soompi | Age Of Youth 2 Reveals Newest Additions To Main Cast, Park Hye Soo Drops Out soompi Park Hye Soo was supposed to return for the second season, but she had to withdraw from the drama due to scheduling conflicts. Her character Eun Jae will be played by Ji Woo instead. The story of Age of Youth 2 will take place a year from where the ... |
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Age Of Youth 2 Reveals Newest Additions To Main Cast, Park Hye Soo Drops Out - soompi
The Broncos defense aught to be able to stop the run more effectively in 2017.
After finishing 28th against the run in 2016, theDenver Broncosmade it a priority to get bigger and meaner on the defensive line. Their first and most obvious solution was to add veteran free agentsDomata PekoandZach Kerrin March.
Peko checks in at 325 pounds, while Kerr tips the scales at 334. That's a big upgrade in beef over the 313-poundSylvester Williams, who held down the nose tackle position in Denver for the last two years, before signing in Tennessee this offseason.
GMJohn Elwaydidn't stop there. The Broncos signed the highly sought-after college free agentTyrique Jarrettout of the University of Pittsburgh following the Draft.
http://www.scout.com/nfl/broncos/story/1783405-can-we-expect-a-te-renais... Jarrett is listed by the team at 335 pounds, but his own teammates have reckonedthat he's closer to 350 pounds. Between those three additions alone, the Broncos added a half ton to their D-line in 2017.
In theory, the bigger-bodied linemen will allow the inside linebackers likeBrandon MarshallandTodd Davis more freedom to swarm to the ball-carrier, without having to shuck and duck offensive guards. These are much-needed improvements to the nose tackle corps, but the Broncos haven't stopped there.
The defensive ends, led byDerek Wolfe, have also worked to add some weight over the offseason. Wolfe has added 20 pounds to his frame, while the second-yearAdam Gotsishas also put on some weight to get closer to 300 pounds. Gotsis accepted the challenge his position coach,Bill Kollar, levied at him when the 2016 season ended.
"Physically, I've told him all along: You've got to get bigger and stronger -- or else," Kollar said. "These guys are too big and strong and tough in this league.
"I told him, 'If I were you, I'd take one week off after the season, I'd get my [rear end] into the weight room and I'd lift until there was no tomorrow. Because otherwise you don't have a chance. You've got to be able to get in there and fight."
Gotsis looks like a new man. He's bigger and stronger, and now that he's had the extra time to recover from the ACL injury he suffered in October of 2015, he's quicker, too. I'm really intrigued to see how Gotsis can make an impact in year two.
Right now, Gotsis isn't the defensive end running with the first-team opposite of Derek Wolfe. That would beJared Crick, who's also gained a considerable amount of weight.
I probably gained about 15 pounds over the offseason," Crick said on Wednesday. "Its not an advantage for yourself to be under 275 which I was at times last year going against offensive lines in the AFC West. So this offseason, I tried to gain 15 pounds. Hopefully I can gain another five before training camp. Obviously all good weight to where I can still move. I feel a lot stronger going into this summer than any of the summers Ive been in the NFL.
Why join?
Crick was asked to step in and start in 2016, after Vance Walkerwas lost for the season. Crickstruggled to hold up at the point of attack in the run game, but did help push the pocket from the inside on passing downs. This time around, Crick and the Broncos D-line are committed to reversing the slide they had in defending the run last year.
You cant point your fingers at one position or one guy or anything like that," Crick said. "We wanted to get bigger up front. We were undersized last year and we knew it. We just keep or tenacity up. Obviously, were doing some different things defensively this year to help out with that. Being bigger and stronger this year will help out with that."
You heard it fromHead CoachVance Joseph, in a mic'd up conversation with defensive coordinator Joe Woods,when the Broncos hit the field for their first practice session of 2017 back in April.
"I'll tell you what," Joseph said. "You've gotten bigger up front, between Kerr and Peko. It looks different. It looks different. You've gotten bigger."
Now we see that Denver's commitmentto beef up the D-line goes way beyond signing Peko and Kerr. I'm looking forward to seeing whether it pays dividends come the fall. There's no guarantee that it will, but were I a bettin' man, I wouldn't wager against it.
Chad Jensen is the Publisher of Mile High Huddle. You can find him on Twitter@ChadNJensen.
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The Denver Broncos Beefed Up Their Defensive Line In More Ways Than One - Scout
NDTV | Everything You Need To Know About Today's Pokmon Announcements Forbes We don't know much about these games yet, but Nintendo says they "have been powered up with new additions to the story and features from Pokmon Sun and Pokmon Moon." Two new Pokmon were shown during the Direct that Nintendo says resemble the ... Pokmon Direct Reveals 'Pokkn Tournament Deluxe' For Switch, 'Ultra Sun & Moon' For 3DS |
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Everything You Need To Know About Today's Pokmon Announcements - Forbes
With shopping behaviors in flux and the fate of the American mall uncertain, Westfield UTC is fast preparing to unveil its take on the offline shopping experience of the future.
Come October, the 33-year-old La Jolla-adjacent destination will debut its long-awaited second phase of development.
In November 2012, the mall showed off its first transformation, a $180-million makeover complete with ArcLight Cinemas and a revamped food court. This second round, however, is even bigger in scope, encompassing a $600-million bet on the brick-and-mortar property as an upscale, amenity-rich escape from the quotidian.
Tuesday, the center released new renderings of the space, and announced another batch of committed tenants, which include luxury furniture-maker Arhaus, comfy-clothes line Marine Layer and fine-dining establishment Larsens Steakhouse. Other just-revealed additions are crystal jewelry-maker Swarovski, footwear chain ECCO and MAC Cosmetics.
Still an active construction site, Westfield UTC should look and feel noticeably different to guests who enter from the west and north sides when the dust settles. By Oct.12, the grand opening date of a new Nordstrom store, most of the construction will have cleared to feature 250,000 square feet of additional retail and restaurant space. Most of the incoming restaurants will be of the sit-down-and-drink variety, and include outdoor space.
In addition, multiple gardens, an art-walk and outdoor plazas, including one with a Pop Jet water fountain for kids, are meant to be focal points for visitors. Plus, the new Westfield UTC will come with 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, as well as a palm-tree lined valet drop-off area.
Perhaps the most noticeable change, however, will be the addition of more than 2,000 parking spaces (5,500 total) and the centers mostly single-level retail strategy. Whereas a mall-goer previously had to navigate between two or three floors to visit retailers on the north end, now theyll find a flattened shopping vibe.
There are still different tiers, but the overhauled section will consist of underground parking on the first tier and a row of retail stores located just above the parking garage, now contiguous with the rest of the malls outdoor space.
Though retail will certainly remain a pivotal part of the equation, Westfield UTC appears to be flipping the brick-and-mortar model to favor dining, and even lounging or playing, over shopping. And, if successful, the costly renovation will make locals and tourists alike rethink where to head to dinner on a Friday night or where to take the kids on the weekend.
And Westfields timing couldnt be better.
A recent report from Credit Suisse projects that 20 percent to 25 percent of U.S. malls will close over the next five years.
But an alternative view is that the American mall can survive if it replaces the beleaguered concept of the every-persons anchor store e.g. Sears, Macys and J.C. Penney with a new type of draw.
Paula Rosenblum, co-founder and Managing Partner at RSR Research, is of the opinion that the overall experience meaning the totality of the malls ambiance and activities will be the new anchor attraction.
The goal is to create an experience that makes it worth your while to go to the mall, she said. There is no doubt that millennials are interested in experience. They prefer experience over things.
Still, anchor stores arent entirely extinct at the coming-soon Westfield UTC. While Sears is on its way out with no announced replacement, Nordstrom is set to debut a new Westfield UTC location, a two-story venue that spans 145,000 square feet, which is 15,000 square feet greater than the current spot.
The new store will trade carpet-lined sections for a single tile-lined floor and artificial light for much more of the natural variety. Nordstrom will also introduce a contemporary restaurant named Brazille with a full bar and patio overlooking the mall. Eventually, the location will even incorporate curbside pickup for ship-to-store Nordstrom shoppers.
The spruced-up venue should mesh nicely with the revitalized Westfield UTC, which still isnt quite complete.
The property expects to break ground on construction of a 22-story high-end residential tower, featuring 300 units, in 2018.
jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin
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Here's what you can expect to find at Westfield UTC this October - The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Wolf Pack had plenty of highlights during its most recent athletic campaign. Wochit
Hunter Fralick smiles after scoring on a touchdown off a fake field goal during a game at San Diego State in 2015.(Photo: USA Today Sports)
The Wolf Pack football teams returning players are back on campus this week forsummer weights and speed work but the roster isnt quite as robust as it was for Aprils spring camp.
Sixteen players who were on the spring camp roster, including nine who were on scholarship, wont return to the team, first-year coach Jay Norvell told the Reno Gazette-Journal on Tuesday. Among those players is junior quarterback Hunter Fralick, the former Spanish Springs High star who competed for the starting job in 2015.
In addition to Fralick, quarterback Dante Mayes, cornerback Cameron Turner, defensive end Nakita Lealao, receiver Victor Gonzalez, receiver David Harvey, defensive end Jarid Joseph, offensive lineman Daren Echeveria and tight end Evan Faunce, all of whom were on scholarship last season, wont return.
Mayes, Lealao and Echeveria have graduated and decided to stop playing football. Gonzalez, Harvey, Joseph and Faunce were all medically disqualified with concussions. Turner will transfer to FCS school Tennessee Chattanooga.
In addition to those scholarship players, seven walk-ons wont return: offensive linemen Reece Backman, Ilya Lopez and Tyler Rosentreter; receivers Joe Pyle, from Fallon, and Jason Elenberger, formerly of Air Force; kicker Evan Rios; and punter Fernando Pujals, which leaves the Wolf Pack with only one kicker and no punters on its roster.
Norvell said he and his staff had some frank discussions with players during and after spring camp.
The whole spring was an evaluation period for us, trying to get the kids to learn how we want to practice, Norvell said. It was a transition period. I was really disappointed with the first three weeks of practice. We really challenged our players. We had several players who werent improving, who werent getting any better. I challenged them. Itold them, If you arent getting better every day, theres something wrong. Youre either not listening to the coaches, not focused in what we were trying to accomplish or you're really not into it. We evaluated a lot of kids and talked to them after spring practice.
Players who decided against continuing to play will remain on scholarship, Norvell said, under a recent NCAA provision that allows players who gave up the sport following a coaching change to remain on scholarship. Among the departures, Joseph, Lealao, Echeveria and Gonzalez logged the most playing time last season.
Echeveria, who was entering his junior season, started four games and appeared in 17 during his first two years at Nevada. Joseph, also a junior-to-be, played in all 12 games last season, posting 15 tackles and three sacks. Lealao, a senior-to-be, started seven games in 2017 and had 15 tackles. Gonzalez, a speedster plagued by injuries, caught three passes for 86 yards during his two seasons with the Wolf Pack.
Turner, who was entering his sophomore season, is the only departing scholarship player expected to transfer to another school, Norvell said. Turner, a native of Alabama, recently announced on his Twitter page he was headed to Tennessee Chattanooga. As a freshman, Turner had two tackles in nine games.
The biggest name to leave the program is Fralick, thelocal product who set a number of records at Spanish Springs. When Fralick signed with Nevada in 2014, rebuking offers from San Diego State, UNLV and Northern Colorado, he became just the fourth local quarterback to earn an FBS scholarship since 1970. After redshirting in 2014, Fralick battled Tyler Stewart for the starting job in 2015, with the gig ultimately going to Stewart.
Fralick finished his Nevada career 0-for-3 all in mop-up duty in a season-opening win over Cal Poly in 2015 but he did score in the regular-season finale that season on a 4-yard run off a fake field goal against San Diego State. Fralick fell to third on the depth chart last season and was with the fourth string this spring.
Norvell, who was hired in December and signed his first recruiting class in February, said improving at quarterback, along the front seven defensively and on the offensive line have been areas of focus as he rebuilds Nevada's roster.
Were in a transition, Norvell said. We feel like we really have some major improvements we need to make defensively. We dont have the physicality or strength in the front seven that we need. You look at the statistics from last season and where we were in rush defense (last in the FBS), we need to improve our personnel. We need more physical players and we need more speed. We need to get in the weight room and get stronger. The kids that we bring in need to be physical, hard-nosed kids who like to play and can run.
Nevada has filled its 2017 recruiting class but continues to add scholarship players for next season.
The Wolf Pack received commitments from a pair of junior-college linebackers last weekend who will join the team for this season but count against Nevadas 2018 scholarship allotment. Those players are Dymund Richardson, whose father and brother both played in the NFL, as well as Kyle Adams. Both players have three seasons of eligibility remaining and add depth to a position that remains thin.
Richardson is a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder who also had offers from Purdue and San Jose State. He had 15 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass breakup for El Camino (Calif.) College in 2016. Richardsons father, Paul, played in 1993 for the Eagles. His brother, Paul Jr., was a 2014 second-round pick by Seattle. Both were receivers. Richardson was a defensive back at the JC level but will move to linebacker at Nevada.
Adams is a 6-foot, 225-pound linebacker who had 54 tackles, including five for loss, one sack and blocked two kicks as a freshman last season for Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif.. Nevadas linebacker corps included only one returning starter (Gabe Sewell) as well as nine freshmen, leaving the position green.
Those additions give Nevada five players who will join the team in 2017 but count toward the 2018 recruiting class. The others are JC quarterback Griffin Dahn and prep recruits Daiyan Henley, who will play receiver at Nevada, and Marquette Jackson, who is expected to play linebacker.
Nevadas junior-college transfers are expected to join the team later this week for a summer session while the freshmenclass will arrive June 25.
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QB Hunter Fralick among 16 players leaving Wolf Pack - Reno Gazette Journal
The Golden State Warriors made a huge splash last offseason, signing Kevin Durant to a two year deal that offers an option to opt out after the first year. They had split the last two NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and coming off a brutal Finals loss in 2016, the Warriors wanted to emphatically set themselves up for the 2017 NBA Finals.
There has been plenty of criticism by people outside of the Warriors sphere. Weve heard people say the Warriors are too good, and weve heard people criticize Durant for going to his rival to try and win a championship.
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers know a thing or two about whats going on. Former 49ers executive Carmen Policy took some time to chat with Matt Maiocco about the 49ers of the mid-90s, and offered up some fantastic insight. Well have a time stamp post Wednesday morning, but the Policy interview starts about 20 minutes in.
Policy has some great anecdotes from the 90s. He talked about how after the second straight NFC title game loss to the Dallas Cowboys led the team to go all-in leading up to the 1994 season. The team loaded up their defense, acquiring Deion Sanders, Ken Norton, Gary Plummer, and Rickey Jackson. Policy has a fantastic story about the recruiting process with Deion Sanders, and his meeting with George Seifert. It involves Eddie DeBartolo and then defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes having some cocktails to get through the stress of waiting on Deions decision.
Policy and Maiocco talked about the addition of Durant as similar in fashion to the 49ers addition of Deion. A year ago, when Durant made his decision, I wrote something about it and discussed the potential comparison with Sanders.
This is not exactly like when Deion Sanders signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, but it is certainly something at least worth considering. The top free agent on the market is joining a team that was already built well, and is adding a little more to take them back over the top. One notable difference is this Warriors team won a title in 2015, and went to the Finals this year. The 49ers of the mid-90s could not get over the hump against the Dallas Cowboys. Deion was not the only notable addition that year, but he was a big one.
I did not mention the 49ers extensive additions that offseason. Well never know whether or not the 49ers would have won the Super Bowl that year without Sanders, but they made a lot of big acquisitions. The Warriors made some other additions, but last offseason was all about adding Durant.
There is a certain putting them over the top element, so it is still an interesting comparison to be made. The Warriors still have two more games to win in this series. And while they have dominated the second half of the first two games, lets not forget that they dominated the first two games last year as well. This year, the Warriors won the first two games by a combined 41 points. Last year, they won the first two games by a combined 48 points. The big difference of course is that they have Kevin Durant. I dont think theyll sweep the Cavaliers, but theyre in prime position to put this series away sooner rather than later.
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Carmen Policy likes Warriors-Kevin Durant comparison to 49ers-Deion Sanders in 1994 - Niners Nation
Offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin works with Will Holden and John Wetzel during Arizona Cardinals OTAs Tuesday, May 16. (Photo by Adam Green/Arizona Sports)
For the Arizona Cardinals to reach their lofty 2017 goals, one thing they will need to do is keep their 37-year-old quarterback upright.
Last season, Carson Palmer was sacked41 times, the second-most in his career.
With multiple ACL surgeries in his past, the play of the offensive lineand the health of Palmer will be a major key to the Cardinals success next season.
[Were] still trying to search for the starting five, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwintold Dougand WolfTuesday on 98.7 FM, Arizonas Sports Station. Obviously were missing A.Q. Shipley a little bit, but the young guys have come along. Cole Toner has done a good job this offseason and Evan Boehm is coming along.
This season, the O-line will see some changesas D.J. Humphries is headingto left tackle and veteran Jared Veldheer will make the switch to right tackle.
We still have a ways to go, theyre both still getting comfortable, Goodwin said. The thing with D.J. is he needs to turn it on every day, right now hes a coaster and we told him this last week that he needs to turn it on every day.
I just want to make sure that he doesnt think hes made it, so every day its going to be my foot in his butt, and hes always going to be knee deep. I dont care what happens in his career, hes going to be knee deep as long as hes around me and BA [head coach Bruce Arians] and [assistant line coach] Larry Zierlein.
Humphries is heading into his third seasonafter being drafted by the Cardinals 24th in 2015.
Hehas just 13 games under his belt, all of which came last season. His limited NFL experience at left tackle wasdue to an injury suffered to Veldheer in October.
Veldheer has expressed wanting to stay at left tackle, a position hes been at for all seven of his NFL seasons, but Goodwin and the Cardinals coaches believe it will ultimately benefit the team.
Hes a team player, obviously he said he didnt want to do it, Goodwin said. But at the end of the day its about team, and were giving ourselves the best chance to win and get ourselves in the dance at the end, and so hes been about it, and hes done a good job.
The Cardinals also added O-line depth in the draft with the additions of Pittsburgh guard Dorian Johnson and Vanderbilt tackle Will Holden.
Johnson could possibly compete for a starting job, but as a rookie hehas a steep learning curve when it comes to the playbook.
In college, Goodwin said Johnson may have had to worry about four runs. In Arizona, he may need to know 20 on a given week, Goodwin said.
Hes coming along, I think he would tell you himself that hes struggling a little bit from the terminology to trying to learn everything, Goodwin said. But the kid has talent, hes got a ways to go and hes coming along nicely.
Rookie or veteran, whoever is blocking for Palmer in 2017 will have to improve upon last season and keep him off the ground.
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Decisions still remain when it comes to Cardinals starting offensive line - Arizona Sports
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Christian McCaffrey's only direct work with the Carolina Panthers since last month's rookie camp came Saturday ... at a bowling alley.
Yes, the eighth pick of the NFL draft was allowed to hit pins with other Carolina players against the staff at head coach Ron Rivera's charity fundraiser, but he can't take hits from them until June 14.
And Rivera called the league office just to make sure that was all right.
The do-it-all running back out of Stanford falls under the antiquated rule that prohibits draft picks from participating in offseason workouts other than rookie camp until their school year ends.
They can't even be in the team facility.
It basically penalizes players who attend schools on a quarter system, which typically end much later than those on a semester system.
It doesn't matter that McCaffrey didn't enroll for the final quarter, either.
The rule still applies.
That means McCaffrey's first work on the field with the Carolina veterans will be June 14, the second of a three-day mandatory minicamp.
He'll get exactly two days with them before taking five weeks off before training camp.
"It sucks," McCaffrey told the team website during Rivera's event. "It's really tough."
It's a rule designed to encourage NFL prospects to finish their school year and graduate if that is their choice, without the pressure of having to attend team workouts.
But it doesn't take into account players like McCaffrey, who chose well before the draft not to enroll for the final quarter. It also doesn't take into account players who have no chance to finish their degree on time because they leave school a year or more before their academic work can be completed.
Rivera would like to see the rule adjusted.
"I just think if a young man on his own is not going to enroll, don't hold that against him," he said after Monday's workout. "You don't know who you're going to get through the draft. If those young men decided on their own, then they're being punished for something that is their choice.
"It really only hurts the player. He's got to come in [late] and learn and grow and fit in."
The Panthers have been through this before, most recently with 2015 first-round pick Shaq Thompson. They are doing the same things with McCaffrey that they did with the former Washington linebacker, keeping him up to date as best as possible through Skype.
"That's the rule," Rivera said. "Until something changes, we've got to follow it."
McCaffrey told the team website that he has been working out in Denver during the day, watching Rockies games and reviewing the playbook at night with running backs coach Jim Skipper.
"He'll quiz me over the phone and then I'll go over everything, and he'll tell me what to learn for the next day," McCaffrey said.
"You can still get the plays down and get good training when you're home, but nothing will ever compete with actually getting the reps on the field, being with the guys."
The time McCaffrey has missed has been spent getting second-round draft pick Curtis Samuel and other rookies more up to speed. Like McCaffrey, Samuel plays multiple positions.
Samuel is a slot receiver first and a running back second. McCaffrey is a running back first and then a slot receiver.
Both are dynamic additions to an offense trying to evolve to depend less on quarterback Cam Newton as a runner.
What McCaffrey can't develop over the phone or on Skype is camaraderie. He got a taste of that at Rivera's charity event to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte.
McCaffrey tweeted Sunday that he can't wait to get back on the field.
Then, on Monday morning, as the Panthers returned to the field for voluntary workouts, McCaffrey returned to Denver on a plane.
"It was good to see him, too," Rivera said. "He got to spend time with the team more than anything else. That's the one thing he also misses, that chance to bond."
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Rivera: McCaffrey being 'punished' by NFL rule - ESPN
Jun 5, 2017
Field YatesESPN Insider
Field Yates has previous experience interning with the New England Patriots on both their coaching and scouting staffs. A graduate of Wesleyan University (CT), he is a regular contributor to ESPN Boston's Patriots coverage and ESPN Insider.
Starting a little later this month, the NFL takes something of a small hiatus as coaches and front-office personnel get off the grid to recharge before training camps begin. The work doesn't entirely evaporate though, as NFL teams still have orders of business to tend to.
Thinking bigger picture, here is a look at a key decision each NFL team can see on its horizon and that will unquestionably become a topic of conversation over the next two months:
AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West
Some offensive line business. Let's package this into two topics, as both pertain to the O-line. First, Dallas must sort through and find the best options to play the left guard and right tackle spots. La'El Collins is getting some offseason work at right tackle, but he could stay at guard and leave just one spot open. If he plays right tackle, there's a competition at left guard, which includes former first-round pick Jonathan Cooper. The second order of business is paying guard Zack Martin, perhaps the NFL's best player at the position, who could be an unrestricted free agent in 2019. Dallas has said a long-term extension for Martin is a priority, so don't expect him to hit the market.
Finding the ground game. This isn't so much a decision as it is a resolution of internal options. The Giants' offense has immense potential in its passing game, but the ground game is less certain -- on paper. Does Paul Perkins, a 2016 fifth-round pick, emerge as the lead back? He appears to be the best fit after the Giants didn't aggressively address the position this offseason. New York also has Shane Vereen, while Shaun Draughn was added in free agency and Wayne Gallman was picked on Day 3 of the draft. For now, Perkins seems like the lead back.
Figuring out Wentz's long-term weapons. The Eagles have built an impressive stable of weapons for second-year quarterback Carson Wentz -- this season. Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith were among the early additions through free agency, while Philly recently acquired LeGarrette Blount on a one-year deal. Jeffery's contract is also for only one year, while Smith's contract is a year-to-year proposition. Plus, Jordan Matthews enters the final year of his rookie contract. The takeaway? While the Eagles' offense should be much better this season, it's incumbent upon general manager Howie Roseman to identify which of Wentz's weapons are integral parts of the future beyond 2017 and get them locked into deals.
To read the full story on key roster decisions for all 32 teams, sign up to be an ESPN Insider.
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Biggest upcoming roster decision for all 32 NFL teams - ESPN
DANVILLE Danville Ward 1 Alderman Rickey Williams Jr. said he always knew he wanted to live in an old home.
Once I figured out I was staying in Danville, I knew I wanted an older home, he said
Williams admitted he drove up and down streets, and ones I never heard of to find the home of his dreams at 607 W. Madison St.
Ive always love the Queen Anne style, he said.
Williams home was one of five properties recognized last month during Old Town Preservation Associations 28th Annual Legacy Awards.
The Legacy Awards promote preservation and recognize interior and exterior renovations, landscaping, historic building additions and preservation advocates, according to OTPA board member Sue Beck.
People can nominate a business, home, apartment building, interior and/or exterior improvements, additions, garages and porches, she said.
Well consider anyone in the county, Beck said.
Most of the nominations come from association members and friends of members, she said. They say, You should drive by this house or this apartment building.
Williams mint green home with white and purple trim and gingerbread galore is one of those homes passersby slow down to look at and, in fact, was the topic of discussion a few months ago by Danville historians on Facebook.
Beck said Williams was recognized for the extra effort required to paint his beautiful Queen Anne-style homes exterior in a decorative color scheme, as well as the ongoing interior renovation and restoration of this Madison Square showpiece.
He was so excited when he talked about his house (to the OTPA), she said of Williams. He came along and its been resurrected.
The home has been a labor of love for Williams.
Ive only been working on it for two years, he said.
In that short time, however, Williams has spruced up the exterior of the home with paint, new shingles and replacing any missing gingerbread trim.
The house had been vacant a couple of years, he said. The porch was falling in, and all of the lower spindles of the porch railing had to be made.
There are well over 200 spindles on the porch probably, he said, adding that the wraparound porch which features a turret with a decorative gold and purple metal spire on top is 50 linear feet.
Finding someone to replicate the porch railing spindles took time and slowed down the restoration project.
It took me five months to find someone to make them and four months to get them made, he said. It took another three months to find someone to install them.
Also, 50 feet of fascia had to be made using a tool that was specially ordered so the new fascia matched the existing fascia.
When youre trying to restore a home if you want to do it well it takes time, he said.
Williams also has extensively researched the history of the home. While Sanborn maps and city directories show the house existed in 1893, a fireplace insert inside the home is dated 1883.
He learned the first occupants of the home were Reason and Anna Hooten, and that Mr. Hooten ran a lumberyard.
The exterior is not quite done, Williams said. After researching Victorian painted ladies, he decided he would like to paint the scallop trim on the second floor of the home in graduated shades of purple.
The interior of the home which boasts two parlors, two kitchens, one dining room and seven bedrooms is more than halfway done.
The upstairs is done and its beautiful, he said. The crown moulding trim is done.
Were doing it in phases, he said of the work. Next, well be working on the eastern half of the downstairs and painting the garage.
Williams is getting married in a couple weeks and will expand his family with a 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. Still, he realized the house is larger than what his family will need, so he hopes to rent part of it to college students.
In addition to Williams, the association recognized four other Legacy Award recipients at its May 18 meeting.
The other honorees who received certificates this year are:
The apartment building at 444 Franklin St., and Marvin and Tammy Davis.
The Davises were recognized for the exterior and interior renovation and restoration of a grand apartment building in the revitalized West Downtown neighborhood, Beck said.
It takes people with a vision, she said of tackling the project.
That grand four-unit red brick apartment building received a new lease on life thanks to general contractor Joe Daur who lived there for eight months and worked on it day and night.
The Davises hired Daur to restore the apartment building so it could become rental property again.
The whole place was trashed, Daur said of his first encounter with the building.
An older woman, who had been a seamstress, was the only one left living in the building.
Every room, every closet was full of fabric, he said.
I lived there, so I worked on it as soon as I woke up, Daur said.
During his eight-month stay in the building, Daur replaced 52 windows with vinyl ones and installed a new roof, new electrical service, new plumbing, new bathroom fixtures, new kitchen cabinets, new kitchen flooring, carpeting throughout, new exterior steel doors for security and added washers and dryers in each unit.
Inside, the woodwork moulding and trim is all original.
I saved all the woodwork and trim, he said. I love all that.
I painted it, sanded it and painted it some more, he said. I kept it all original. I also reglazed the original windows on the front of the building.
Each unit has a 12-foot by 14-foot sunroom and a space in the garage. The first two tenants moved in June 1.
Daur has worked for various roofing and siding companies in the Champaign and Danville areas for years, but decided to slow down and work on my own.
I love old houses, he said.
The Davises, who could not be reached because of their work schedules, already has Daur working on his next project: Restoring a home in the 1000 block of Franklin Street.
They are buying properties to try to help people out and sell them on contract, he said.
The home at 1126 N. Vermilion St., and Mark Bolser on behalf of BnR Construction and Restoration and his grandmother Joyce Lewis.
Bolser was recognized for the extra effort required to paint the exterior of his grandmothers house on the Vermilion Street thoroughfare in a decorative color scheme, Beck said.
I love it, and the door catches your eye, she said. Im impressed.
Bolser said his company, BnR Construction and Restoration, starting working on the 100-year-old two-story home about two years ago.
Its been going on for a little over two years, Bolser said. But weve been working solid on it through 2016.
It was rental property that belonged to my step-grandfather, he added. It was a single-tone gray color and it was dreary.
We were going to do siding, but the design of the house was unique, so we thought it was best to scrape it and paint it, he said.
The blue-and-white home, with its coral-colored three-panel front door, now pops across from the Danville Family YMCA on North Vermilion Street.
In addition to the colorfully painted exterior, Bolser said the home has been tuck pointed and structurally rebuilt in places and a new roof installed.
The interior has been modernized, so it will suit more people, he said.
Old homes take a lot of work, Bolser added.
The home, however, isnt quite done yet.
Weve got some lap siding that we need to do on the back of the house, and we need to paint the garage, he said. We look to go back to it in July or August and finish it up.
In addition to the legacy award, Bolser said he has received many compliments on the house from passersby.
Weve gotten a lot of comments as people walk by, and the neighbor has taken an interest in it, he said. Were going to try to put her back to life.
The Masonic Temple at 109 W. North St., and the Ancient Accepted Scottish RiteValley of Danville.
The A.A.S.R. Bodies of the Valley of Danville were recognized for the extensive renovation and restoration work to maintain the Masonic Temple, a landmark structure integral to the fabric of downtown Danville, according to Beck.
The improvements made at the Masonic Temple are obvious, she said. Its the pillar of downtown. I cant imagine if it werent there.
Sean McBride, the 2nd Lt. Commander in Chief of Danville Consistory, one of the four coordinate bodies of the Scottish Rite, said work began to preserve the 101-year-old building a couple of years ago after an architects report indicated that water infiltration was causing the building to deteriorate.
McBride said tuck pointing the building was considered but deemed to be too costly.
Sealant was applied on the exterior of the building, and we replaced a portion of the roof, he said.
A handicapped-accessible ramp was built so that all three doors into the Masonic Temple are now ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
We received a Community Development Block Grant from the city that paid for the ramp, and that was a real blessing, McBride said.
Right now, were doing some work on the fire escape, and weve done some improvements inside, he said, including new heating and air conditioning systems in parts of the building.
Weve added new restrooms on the first and third floors so the building can be utilized more for public events, he said.
Were going to continue working on the building, he said. In the future, we want to replace the rest of the roof and finish that.
McBride credited Danville Ward 1 Alderman Mike Puhr, who is the building committee chair, with being the big driving force behind the restoration work. Funds will continue to be raised so additional improvements may be made.
The ultimate goal is to preserve the building and have it used regularly for public events, wedding, plays, concerts and meetings, he said.
McBride said being recognized for their preservation efforts and receiving a Legacy Award was an unexpected bonus.
It was definitely a nice surprise and it makes you feel good that people have taken notice, he said.
The building would have continued to deteriorate if we didnt do anything, McBride added. Its now a sound building.
The T.h. Snyder Co., 611 Oak St.
The T.h. Snyder Co. site was recognized for adapting and repurposing a viable center city commercial building, Beck said.
They took that space in the center city and reworked it, she said.
The unique three half-moon-shaped buildings from the early to mid-50s now serve as T.h. Snyders workshop after the manufacturer of high-end architectural woodwork relocated to the site in 2012 from its longtime Fairchild Street location.
We were operating out of three buildings (on Fairchild Street) and had to move product from building to building out in the elements, Brad Irle, president of T.h. Snyder, said.
OTPA board member Dick Cheney said the Oak Street site previously had been a wholesale lumberyard and later was the location of McDowell Builders.
They did an amazing job inside the building, Cheney said.
Irle said the front office was dated and dirty so it was updated with paint and carpeting.
Two-thirds of the three half-moon-shaped buildings were transformed into clean, white spaces, Irle said.
Twenty new windows were installed on the southern side of the buildings to bring more sunlight into the workshop areas.
We insulated and drywalled and installed new mechanicals to accommodate our equipment, he said. We added a drop ceiling so its much more efficient.
Irle, however, wanted to preserve some of the structures unique architecture, so the last one-third of the half-moon-shaped buildings was left unimproved and is used for storage.
The back third of the building has the original arched trusses, he said. Its neat to see the building in its original state.
The arched wooden trusses are neat to look at, he added. It took a lot of craftsmanship to do that.
Meeting time
The Old Town Preservation Association meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the first-floor classroom at Lakeview College of Nursing, 903 N. Logan Ave.
Anyone is welcome to join OTPA. Memberships are available to individuals, families, seniors, organizations or as lifetime members.
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Preserving Danville's history - Danville Commercial News