch knew he'd rather pull the plug than put out a watered-down product.

Fittingly enough, it was a hospital that came to Merco's aid.

With an influx of new energy and a multi-year contract that will extend the race through 2016, Fluetsch feels reinvigorated. The cycling community appears to be as well.

The Merco Cycling Classic has long been dubbed the unofficial start of the U.S. Racing season, but its popularity broadened when Fluetsch expanded to a four-day stage race in 2011. It'll stay that way for the pro men and the masters in 2012, with the festivities starting today at the MID Road Race near Lake McClure. Racing is set to begin at 10 a.m.

The women will cut back a day and participate in a three-day, points-based omnium starting on Friday with the Merced Boosters Time Trials at 11 a.m.

"You can tell that the MID road race was a big hit, because we have our largest field ever with 149 pro riders," Fluetsch said. "Usually we're right around 80 to 95."

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After period of uncertainty, Merco Cycling Classic rides on

NEW YORK (USA TODAY) Point guard Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks displayed resilience in storming back from a 17-point first-half deficit to rout the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-103 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Lin shook off a nightmarish outing in the previous game, when he shot 1-for-11 and finished with as many turnovers as points (eight) and the visiting Knicks were demolished by the Miami Heat 102-88 last Thursday night leading to the All-Star break.

"Coming off the Miami game, the only thing I focused on was to make sure my approach was the same in terms of aggressiveness and to make sure I did a better job of taking care of the ball," Lin said.

Although Cleveland often ran a second defender at him and put a body on him at every opportunity even bloodying his nose in the opening half Lin delivered the strong performance he had planned.

The undrafted find from Harvard closed with 19 points, converting six of 12 shots from the field and seven of nine from the foul line, and had a game-high 13 assists. He turned over the ball once in leading his team to its highest point total of the season.

"I'm happy about the one turnover," Lin said. "If I keep it to three or less every game, that's my goal."

Said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, "I thought he was terrific. This is nine games and in eight of them he's been unbelievable."

New York (18-18) trailed 61-49 at halftime but outscored Cleveland 71-42 in a second-half surge marked by key contributions from reserves. Steve Novak sparked the big second half by tallying 15 of his 17 points after the break. He shot 5-of-8 from three-point range.

Baron Davis, who suddenly finds himself as Lin's backup after missing the season's first 32 games with a herniated disc, showed he still can make a major contribution with eight assists in 14 minutes.

"He is getting better and better game by game," Knicks center Tyson Chandler said of Davis. "He is starting to move getting to the hole, getting more comfortable finishing. The better he gets, the better the team will be."

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Huge second half carries Lin, Knicks past Cavaliers