Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

For years, you could always start a conversation with The Earthquake and expect a lively exchange of anecdotes, second-hand tall tales, and even a juicy conspiracy theory or two. It was a great ice-breaker and a dependable shortcut to entertainment.

These days, however, evoking the Loma Prieta earthquake has lost much of its magic. If you dont read the room properly, you might very well feel like Granpappy nattering on about World War I, especially when youre reminded that the smart, sophisticated, very much adult person youre chatting with literally did not exist at the time.

That number your brain is laboring to calculate right now is 32. Thats how many years its been since a dramatic earthquake, epicentered in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Aptos, changed the cultural and geological history of two bay areas, Monterey and San Francisco, on this date.

Those of us who were around for the quake instinctively can recite the numbers: Oct. 17, 1989. 5:04 p.m. 6.9 magnitude, 63 dead, six in Santa Cruz County. Downtown Santa Cruz and Watsonville were clobbered, in many areas reduced to ruin.

The rubble across from the Cooper House.

(Courtesy of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History)

Thousands of lives were uprooted and disrupted, hundreds of homes destroyed. Highway 17 was closed for a month. Lines outside supermarkets to get food and basic supplies were breathtaking, making recent pandemic queues look like childs play by comparison.

Red tags that marked unsafe structures fluttered around town like autumn leaves in New England. Many of the signature buildings in the area, buildings that gave Santa Cruz its personality, didnt survive the quake most painfully the grand old Cooper House, the dominant landmark of downtown.

At the time, and during the long rebuilding period, the quake felt like a stark demarcation line in local history, that life in Santa Cruz County might forever be marked as BQ or AQ.

The Pacific Garden Mall snaked its way up Pacific Avenue.

(Courtesy of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History )

Perhaps the most prominent BQ feature of the local landscape was the Pacific Garden Mall, the leafy, pedestrian-friendly design overlaid onto Pacific Avenue 20 years before the quake.

The mall snaked through downtown mimicking a river, with lots of trees and vegetation to suggest a country village out of a Grimm fairy tale, the vision of photographer Chuck Abbott (after whom Abbott Square is named) and local landscape architect Roy Rydell. It was a tangible expression of the sensual, Dionysian, back-to-nature aesthetic that characterized the hippie movement of the late 1960s.

The mall cast its spell on Santa Cruz and before long it became an inviting venue for everything from street performers to Hare Krishnas. But as the 1970s morphed into the 80s, many locals felt the mall had become a bit too colorful, even unsafe, attracting, in the terminology of the time, undesirable transient elements.

By 89, many locals felt that the mall was a design out of fashion, aging about as well as drawstring bell-bottoms, and some began avoiding downtown altogether.

By 89, many locals felt that the mall was a design out of fashion, aging about as well as drawstring bell-bottoms, and some began avoiding downtown altogether.

Which brings us to a fascinating what-if, 32 years later. However much trauma and pain Loma Prieta brought about, its clear that the quake gave Santa Cruz a timely opportunity to redesign its downtown, and given the chance, the city quickly changed course away from Roy Rydells urban Eden. In its place came the wide sidewalks, clear sight lines, and geometric purity of Pacific Avenue as we all know and love it (or not) today.

If the 89 earthquake had never happened, would the city have ever taken on the hassle and expense to replace the mall design with a more sleek and modern downtown? Would it have opted instead for piecemeal, patchwork changes? Or would always-inventive Santa Cruzans just have learned to adapt to their endearingly weird drawstring bell-bottoms?

The Cooper House would have continued to get older, as would many of the downtown spaces and buildings wiped out by the quake. If architecture is subject to the dynamics of fashion or technology or pop music, maybe the painfully dated aesthetic would have eventually ripened into retro-chic, and Santa Cruz would be celebrated today for its throwback vibe.

Pre-earthquake downtown Santa Cruz.

(Courtesy of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History)

Maybe the Cooper House would have been refurbished in some smart, elegant way, or some clumsy Frankenstein way. Maybe it would today be sitting behind a chain-link fence, forlorn and forgotten like the former Caffe Pergolesi building on Cedar Street.

If the quake had never happened, stalwart local businesses that endured an expensive but ultimately transformative move into new spaces Bookshop Santa Cruz, Atlantis Fantasyworld, Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co., the Museum of Art & History, many others might still be struggling with ol,d decrepit buildings. What kind of effect would an unchanged Santa Cruz County have on traffic, economy, housing, or demographics?

It would be crass and disrespectful to the loss of life and property to think of the 89 quake as a blessing in any way. It certainly didnt feel like that at the time. But, for better or worse, it delivered the downtown Santa Cruz we have today. We cant know what alternative reality exists in the parallel universe of a quake-less Santa Cruz, or what fundamental differences the butterfly-wing nature of time would have brought about in countless individual lives.

Maybe the Loma Prieta earthquake was just a speed bump in Santa Cruzs history with little influence on what this city has become, or what it imagines itself to be. But I suspect thats a very BQ way of thinking.

Link:
WALLACE BAINE: On the anniversary of the '89 quake, imagining a Santa Cruz where it never happened - Lookout Santa Cruz

Were only a couple of weeks away from the 2021 Golf Inc. Summit. Weve already shared whats in store for the public track, so heres what the investor track can look forward to Oct. 26-28 at the La Quinta Resort in California.

Learning from the past year: how to leverage the surge

Jonathan Last, Founder & President, Sports and Leisure Research

Larry Hirsh, President, Golf Property Analysts

Ron Stepanek, Business Dev. Executive, BrightView Golf Maintenance

Real estate strategies for private clubs

Peter Nanula, CEO and Chairman, Concert Golf Partners

Eric Mott, Board Treasurer, The Ranch Country Club

Eric Ackerson, Board Member, The Ranch Country Club

Navigating the effects of droughts

Bradley Herrema, Shareholder, Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, Schreck

Dave Loomis, Vice President, Poppy Bank

Cole Thompson, Assistant Director, Green Section Research

Buy & sell: market assessment 2021

Jeff Woolson, Exec. VP, CBRE Golf & Resort Properties

Bobby Silva, Sr. VP, Escalante Golf

Andy Crosson, Exec. VP, Arcis Equity Partners

Jimmy Han, Principal, Century Golf

Meet the top buyers

Randolph D. Addison, Partner, Addison Law

Tom Bennison, Chief Development Officer, ClubCorp

Randy Jones, COO, C-Bons Golf International

Doug Howe, COO, Century Golf Partners

An owners perspective on whats next

Don Rea, Owner/Operator, Augusta Ranch Golf Club

Tony Martinez, Board of Director, PGA

Cathy Harbin, President and CEO, On Course Operations

Ty Martinez, Associate, PGA

What innovations will define the next generation of courses?

Forrest Richardson, Principal, Richardson | Danner Golf Course Architects

Erik Peterson, President, PHX Architecture

Ken Alperstein, Golfcourse and Landscape Architect, Pinnacle Design Company

Ted Simons, Founder/Chief Developments Officer, Synergy Group Consulting

Continue reading here:
Presenting the Investor Track for the 2021 Golf Inc Summit - Golf Inc.

"I'm Convinced that Good Architecture Creates the Good Life": In Conversation with Dorte Mandrup

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"Architecture encompassed my interest in reality and societal issues," says architect Dorte Mandrup, in an extensive conversation with Louisiana Channel, in which the founder and creative director of Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter reflects on formative years and the values of her architecture practice. Four years in the making, the film takes viewers on a journey through Dorte Mandrup's architecture, with compelling footage telling the story of designs such as the Ilulissat Icefjord Centre, Jaegersborg Water tower, or Ama'r Children's Culture House. Through the portrait film, the architect touches on numerous topics such as sustainability and climate change, the relationship of the built environment with the landscape, and as well as the profession itself and its present transformations and challenges.

+ 7

From Greenland's landscapes to the urban environment of Copenhagen and the model workshop of Dorte Mnasdrup Arktekter, Louisiana Channel's latest film is a journey through space and time building to an extensive exploration of Mandrup's work and design process. Throughout the various interviews, the architect talks about her admiration for the work of Henning Larsen, as well as the challenges of pushing for architectural quality when the profession is perceived less in terms of added social value and more as a judge of style. At the same time, Mandrup details her interest in adaptive reuse and design of children spaces while she expresses her view of architecture as a sensory experience and a means of communication.

"I think it took me a long time to realize that the knowledge you have that isn't articulated with words is as important as the written or spoken argument. There is a path to us, a form of communication that doesn't involve words. So acknowledging that there exists a different kind of knowledge and a different argument was a huge relief to me." -Dorte Mandrup

Dorte Mandrup founded the eponymous practice in 1999, and the Copenhagen-based studio is now known for creating contextually relevant spaces that foster social interaction across multiple scales and programs. Mandrup is the recipient of numerous accolades, having been named Architect of the Year at ICONIC Awards 2021, Chairwoman of Mies van der Rohe Award in 2019 and a Member of the RIBA Honours Committee in 2021.

To see more architecture videos, check ArchDaily's full coverage of Louisiana Channel's series of interviews.

News Via Louisiana Channel.

Read the original:
"I'm Convinced that Good Architecture Creates the Good Life": In Conversation with Dorte Mandrup - ArchDaily

Fiduciary Management, an investment management firm, published its Small Cap Equity Fund third quarter 2021 investor letter a copy of which can be downloaded here. The FMI Small Cap portfolios gained approximately 0.6% in the September quarter compared to declines of 4.36% for the Russell 2000 Index and 2.98% for the Russell 2000 Value Index. You can take a look at the funds top 5 holdings to have an idea about their best picks for 2021.

Fiduciary Management, in its Q3 2021 investor letter, mentioned LGI Homes, Inc. (NASDAQ: LGIH) and discussed its stance on the firm. LGI Homes, Inc. is a Texas, United States-based construction company with a $3.4 billion market capitalization. LGIH delivered a 32.85% return since the beginning of the year, while its 12-month returns are up by 11.00%. The stock closed at $140.62 per share on October 18, 2021.

Here is what Fiduciary Management has to say about LGI Homes, Inc. in its Q3 2021 investor letter:

"LGI Homes engages in the design, construction, marketing, and sale of new single-family homes in the U.S. It participates in 34 markets across 18 states, with 9,339 closings per year as of 2020. It is the tenth largest residential homebuilder in the U.S., and focuses on building affordable, entry-level spec homes that are move-in ready. The company primarily markets its homes to renters in order to convert them into homeowners. It operates through the following segments: Central (39% of closings, 36% of revenues), Southeast (26% of closings, 24% of revenues), Florida (13% of closings, 12% of revenues), West (11% of closings, 12% of revenues), and Northwest (11% of closings, 16% of revenues). The company was founded in 2003, completed its IPO in 2013, and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Good Business

The company has a unique selling culture with a simple and differentiated business model that is easy to understand and consistently applied across every LGI Homes community in the U.S. Its homes are built quicker and more efficiently than a typical spec home because LGI uses even-flow production, allows for no customization by the buyer, and builds in sets of 3-4 homes simultaneously. LGI uses a highly successful direct-to-consumer sales model and is not reliant on realtors to bring potential buyers to its communities, like most peers. This makes the company less sensitive to underlying demand for housing than the average homebuilder. LGI has been profitable every year since its inception in 2003, even throughout the Great Financial Crisis. It has the highest monthly absorptions (homes closed per community per month) among other homebuilders, at seven homes per community, and has the highest gross margin out of its peers. LGI Homes communities are primarily located in southern geographies with favorable migration patterns. LGI is one of the only homebuilders that has earned returns above its cost of capital over the past decade. It has averaged a return on invested capital of ~14% over the past five years. The companys balance sheet is in good shape, with a net debt-to-total capital ratio of 31% and a net debt-to-EBITDA of 0.9 times.

Valuation

The stock is trading at 8.3 times its trailing enterprise value-to-EBIT, which is over a standard deviation below the companys 5-year average of 11.0 times. It trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple (P/E) of 8.9 times, half a standard deviation below its 5-year average of 9.6 times. Management LGI management and directors own nearly 12% of the company, aligning their interests with shareholders, and all named executive officers have long tenures. The management team members are regarded as some of the best operators in the industry. CEO Eric Lipar is one of the founders of the company and owns over 9% of the shares. CFO Charles Merdian has been with the company for 17 years, and in his current position for 11. President and COO Michael Snider has also been with LGI for 17 years, and in his current position for 12 years.

Investment Thesis

LGI Homes operates quite differently than most peers. What really sets the company apart is its unique, systematic approach in marketing to renters, training its sales staff, and identifying optimal locations to build communities. In contrast to many homebuilders that depend on realtors to bring buyers to their communities, LGI uses a direct-to-consumer approach to actively search for renters and convert them into homeowners. This model has proven extremely effective, as the company has sustainably higher monthly absorption (closing) rates, double its peers. This sales model has also proven to be a more durable and consistent way to sell homes, and better able to withstand a tougher economic environment. Additionally, LGI Homes is well-positioned to benefit from strong economic and secular trends in the industry, such as low U.S. home inventory, low interest rates, migration patterns to the south, strong demand for more affordable single-family housing, urban flight, and increased working from home. LGI should continue to outpace peers while generating good returns as it follows its superior sales model and expands into new communities."

Story continues

Construction

Based on our calculations, LGI Homes, Inc. (NASDAQ: LGIH) was not able to clinch a spot in our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. LGIH was in 17 hedge fund portfolios at the end of the first half of 2021, compared to 16 funds in the previous quarter. LGI Homes, Inc. (NASDAQ: LGIH) delivered a -12.50% return in the past 3 months.

Hedge funds reputation as shrewd investors has been tarnished in the last decade as their hedged returns couldnt keep up with the unhedged returns of the market indices. Our research has shown that hedge funds small-cap stock picks managed to beat the market by double digits annually between 1999 and 2016, but the margin of outperformance has been declining in recent years. Nevertheless, we were still able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by 115 percentage points since March 2017 (see the details here). We were also able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that underperformed the market by 10 percentage points annually between 2006 and 2017. Interestingly the margin of underperformance of these stocks has been increasing in recent years. Investors who are long the market and short these stocks would have returned more than 27% annually between 2015 and 2017. We have been tracking and sharing the list of these stocks since February 2017 in our quarterly newsletter.

At Insider Monkey, we scour multiple sources to uncover the next great investment idea. For example, lithium mining is one of the fastest growing industries right now, so we are checking out stock pitches like this emerging lithium stock. We go through lists like the 10 best EV stocks to pick the next Tesla that will deliver a 10x return. Even though we recommend positions in only a tiny fraction of the companies we analyze, we check out as many stocks as we can. We read hedge fund investor letters and listen to stock pitches at hedge fund conferences. You can subscribe to our free daily newsletter on our homepage.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

The rest is here:
Heres Why You Should Consider Investing in LGI Homes, Inc. (LGIH) - Yahoo Finance

Early-stage companies are glad just to get orders for their products. They see every prospect as a link in the chain that brings them ultimate success. It usually takes them a few bites into a rotten apple before they realize that one of the standards that they need to set is a credit policy that provides them with reliable customers that will end up paying their bills. Larger, well-established companies developed solid credit policies as part of their standard operating procedures. Someone wants to do business with you, they submit to a credit check. When you are comfortable that theyre able to pay your invoices, you give them a credit line, allowing them to buy your products or services.

In spite of solid credit policies, companies still get blindsided by customers that fail to pay their bills. Every company that looks at their business strategically, plans on a certain amount of bad debt. Nobody wants bad debt, but the reality that some bills arent going to get paid is part of good business planning. But the key is to do what you can to provide a fence around your receivables to reduce, if not totally eliminate write-offs. But not every risk is something that you can preplan for.

One only needs to look back to our recent past during the Great Recession of 2008. Many companies were caught short when their customers werent able to pay their bills and there was a domino effect that crippled many businesses. For instance, I worked with a manufacturer of new and replacement windows that had quite a few small home builders as customers. The manufacturer had been having a difficult time, but was working their way out of a hole. Then the recession hit. Home sales plummeted. Remodeling came to a halt. Construction of spec homes stopped, and many small home builders went out of business. The company, which had been doing OK, suddenly found that their accounts receivable, which supported their line of credit, had gaping holes in it. Invoices started to age out, and fall off the edge of their borrowing base. Credit line availability evaporated, and the company was suddenly short of cash, and at risk of going out of business.

Companies with established credit policies have great similarities. They are larger, with a stable customer base, and often have long established credit policies. Once a policy is established, there is little impetus to go out and change it because it was likely achieved after many frustrating conversations around the conference table to get everyone to agree. Finance wants tighter restrictions to protect collections, while the sales department wants more lenient policies so that they can push sales. Once those two warring parties come to agreement, nobody wants to open the topic again.

After 10 years of growth, the economic climate has once again changed. While some businesses have been able to take advantage of the economic turmoil, many businesses are struggling for customers. Banks are starting to pay fresh attention to their loan portfolios and the pretend and extend policies of 2020 are in the rear-view mirror. Supply chain issues have suddenly brought new issues to the fore and will likely have an impact on consumer sales over the next six months or longer. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines, letting policies that were established years ago drive decision making. Re-examining your credit policy might certainly have an impact on sales but will undoubtedly provide some additional security to your bottom line. Your business needs to do two things:

Realistically examine your credit policy.

In the new economic reality, should new customers be rated differently than in the past?

Give your own customers a fresh look

The days of a stable economy will hopefully return, but now is not the time to reminisce about the good old days. Mature businesses have always looked outside the norm to find not just opportunities to expand their market, but also to protect their assets. Its common for companies to explore and establish alternate sources of supply, cross train staff, and establish product lines that are counter cyclic. But internal policies need to be reviewed regularly as well.

Just as this time of the year brings the typical drive to create a budget that reflects what you hope will be next years sales and profitability, shouldnt it also be a time to reexamine the policies that are at the core of how your business operates? Regulatory agencies and the courts provide a necessary direction for accounting procedures, human resource management, and contractual relationships. But the review of your customer relationships is no less important. Collection of accounts receivable may be going fine, but it can certainly create a different sense of urgency in short order. Take the time to make sure that the processes and procedures that drive your cash flow are up to date and relevant in the current economic reality.

Written by Lawrence Chester.

Track Latest News Live on CEOWORLD magazine and get news updates from the United States and around the world. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the CEOWORLD magazine. Follow CEOWORLD magazine on Twitter andFacebook. For media queries, please contact: info@ceoworld.biz

Read the rest here:
A Disaster in the Making Your Credit Policy - CEOWORLD magazine

Last year, the pandemic proved to resort developers that wealthy New Yorkers want to put down seriously expensive roots abroad in the form of baller vacation villa sanctuaries. Now, new beach spreads are going up by the score in sun hubs like the Bahamas, Mexico and Grenada.

Bakers Bay Golf and Ocean Club, located on a three-mile sandy spec in the Sea of Abaco in the Bahamas, has been a real estate hub for loaded putters since it was built in 2004. But in 2019, it was virtually leveled by Hurricane Dorian.

After the catastrophe of Hurricane Dorian, the entire Bakers Bay family, our members, owners and team members, all banded together to restore Bakers to a level of greatness, Michael Meldman, the founder of Discovery Land Company, Bakers Bays developer, tells Alexa.

Now, what was old is new again. The resorts golf-centric, amenity-rich offerings include a 1.3-acre estate with a two-story, five-bedroom villa that boasts 10,000 square feet and is asking $32.2 million.

On the other side of the Caribbean, in Grenada, the 43-key luxury getaway Silversands has just debuted a new collection of eight private homes all on the islands best beach, Grand Anse starting at $7 million. Its top villa is a four-bedroom, 6,800-square-foot beach spread with bespoke furnishing, a private pool, 2,215 square feet of outdoor deck space and a $12.7 million price tag. With a focus on family entertaining, big efforts went into the kitchen, including Poggenpohl cabinetry and appliances by Gaggenau and Miele.

But if being anchored to a continent is your jam, head to Mayakoba, Mexico, just south of Cancun, where Rosewood just debuted its splashy signature private homes. These Rosewood Residences are decked out in costly travertine and local marble with double-height, all-glass living rooms. The largest among them is a five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom beaut with 6,813 square feet, a private pool and access to all of Rosewoods luxe hotel amenities asking just $6.35 million.

Time to buy something hot.

The rest is here:
Wealthy buyers snap up luxury villas in the Caribbean and Mexico - New York Post

Dont lump us in with factory farms

In response to the article by Jessica Scott-Reid, our local Ontario fall fairs are in fact supported by local farmers, junior farmer clubs and 4-H clubs. I take offence to being put into the huge factory farming industry category. We do in fact live on a six-generation farm, raising goats with the greatest of care, humane treatment, loving them. The animals you see at local fairs come from these types of farms, not factory farms.

Joanne Battersby, Frankies Goats, Smithville

Ministers op-ed was an insult

The op-ed you printed by Housing Minister Steve Clark was both an insult to the people of Hamilton and out of touch with anything resembling reality. Who is this guy to tell our city what we have to do, especially if nobody wants that ridiculous option that he is pushing? He states it would cause growth to be redirected into other areas. Good, we dont need more congestion in Hamilton. Tell Toronto to fill in its harbour and jam as many condos in there as greedily possible. Hes concerned it will drive up housing prices. Thats a joke. The only thing driving these prices through the roof are speculators, developers and real estate barons.

This genius hails from the boonies of eastern Ontario, Brockville to be specific. If he wants to start chewing up rural landscape to appease developers, I suggest he do it out on his own turf in Leeds-Grenville.

Bully the developers, not the people

There is land within the current Hamilton boundary already approved for houses, but the houses havent been built yet. If the Ford government is truly concerned about getting homes for people, then the Ford government needs to bully those developers to build that housing instead of bullying the people of Hamilton to pave over irreplaceable farmland and greenfields. Oh, and while theyre at it, provide housing for those living with homelessness. Thats what an open government For The People would do if the true intent of its disruptive land-use planning tactics was actually to provide homes for people.

Story was fine, headline not so much

In my opinion, the report filed by Teviah Moro on the Nanos survey appears factually correct. However, the headline reads like it was written by the survey sponsors. In summary, the survey revealed 266 respondents prefer expansion, while 224 preferred to freeze the present boundaries. The Nanos survey throws cold water on the survey conducted by the city that showed 90 per cent or 18,636 of respondents want to freeze Hamiltons boundaries.

Nanos appears to be the first in a long line to profit from the real estate industry attempting to buy government policy. I hope at least some read through the entire article and did not stop at the exaggerated headline.

Survey story wasnt newsworthy

After reading the story of the 700-participant boundary expansion survey sponsored by local developers and real estate interests on the front page Oct 14., contradicting the 18,000-participant survey sponsored by city hall by six per cent (or two per cent taking into account the 3.7 per cent margin of error), I have to wonder what motivates The Spec to even make this a story (let alone front page).

Think about rainfall run-off

I read 38 per cent prefer Hamilton boundary expansion. Then I read Early pace would make October the hottest on record for Hamilton which contained the following: Heavy rain on a grassy knoll takes eight hours to seep unto the water table. On a paved road? Eight minutes. With this decreased time, more damage follows, including flooding. Please think about that, councillors.

A letter to Coun. Farr

Greetings Councillor,

The problem with the hardline stance you are taking regarding homeless encampments is you seem to ignore the idea that we have no housing for these people. Where will they go?

I dont live in your ward so I cant affect you by voting, however, the good news is very few people agree with your heavy-handed approach. Most people in this city have empathy and compassion for the situation these people find themselves in.

Nobody likes the encampments, but instead of criminalizing them, do what you are paid to do and find solutions. Just as a hint, giving developers grants which they use to renovict tenants from affordable housing is not going to decrease homelessness.

Hatt Street is one big mess

The person who redesigned Hatt Street in Dundas obviously does not live in Dundas. Its a complete mess from the combination of York Road/Main Street/Hatt Street to John Street.

When one is driving on York Road toward Main/Hatt there used to be a straight lane and a left turn lane. Now, because of this stupid bike lane the lane for vehicles is only one lane. I see numerous traffic jams. Also, these bike lanes take up far too much of the road.

Who in their right mind let vehicles park in the middle of the road? Take parking off of Hatt Street altogether. It is now faster to take King than Hatt. This is obviously a make-work project for someone.

More:
Opinion | Oct. 20: Bully developers not people, don't lump local farmers in with factory farms, Clark's op-ed an insult and other letters -...

A message to the housing minister

Hello Mr. Clark:

I am a resident of rural Hamilton and have seen firsthand the growth and expansion of the Binbrook and Stoney Creek Mountain areas of Hamilton. The homes built in these new neighbourhoods are anything but affordable. The only people benefitting from these expansions are the builders, land developers and speculators/families from the Toronto area coming here to displace locals who cannot afford these new high priced homes. It seems you are the one with his head in the sand as to what is developing in my neighbourhood. Do not take the biased word of the WEHBA and OREA who are businesses looking out for the profitability of their clients. These entities put profits first and care nothing of affordable housing for families in need and address the homeless problem Hamilton is dealing with. You state you want to put people before politics, but you are in fact putting profits before people and it is the homebuyer which has been suffering. What Hamiltons residents need and deserve is affordable housing which does not line the pockets of greedy developers.

Good luck Ontario

Regarding the opinion piece Oct. 14 about the nursing crisis: I am an RN who graduated in 1988. I have been working in an emergency department since 2004. Ive been told our ED is the busiest in the area. We have the most walk-in and ambulance patients annually. Our daily volumes are as high or higher than pre-pandemic. We constantly work short, close beds, and get abused. Our admit to no bed patients stay in ED for hours that stretch into days. We were stretched before COVID. Now were feeling the consequences of the antivax clickbait misinformation. Were trying our best to do our best, and so are the rest of the people I work with. Weve recently seen a massive exodus of experienced RNs. Weve hired new grads to fill the spots which leaves a large gap between senior nurses and the baby nurses. The opinion piece is spot on. Im looking at jobs in Florida. Good luck Ontario.

Turn unused school into a shelter

Each time I drive through town, I pass by the very large unoccupied building of Sir John A Macdonald School, and shake my head at the waste of resource there. It would appear to me that a large school with facilities would be an ideal place to use as a temporary location to house homeless in more comfort than living in tents on streets. Why has this not been considered? Most high schools have access to water, showers, cafeteria and heat, and are large enough to provide social distancing for those using facilities. As colder weather approaches, lets consider a practical resource right under our noses.

Things change slowly in Leaf nation

It was hard not to notice the composition of the crowd shot in Thursdays Sports section photograph. There were a couple of Asians, one man wearing a turban, a few women and no Black people. The rest of the crowd were overwhelmingly middle aged white men. Is that because the rink side seats are $400 or that the bidding for a Auston Matthews game worn helmet started at $5,000 or that you needed to be doubly vaccinated to get in? The times they are a changin more slowly I guess in Leaf Nation.

Whats the vaxx status of patients?

Now that we have such a high percentage of vaccinated people can we please break down COVID active cases to show vaccinated active and unvaccinated? I believe this will give a better picture of the possible severity of the illness and outcome.

Karen Filice, Stoney Creek

Where is the equity in COVID rules?

Why are the two groups impacted the most by COVID treated differently? Restaurant capacity limits remain the same yet sports and movie theatres are at full capacity. Health care workers are losing their jobs if they are not vaccinated yet school board staff and teachers are allowed to work unvaccinated. There is no rational explanation for this blatant inequality. Open up the restaurants and fire school staff not willing to get vaccinated. Premier Ford stop this Animal Farm approach where some are more equal than others.

Jackson event should be open to fans

Yes, Russ Jackson does deserve better (letter to Spec Oct. 9). Imagine that: by-invitation-only! It seems to me we are blaming COVID for everything these days. Now we cant even give Mr. Jackson the recognition he deserves, and that is to have his many fans in attendance. I live immediately behind William Connell Park where Russ Jackson Field is located. My husband and I have watched this park being constructed since day one, and what a beautiful park it is. Our sons name is Russ and our 10-year-old grandson is Jackson. Naturally, Jackson thinks of the Russ Jackson Field as his and his Dads, too. He was so looking forward to meeting Mr. Jackson, the famous football quarterback and legend. We all were waiting in anticipation for this day.

I hope that whoever made the decision to have the gathering a by-invitation-only event will stop blaming COVID (its going to be outdoors!) and reconsider opening it up to Mr. Jacksons fans.

Go here to see the original:
Opinion | Oct. 19: Nursing exodus continues, a message to Minister Clark on putting greedy developers before people and other letters - TheSpec.com

Turn SJAM over to HHS

I agree with the comments on the use of the school Sir John A. Macdonald. There is more than enough room for 200-plus individuals. There is room for administrators, medical professionals and social workers. It is clear that the taxpayers have paid for this building. Therefore, transfer this asset to Hamilton Health Sciences and assist those in need. Is there a clearer answer? Remember, this is taxpayer money.

Christopher Risidore, Hamilton

Old Cathedral School is a shelter already

Regarding the letter Turn unused school into a shelter (Oct. 19): The author is right its a great idea to turn unoccupied schools like Sir John A. Macdonald into shelters for homeless people especially now that winter is coming. The thing is we already have one! For the past year, The Good Shepherd has run an overflow mens shelter out of the old Cathedral High School on Main Street East. Its a great resource. Sadly, it is scheduled to shut down in December as the COVID funding is ending. What a pity.

I dont like this idea

Turning Sir John A. Macdonald school into a temporary shelter was an idea recently put forward by a Dundas letter writer. As a longtime resident of the Central neighbourhood, living in proximity to the school, I have concerns about this. Shelters, temporary or permanent, are not a solution to the homelessness crisis. Interestingly, the letter was adjacent to an article by Lily Noble of Stop the Sprawl Hamilton. She points out that infill development is less expensive and more environmentally and socially sustainable than sprawl. Surely, with all the vacant buildings that we know exist in Hamilton, a permanent solution to homelessness could be found. Readers may be interested to know many Central residents would love to see the SJAM space become a vibrant community hub that could include health services, recreation and meeting spaces as well as perhaps a seniors facility, all badly needed.

Joan Little has my back

Regarding the commentary Column unfairly portrayed Christmas market plan (Oct. 18): Wow! Watch your back Ms. Little, the knives are out! It seems a couple of typos can be lethal!

I read Ms. Littles Sept. 29 column, as I do all her columns, and really appreciate her knowledgeable insights into the workings of Burlington. Frankly I dont recall anything nefarious in her article, but if Coun. Nisan felt she had made an error, why didnt he just write to set the record straight? Why this Gang of Four approach? Methinks they doth protest too much!

Poor Ms. Little! I must pay even closer attention to her columns in future; apparently I missed something juicy. I know for sure that Ms. Little has had MY back for many of the 55 years Ive been a Burlington resident, with her timely and valuable information.

Dont kill those beavers

Im sad and frustrated to read of the mindless solution the City of Hamilton came up with to solve a problem caused by three beavers. According to the city, they are happy to keep an eye on most beaver hot spots throughout the city. Someone forgot to monitor the damaging 20-metre dam beavers built across Davis Creek. The only solution the city came up with kill the beavers!

Pamela Holland, Stoney Creek

Blame city hall, not the beavers

I would imagine that if Canadas symbol of hard work and perseverance has survived over a century of steel mill induced smog, decades of contaminated soil and years of billions of litres of raw sewage flooding the wetlands then the beaver is more toxic avenger than chubby little rodent with a serious overbite. Seriously, blaming beavers for decades-long neglect of bursting pipes, overflowing sewer systems and 100-year floods is ludicrous. The fault lies squarely with the provincial and municipal governments who put expansion ahead of maintenance. Add thousands of new homes with little regard for aging infrastructure and you get a sewer system that like the highways are clogged and bursting at the seams.

Try chicken wire around the trees

As to the beaver situation: put chicken wire around the trunk of the trees. Then the beavers cannot chew the trees down because they cannot chew through the chicken wire. The beavers will relocate themselves.

Wayne Richardson, Hamilton

Its all part of nature

Perhaps readers should be made aware of how beavers are trapped. Trappers set underwater traps that drown them. It is cruel and unnecessary. Share the land with all creatures. Be kind. I live abutting a conservation area and yes have had high water issues because of their activity. Its part of nature. And life.

Michelle Gagnon, Hamilton

Killing them is not an option

If the city is having a problem with beavers, why dont they get permission from the province to relocate them someplace more suitable, such as up north past Timmins? Its not rocket science. I wouldnt mind seeing my tax dollars spent to capture these pesky creatures and move them by to another area. Killing them is not an option.

Jeremy Duffy, Stoney Creek

See the original post here:
Opinion | Oct. 21: Spec readers agree Don't you dare kill those beavers, what to do with SJAM and other letters - TheSpec.com

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Excerpt from:
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