The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission unanimously approved the requested installation of an EV (Electric Vehicle) charging station at the street-level as part of an application for 6 Louisburg Square during its most-recent monthly public hearing, which took place virtually on Oct. 15.

The commission unanimously approved installing the outlet, with caveats that it be flush with the sidewalk, and that the applicant provide a letter of assent from the other resident owners of Louisburg Square, who collectively own the cobblestones, sidewalk light fixtures and everything else located between the edges of their personal residences and the street.

Staff recommends approving the EV since were in the middle of climate crisis, and it could help us achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, added Nick Armata, senior preservation planner for the city.

Rob Whitney, chair of the Beacon Hill Civic Association board of directors, who first suggested to the applicant that the charger could be built flush with the sidewalk instead of as a traditional granite charging-block as was originally proposed, said, Were not opposing [the charger] on the contrary, were saying, how do we bring it into the historic fabric of the neighborhood?

They could be made to resemble similar outlets for water and gas found in the neighborhood, Whitney said, while the chargers could be waterproofed in a simple way.

But really the issue is precedent, Whitney added, because street furniture is prohibited [in the neighborhoods historic district] except under certain circumstances.

As part of the same application, the commission approved requests to replace the front door (which it deemed may also be painted Rembrandt red) and the frame, with the caveat that the sidelights be restored; to replace all front windows on the front faade; to replace the garden-level door but without a recess; and to replace the existing skylights and install HVAC units on the roof, which are not visible from a public way.

The commission also unanimously approved as submitted a new businesss application for storefront signage and window decals at 99 Charles St.

The new business, Gus & Ruby Letterpress, a custom design and print studio with other locations in Portsmouth, N.H., and Portland, Maine, intend to install a double-sided wood sign, measuring 36 inches in diameter, with raised aluminum lettering attached to the storefront, as well as a decal listing its hours of operation in the entry-door window.

In another matter, the commission approved an application for proposed work at 62 Chestnut St. that architect Frank McGuire described as replacing existing windows in the building with new, compliant, wood, true divided-light windows at the front and rear facades; this came with the caveat that the applicant provide two letters from restoration specialists, such as Olde Bostonian of Dorchester, verifying that the windows are indeed beyond repair.

The commission also approved an application for 33 Branch St. to replace front door hardware, as well as to repaint the front faade, trim, shutters and doors, with the caveat that the faade and lintels remain painted gray (and that the shade be approved by staff).

Meanwhile, three applicants who were scheduled to appear before the commission were no-shows, including one for the proposed reconstruction of a chimney at 30 Chestnut St. which was deferred from the September hearing because of pending violations including removal of historic windows without a certificate of appropriateness; another to replace the front door and hardware at 24 Garden St.; and a third to rebuild a chimney at 55 Pinckney St., respectively. Work at these locations is not allowed to proceed without the applicants first attending a future public hearing of the BHAC and getting approval from the commission.

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BHAC Approves EV Charging Station With Caveats - Beacon Hill Times

Ferrari has reportedly issued a recall order for around 1,063 units of its 812 Superfast in the United States. These models were made between 2018 and 2020 and are suspected to have a rear window which could come off at relatively high speeds due to the chances these weren't fixed properly.

As the name itself suggests, the 812 Superfast is the most powerful and fastest road-going Ferrari ever built. With a 6.5-litre, V12 engine at its heart and the ability to sprint to 100 kmph in just 2.9 seconds, the 812 Superfast is indeed super fast. At such speeds, or speeds even significantly lower though, one won't want the rear window to come flying off. And yet, that is a possibility which the company is now hoping to address.

(Also read: Porsche and Ferrari face $59,000 tax on gas guzzlers in France)

It is reported that the glitch with how the rear window was assembled was first reported in March of 2020 in Germany, followed by two more such complaints here. This prompted Ferrari to start investigating these and it was eventually decided that a recall was the only way forward.

US media outlets report that Ferrari will replace the rear window on any affected car and that dealers and owners in the country will begin getting notifications from December onwards.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast has a pedestal of its own in the company's product portfolio and was first introduced to the world at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Its aero design, electric power steering and sheer power capabilities made it stand out in the world of super cars. And while Ferrari continues to fend off any need to go electric in current times, the 812 Superfast remains an ode to speed, as long as it can keep its rear window from falling off.

Read more here:
Ferrari issues recall orders for its most powerful supercar. Here's why - Hindustan Times Auto News

Editor's Note: Last night we published a story on local Goodwill locations being boarded up ahead of Election Day. This morning, the president and CEO reversed her decision, and contacted us to let us know she had changed her mind. We have written a new story outlining her thoughts, and those wishing to read the original story will find it at the bottom of this story.

The president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire decided to reverse her decision to board up a number of Goodwill locations in Sonoma County.

Brandy Evans said after an interview with about the initial decision, she reflected that it could have an unintended impact on the broader community. So, not specifically a Goodwill employee or a Goodwill shopper, but just the community in general, she said.

And I just decided, you know, there is a possibility that someone might see something negative in that, and Im not going to guess what that negative interpretation on their part could be, but all the sudden, it just didnt feel good, Evans said. So, I just made the decision of, Hey, lets get those boards back down.

A number of Goodwill stores in Sonoma County were somewhere in the process of boarding up windows ahead of the presidential election to minimize the risk of damage from possible civil unrest.

Evans said a Goodwill employee began dismantling the boards at the Healdsburg store Wednesday morning after Evans halted its construction partway through, and that the employee would remove boards from the Sebastopol store and Fourth Street location in Santa Rosa.

The process to protect store windows began the week of Oct. 11 and were to continue this week, originally. She said the process of boarding up the Stony Point Goodwill had not started before she reversed direction.

Evans said Tuesday when the plan was still in motion that there was no concern Goodwill facilities would be looted and that it was a completely financial decision due to the fact insurance premiums were dramatically increasing because of recent wildfires and that sometimes protests could take a wrong turn.

I certainly did not expect that Goodwill will be targeted in any way, but just didnt want to take the chance and so I was putting up the protection in advance, she said.

Customers would have still been able to shop indoors at all open Redwood Empire Goodwill locations, but the Healdsburg, Sebastopol and the Stony Point and Fourth Street locations in Santa Rosa would have boarded their windows, she said Tuesday. She initially decided to fortify stores closest to city centers where she said protests were more likely to occur after hearing the news media say how contentious the election is.

Evans said she did not believe the Santa Rosa area would experience civil unrest as intensely as Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis and other cities across the country, but that some Goodwill locations had large glass windows that would be costly to replace.

Evans said the organization no longer had preventative measures planned around election night. Previously, she said the organization would evaluate how soon they would remove the boards after the Nov. 3 election.

Brenda Adams, assistant manager of the Healdsburg Goodwill store, said Tuesday that a man outside was actively boarding their windows with plywood and metal that morning and that she was trying to tell customers the store was still open its regular hours and accepting donations.

I personally dont foresee riots going through Healdsburg and everybody looting and destroying properties at all. Were a very peaceful town when it comes to demonstrations and things, Adams said Tuesday.

Adams said she found out stores were planning to board up windows a couple weeks ago. As an employee, she said minimizing the risk made sense. As a citizen of Healdsburg, Adams said, it concerned her that businesses were taking precautions because she said the area had seen many protests and demonstrators in the street, holding signs for equality.

But Ive never seen anything get violent. So, its kind of a hard pill to swallow knowing our store is being boarded up, but I understand why, she said Tuesday.

Evans said voting for president is important in the U.S. and that not every country has the luxury.

Just on a personal note, this election is probably the most important election in my lifetime, and if somebody were to see that and think we were somehow trying to make a message that it wasnt important, that would be very frustrating me because thats not the message at all, Evans said. The message is get out and vote.

For those wishing to read the original article detailing the boarding up, please read below.

A number of Goodwill stores in Sonoma County are boarding up windows ahead of the presidential election to minimize the risk of damage from possible civil unrest.

Its a completely financial decision. There is no concern that Goodwills will be looted, said Brandy Evans, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire.

Customers can still shop indoors at all open Redwood Empire Goodwill locations, but the Healdsburg, Sebastopol and the Stony Point and Fourth Street locations in Santa Rosa would board their windows, she said. She decided to fortify stores closest to city centers where she said protests were more likely to occur after hearing the news media say how contentious the election is.

Goodwill stores in other parts of the county, such as Cloverdale and Windsor, arent expected to have boarded up windows.

Evans said she did not believe the Santa Rosa area would experience civil unrest as intensely as Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis and other cities across the country, but that the organizations insurance premiums dramatically increased this year and some Goodwill locations have large glass windows that would be costly to replace.

I would choose not to spend the money on that, so this is, again, a preventative measure, she said.

The process to protect store windows began the week of Oct. 11 and is continuing this week, she said. After the Nov. 3 election, the organization will how soon they would remove the boards. Evans said she did not expect any vandalism or break-ins and hoped to take the boards down as soon as possible.

Brenda Adams, assistant manager of the Healdsburg Goodwill store, said a man outside was actively boarding their windows with plywood and metal Tuesday morning and that she was trying to tell customers the store was still open its regular hours and accepting donations.

I personally dont foresee riots going through Healdsburg and everybody looting and destroying properties at all. Were a very peaceful town when it comes to demonstrations and things, Adams said.

Adams said she found out stores would be boarding windows a couple weeks ago. As an employee, she said minimizing the risk made sense. As a citizen of Healdsburg, Adams said, it concerned her that businesses were taking precautions because the area had seen many protests and demonstrators in the street holding signs for equality.

But Ive never seen anything get violent, she said. So its kind of a hard pill to swallow knowing our store is being boarded up, but I understand why.

Read the original:
UPDATE: Local Goodwill president reverses decision to board up windows ahead of election night - Sonoma West

A new threat

When Phil Foden and Ferran Torres were stripped and ready to come on midway through the second half Manchester City were still level with Porto. By the time they were introduced, they led 2-1.

That was thanks to Ilkay Gundogan (more on that below) but it was no surprise to see two of City's X-Factor players making their entrance in a game where Pep Guardiola's side had struggled to turn possession into clear chances.

It had all been a little too easy for Porto until that point, but within minutes of their arrival, Foden had fed Torres who had scored a wonderful goal. Job done.

Torres has made a good impression so far at City and the way he drove straight at Porto's defence before showing a calm head to cut inside and finish smartly suggests he is going to have plenty more good days in blue.

The Spaniard has replaced Leroy Sane in the City squad and while he is right-footed and maybe not quite as direct as Sane, Torres is still a more aggressive winger when running with the ball than Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva or Foden, and maybe even Raheem Sterling, whose game has changed in recent seasons.

At times last season City looked like they were missing the directness of Sane. Now, in Torres, they have the ideal foil to an already supreme attack.

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Gundogan's moment

It's been a slow start to the season for Gundogan, thanks to the positive COVID-19 test he received on the day of City's first game of the campaign.

Since his period of self-isolation he's been working his way back to full fitness and finally made his first start against Porto. It wasn't one of his best games, although he did the job that Guardiola so often asks of him. City's midfield felt a little stale for most of the 67 minutes that Gundogan spent on the pitch.

Gundogan's job isn't particularly to create the chances for City, just to keep the ball moving, to pick the right moments to release the pass, and the ineffectual performances of those in front of him hampered in that regard.

But he still managed to leave his mark on the game, just in time. City looked like they might need a set-piece to open Porto up and Gundogan's delightful free-kick tilted the game back their way.

Defensive mistakes

City might have spent heavily on central defenders this summer but what hasn't changed is their luck when it comes to keeping them fit.

Nathan Ake was the latest to go down crocked before the visit of Porto, a niggle in his groin keeping him out of the Champions League opener.

That meant a seventh different central defensive partnership in all seven games the Blues have played so far this season, although at times this was a back three as much as a back four, with the superb Kyle Walker in such a rich vein of form he can play centre back and right back at the same time.

Nominally Ruben Dias was partnered by Eric Garcia now but again it was mistakes that cost City and meant it was an eighth successive Champions League game without a clean sheet. Dias' pass forward was sloppy and easily intercepted but the major mistakes came in allowing Luis Diaz to dribble from the left wing into a shooting position deep inside the box in the inside-right channel.

Rodri failed to do enough to halt the run as Diaz skirted across the face of the box and when he pulled the trigger Joao Cancelo managed to make himself smaller, rather than bigger when trying to make the block.

Pep Guardiola will be desperate to find some continuity in his defensive unit, while also accepting rotation is inevitable this season. A settled defence is going to be key, as City found out last season.

Inside knowledge

Guardiola revealed before this game that he'd picked the brains of new boy Dias about the threat Porto would pose to City, given he faced them regularly during his time with Benfica.

It was unlikely to be a coincidence that Guardiola picked all three of his Portuguese players to face the champions of their homeland, with Cancelo and Silva also starting.

But it's Dias who is most familiar with the current incarnation of Porto, a side who won the domestic title by five points from Dias' Benfica last season.

This victory would have been some sort of revenge for the Blues' new central defender. Not only did his beloved Benfica miss out on the title to this Porto side last season, but Porto also won all three games between the two sides. Despite those setbacks Dias clearly learned how to beat Sergio Conceicao's side, despite the defeats last term.

VAR decisions

The video assistant referee has rarely been City's friend in Europe so in a competition where the club will look for any signs that the tide is turning in their favour perhaps the decision that went for them last night is just that.

You can imagine every City fan watching at home expecting the worst when replays showed Gundogan standing on Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin in the build-up to the penalty awarded for a foul on Raheem Sterling.

But the penalty decision stood - correctly - and Sergio Aguero made no mistake. Gundogan had clearly only stood on Marchesin by accident and the contact wasn't enough to warrant a foul.

Go here to see the original:
Ferran Torres showed Man City he can replace what they lost in summer transfer window - Manchester Evening News

Recent Windows 10 updates have been notably lacking in big, splashy new features, perhaps because several previous attempts, such as My Peopleremember that?never saw much usage. And other would-be flagship features, like the multi-app Sets, never even saw the light of day. Indeed, only diehard Windows watchers likely know of the existence of these once-touted initiatives.

That's just fine with many Windows users, who tend to shun glitzy new changes to their OS and actually gripe about any major changes. In fact, I find some of the more-recent features like Clipboard History and the excellent new screenshot tool indispensable. It's also important to realize that new capabilities occasionally roll into Windows 10 in between these major feature updatesusually things like redesigned icons and updated default apps.

In any case, a new Windows update is upon us, such as it is. This time Microsoft is calling it the October 2020 Update. Most Microsoft pundits and Windows Insider beta testers know it as version 20H2, to signify that it's the second update for 2020, and in fact that's how it appears in the System Info page of Settings.

The update has started rolling out to Windows PCs already, but there's a thorough vetting process for PC hardware to pass in order to receive it. These Windows Updates can take months to propagate automatically to every PC, but you can always open Settings > Update & Securityand tap the Check for Updates button to see whether the October 2020 update is available to your machine.

Aside from a few design tweaks, the biggest change is that the new, more compatible Google-powered Chromium version of the Edge web browser is now built into Windows. It replaces Microsoft's own previous homespun Edge to power not only the default browser, but Windows store apps that need access to web content.

By comparison, Apple has been far more aggressive with adding new features to macOS. The latest version, Big Surnow in previewincludes a new Maps app (Windows 10 has a pretty nice built-in Maps app, too, in case you forgot), rounded window corners, new system sounds, widgets, and more iOS-like functionality in general.

There are even more updates specifically for business and education installations, which require deeper management and security options. You can read more about those on the Microsoft Tech Community site. Finally, less sexy but just as importantly, many security updates that are intended to harden the platform against known vulnerabilities are implemented in the 20H2 version of Windows 10.

Yes, I already mentioned this above, but there's more news for the default Windows browser than just far greater site compatibility compared with the old Edge. After resisting Google's total takeover of the web as evidenced by Microsoft's adopting the search giant's browser-engine code at first, I've been won over by Edge. Its start page is truly useful and appealing, its secure password saving feature is spot on, and the syncing with the mobile phone app versions of Edge is well executed. I've even used the Collections feature, which does a slick job when it comes to web research.

The best new actual feature in Edge is support for Alt-Tab. The key combination now works with websites just as it's always worked on applications: hit the combo and it takes you through your open browser tabs. True, it's a minor feature, and you could always tab through tabs with Ctrl-Tab, but our motor memory is so in tune with Alt-Tab for switching that it just makes sense. Of course, you can turn this off in the main Settings app if you prefer.

The other user updates involve pinning sites and shopping. Now, when you pin a site to the Taskbar, hover the mouse cursor over its icon shows all the open tabs for the site. New for the Collections feature is Price Comparison, which automatically lists other shopping options for an item you added.

This is a fairly superficial change, but the redesign lets the quick-access tiles in the Start Menu take on the color mode you've chosen in Personalization. You can see the light mode version in the top image of this article, and here's the dark-mode version. The new design does have a more consistent appearance and adds a bit of transparency to the menu so you have an idea of what lies beneath it.

The Action Center right-side panel provides a great way to access basic computer settings but also shows notifications from apps you've set up for them. Now a redesign makes them clearer, by placing the app from which the notifications comes in the upper-left corner of the notificationalso known as the toast.

If you have a device such as a Surface Pro tablet or Surface Book convertible, you no longer have to deal with the "Do You Want to Switch to Tablet Mode?" prompt every time you yank off the keyboard. The updated behavior is just to switch to the mode that makes sense. Make sense? But that's not all: Tablet mode sees improvements for touch usage by increasing space between taskbar icons, replacing the search box with a search icon, optimizing File Explorer windows for touch.

Microsoft continues to slowly migrate detailed settings from the legacy Control Panel to the newer Settings app. With 20H2, you can change the refresh rate for your displaysomething gamers will appreciate. You can now copy system info from the Settings page, too.

This is huge for anyone who's had to do a clean install on a PC but didn't have the requisite disks. You can simply choose "Cloud download" to save yourself from having to hunt down that installation media for Windows.

You can follow all the latest developments on Microsoft's operating system at our Windows 10 landing page. For a feature-by-feature comparison with Apple's OS, you can read Windows vs. MacOS: Which OS Really Is the Best?

Further Reading

Operating System Reviews

Operating System Best Picks

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What's New With Windows? See 6 Top New Features in the October 2020 Update - PCMag

Due to COVID-19 concerns, Babylon Village officials have canceled the annual Halloween parade this year.

As an alternative to the parade, the village will be hosting a trunk-or-treat and costume contest on Oct. 31 in the municipal parking lot behind Swell Taco.

The event will run from noon to 3 p.m. and the costume contest will be split into one hour sessions.

Mary Adams, a village trustee, said participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles and there will be judges for the costume contest.

Candy will be handed out to children in individual goodie bags and merchants in the downtown area will have candy outside for the kids as well.

Participants must pre-register for the trunk-or-treat and costume contest by emailing the village at bvrec2020@gmail.com.

So far, the event has around 12 to 15 cars for the trunk-or-treat, and around 40 kids registered to participate.

Face coverings and social distancing will be enforced at the event, and the number of children in each one-hour session will be monitored.

The village has done such a great job in keeping our numbers low and keep everyone healthy, Adams said. I think residents are appreciative of it and I think anything that we could offer the children in a safe environment they will participate in.

In regards to trick-or-treating on Halloween, the village is leaving it up to the discretion of Babylon Village residents.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., select businesses in the village will be giving away candy to trick-or-treaters. Participants will have a pumpkin in their windows.

Mayor Ralph Scordino said he feels that the village must continue to be smart during these times, as the COVID-19 outbreak is ongoing.

Its not going away, we cant let our guard down, and we have to prevent any upswings in cases, and thats the priority we have in Babylon Village, Scordino said.

Be Babylon Village smart.

For more information about the trunk-or-treat event, visit the village website or Facebook page.

Top: Scene from last years Halloween parade in Babylon Village

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Trunk-or-treat event to replace Babylon Village's annual Halloween parade - GreaterBabylon

(Adobe Max image courtesy of Adobe)

Adobe ADBE is weaving its artificial intelligence capabilities into even more of its biggest creative applications, including Premiere Pro and Photoshop, it announced today. The company also launched an iPad version of its Illustrator vector-drawing program, and an iPhone version of its Fresco drawing software.

Those were just some of the many product announcements from the software giant, all timed to the start of its three-day Adobe MAX creativity conference this morning.

Thanks to the pandemic, the conference is virtual only, and free. Max features dozens of panels on using Adobe software, as well as appearances by creative notables such as photographer Annie Leibowitz, film directors Ava DuVernay and Taika Waititi, actors Zendaya and David Tennant, talk-show host Conan OBrien, writer Roxane Gaye and electronic musician Marshmello.

The biggest news, though, may be the ways Adobes AI and machine learning tools, which it calls Sensei, are being woven even more deeply into its programs, typically to simplify or speed complex, often repetitive parts of the business of creating images.

The company calls Photoshop, its flagship image-editing program, the worlds most advanced AI application for creatives as it released new versions for desktop computers and Apples iPad.

Our goal is to systematically replace time-intensive steps with smart, automated technology wherever possible, the company said in a blog post. With the addition of these five major new breakthroughs, you can free yourself from the mundane, non-creative tasks and focus on what matters most your creativity.

Photoshop gets five major new AI features, including Sky Replacement, with 25 replacement sky presets, and two Refine Edge Selections, to simplify the painstaking process of selecting hair and complex objects.

Adobe touted another new AI-based function, Neural Filters, as a reimagining of the ways Photoshop uses filters and image-manipulation tools. Neural Filters ships with a large group of new, non-destructive filters to modify images, though Adobe cautioned that many are still in beta stage, and will need further refinement.

The Neural Filters dashboard suggests groups of actions, such as Skin Smoothing or Smart Portrait, to improve an image with a single click or manipulation of a slider. Smart Portrait can tweak details such as where a subject is gazing, or the tilt of their head.

A new Sensei-based Discover panel adds better context-aware search, help and other tools and tips to help creators work faster within the program, which has long been known for both its power and brain-melting complexity.

Elsewhere, the Roto Brush 2 tool uses Sensei to greatly simplify the time-consuming task of rotoscoping. It smartly automates much of the process of closely outlining a moving figure in video, extracting the movement from the rest of the video and dropping it into another one. Roto Brush is in both the film-editing app Premiere Pro and the 3D and visual-effects tool After Effects.

Premiere Pro also gets a Sensei-based automated captioning tool that captures speech in a video scene, converts it to text, then uses machine learning to properly place the text in cadence with the speech on screen. The launch version works with 11 languages and multiple speakers. The company is also taking applications from people who want to beta test the new Captions Track, which allows a creator to modify the look, color, font, placement and other aspects of captions on screen.

Another app, Character Animator, is also adding AI smarts, with speech-aware animation and more accurate lip synching to allow creators to essentially puppeteer and capture a digital image so that its mouth and body parts move in concert with the live humans movements and speech.

The ability to capture arm movements, through what was previously called Arm IK, now extends to other body parts, such as knees, in Limb IK.

Other announcements on the day include:

See original here:
Photoshop, Premiere Pro And Other Adobe Programs Get More AI Smarts - Forbes

At the Oct. 5 Great Bend City Council meeting, Councilman Dana Dawson raised concerns about the boarding of windows and the public eyesores this practice creates. It was determined that the matter would be discussed when the council next met, which was this Monday night.

Dawson requested looking at possible alternatives to address broken windows in buildings being replaced with wood or similar materials. No action was taken, and the matter was tabled indefinitely pending further discussion, possibly at a council study session.

First impressions are everything, Dawson said. Great Bend has a lot to brag about, but what stands out are things that dont look so nice.

There are a lot of factors to be considered, City Administrator Kendal Francis said. These include such things as enforcement, cost, the grandfathering properties not currently meeting the new standards, and others.

I have concerns about the magnitude of the issue, Francis said. It is very widespread throughout the entire city and encompasses both residential and commercial properties.

As a starting point, he prepared a draft ordinance that would require broken windows to be replaced with glass or plexiglass. Failure to do so would result in municipal court fines.

Violations can also be met with abatement by the city at the recommendation of the code enforcement officer. Standard abatement procedures, time lines and hearing guidelines apply.

This would make a lot of difference in how things look, Dawson said. His biggest concern were commercial properties along Main and 10th streets, including the dilapidated former Highland Hotel.

The town ought to look nice, he said. This might cause owners to take action and show some pride in their properties.

But. Im afraid were opening a can of worms, said Mayor Cody Schmidt. He worried about the fairness of singling out businesses, as well as how it would be enforced.

Francis shared similar trepidation. Where do you draw the line?

When a property is abated, city crews can come in and clean it up, and bill the owner. But, in these cases, the city doesnt want to be the one to make the repairs, making taking the cases to municipal court the only option.

I would caution you not to rush into anything, Francis said.

According to the draft ordinance, windows in any permanent building or structure may be temporarily boarded for a period of not-to-exceed 30 days. After that time, windows must be replaced with glass or Plexiglas.

As for the plywood, windows and similar openings shall be temporarily boarded with exterior grade plywood of minimum 7/16 of an inch thickness or its equivalent. All boarded openings shall be painted with a minimum of one coat of exterior paint which is of a color compatible with the exterior color of the building or structure.

Should offender fail to comply with the notices to abate or request a hearing, the code enforcement officer shall file a complaint in the municipal court against them and, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of $500 dollars or a jail sentence of up to 30 days in jail, or both.

Each day during or on whicCh the violation occurs or continues after notice has been served shall constitute an additional or separate offense.

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Council tables action on boarded windows - GREAT BEND TRIBUNE - Great Bend Tribune

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Its an act of vandalism against the vulnerable. Someone shattered the windows at the Society For The Blind building in downtown Sacramento early Monday morning.

This is the second time the facility has been hit in just months. Its an attack that is personal for Priscilla Yeung.

I think we were really shocked this morning, Yeung said.

Yeung, who is blind, also works at the Society For The Blind. Its a place where she learned to gain her own independence and where she now teaches others.

I want to be able to feel safe when I come to work as well, Yeung said. So when a space like this is shattered, it hurts us.

Photos show the shattered glass in the front and back doors. Someone targeting both sides of the building.

Earlier this year thieves also stole a Society For The Blind van. The organization has now built a steel cage for parked vehicles to prevent further thefts.

Shari Roeseler is the executive director for the organization and says the combined costs of the criminal acts will cost the organization $25,000. Its money that will not be pulled from its important programs.

Non-profits, we dont typically have big slush funds, Roeseler said. How quickly you can get things repaired, we still havent replaced our van, because again you gotta secure those funds.

A series of attacks on a place meant to protect the vision impaired.

You know, why would somebody do this, Yeung said. I feel the hurt of it.

Police are searching for a suspect with no sense of shame.

This organization serves 6,000 clients a year. They are now looking for funds to help them cover the costs of these crimson acts.

More here:
Vandals Shatter Windows Of Society For The Blind Building In Sacramento - CBS Sacramento

Back in 2014, after the Giants won their third straight title and the Astros limped to a 70-92 record, I group-chatted my high school friends (I grew up in the Bay Area), and I told them that they had a great run, but the Giants wouldnt have a better record than the Astros for at least another decade.

On the facts of it, I was wrong (2016 was a backslide year) but the basic idea was correct. The Astros window was open, and the Giants was closing, compounded by a GM who was behind the times and a fanbase that expected a winning team.

What struck me about Luhnow in the early years was a claim he liked to make: he didnt want the Astros to be a lightening in a bottle team like the 2003 Marlins, but instead to compete for championships over multiple years. Thats what weve done, with the exception of 2016, for the past six years: either winning the World Series, or losing to the eventual winner (well see if Tampa can continue the if we get by the Astros we win it all verity).

With 2020 in the books for the Astros, the entire starting OF headed to free-agency, and the Astros best starter and reliever out for 2021, its worth asking whether the Astros window is closed.

After 2016, Luhnow used the deep farm system and the cost-controlled core in order to sign for complementary pieces or trade for front-end guys in order to build a team that would win 100 games three years in a row. We know that story and those pieces.

Well get to that window, but first a brief detour is in order. The biggest failure of Luhnows developmental program was the development of a #1 or #2 starter. Keuchel was drafted by the previous regime, Aiken, Folty, and Appel didnt work out, McCullers has helped the team during this window, but not to the extent theyd hoped for. In addition, promising, top 100 prospects from Frankie Montas and David Paulino to Michael Feliz, Josh James, and Forrest Whitley never yielded that guy. So they traded a raft of prospects for Cole, JV, and Greinke. These werent deadline deals even when they were; they were about building and sustaining a World Series-level team.

Many of us missed it in between the endless flow of relievers and the other drama of 2020, but this past season was a breakthrough in terms of the development of potential starting talent. The biggest breakthrough was Framber Valdez, who looks like he can throw 200 IP and front a rotation of a division-winning team. Equally notable was the bounce back of McCullers from surgery. We never quite know if the stuff is back, but except for a clunker or two, McCullers is back. In addition, Cristian Javier emerged as a potential starter. Urquidy, meanwhile, proved that 2019 was no fluke. Brandon Bielak struggled, but Luis Garcia literally came out of nowhere and flashed four potential plus pitches.

All of those guys, excepting McCullers, have one thing in common: theyre cheap. You know who else is cheap: Yordan Alvarez. Kyle Tucker. Every team has guys making minimum. The MVP of the ALCS is probably making minimum. But the injury and COVID emergency of 2020 forced the Astros hand, and a farm system ranked in the bottom 10 showed itself capable of still producing a yield of cheap, controllable talent.

The classic case of a window closing was the post-2015 Kansas City Royals. They had a group of players that gradually aged out of their peak, or were too expensive to keep, and they either lost them (Cain, Moustakas, Hosmer) or regretted overpaying them (Gordon). Meanwhile, years of drafting at the back end of the rounds, plus trading away talent to make deadline deals, made it harder to reload.

Big market teams can chart another course. For all of the crap Crane took at the beginning of his tenure, which writers like Evan Dreilich accented and highlighted repeatedly, he opened the checkbook big time. If neither Springer nor Correa stay around, it will be a huge loss. But it wont be because Crane refused to make a serious offer to either of them.

The Astros are not the Cubs, Yankees, or Dodgers, all of whom are basically printing money in a normal year. But they can spend, and they have, in extending Altuve, JV, Pressly, and Bregman. They also have a core of players who figure to add a lot of wins at minimum salary cost (Tucker, Alvarez, Urquidy, Valdez, Javier, Paredes). What crushes teams is paying for past performance. The 2020 Astros paid Josh Reddick 13 million to produce negative 0.6 WAR according to Fangraphs. In 2021 theyll pay a 38-year-old 33 million to rehab. But there is no Albert Pujols contract on the books. The biggest commitments post -2021 are to Altuve and Bregman. And Altuves postseason showed that hes still in his prime (1.229 postseason OPS with 11BB and 8Ks).

The 2021 Astros are unlikely to produce a team that wins 108 games. But they can integrate younger talent into a team that, with the right offseason acquisitions, can win 95 games. And if James Click can continue to use the IFA market to find pitchers who can contribute to the MLB club, there is no reason this window cannot remain open.

The biggest misnomer to tanking is that drafting 1-1 ensures you the ability to get the top talent. This not the NBA, where 1-1 can turn a franchise around (Tim Duncan, Shaq ONeil, Zion, etc...). Drafting high helps, but development and evaluation are names of the game.

The 2007-2009 Astros were an aging team locked into a cycle of 74-88-type seasons, with two All-Stars in their primes (Pence, Oswalt) and two aging out of their primes (Lee, Berkman). The 2021 Astros are nothing like that. They have a rotation of Greinke, McCullers, Valdez, and Urquidy. They have a top 6 lineup of Altuve, Bregman, Correa, Tucker, Alvarez, and Gurriel. Thats before either re-signing or replacing Springer and Brantley.

Besides Matt Chapman, the As have no player you can pencil in as an All-Star. They have an impressive array of pre-arb talent (Laureano, Luzardo, Murphy, Puk) but theyre losing Billy Beane and their owner wont spend to keep Hendriks, Semien, and Grossman, especially given how many of their guys are are in line for large raises in arbitration. If you see another team in the AL West you think can win 90 games, let me know.

If you think the Astros should get out ahead of this and sell, my only answer is: to what end? To create another window? If thats the goal, it may take awhile? In which case, youd be wasting the cost-controlled talent you have now. And who wants to trade for minor league players after a year in which none of them played competitively?

2021 will tell us much more than 2020 did. Maybe Urquidy and Valdez disappoint, and Forrest Whitley quits baseball. Maybe Kyle Tucker looks more like an average regular than an All-Star. Maybe the team limps to an 83-79 record. Not even James Click knows the answer, but 2021 can be a banner year for the Astros.

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Windows, Rebuilding, and Reloading - The Crawfish Boxes