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SALEM City council ended 2020 by approving a flurry of legislation Tuesday night, including next years budget, amid wishes of good luck to a departing member and Merry Christmas to all.

Hopefully 2021 will be a little kinder, better for all of us, Councilman Andrew Null said.

Council hasnt met in person since March due to COVID-19, but has continued conducting the citys business via Zoom video conferencing, meeting the challenges of the pandemic for the finances and operations of the city.

Council members voted on a whopping 14 ordinances and resolutions to finish up, opting not to meet again until 7 p.m. Jan. 5, barring any emergencies. The meeting that would have been held Dec. 15 has been canceled.

Many of the moves dealt with financial matters, approving the 2021 budget, numerous appropriations and transfers, reductions in appropriations, changing the income tax split so that more money goes to the general fund and granting 2.5 percent wage increases to non-bargaining city employees to match what was approved for union workers.

This was the last council meeting for Columbiana County commissioner-elect Roy Paparodis, who will join the Board of Commissioners in January after being elected to fill the seat being vacated by longtime Commissioner Jim Hoppel, who didnt run for another term.

Its been great working with all of you. I look forward to helping on the county level, Paparodis said.

The Republican Party will have the task of naming his replacement on council.

According to city Auditor Betty Brothers, the general fund budget for next year includes estimated expenses of $5,687,682 and estimated income of $4,595,351 for a difference of $1,092,331. The estimated deficit will be covered by the cash carryover, which she said is now projected at $1.6 million when 2020 ends.

Were going in with a really good carryover, a strong carryover, Brothers said during an earlier interview.

With a month left in the year, the income tax receipts are down $315,394 from last years total, with the affects of COVID-19 on businesses and residents due to closures and layoffs blamed for the shortage. Through 11 months, the income tax receipts total $5,730,257. Next year is when the damage from COVID-19 will be felt when it comes to the citys finances, she indicated.

In order to help increase the income in the general fund, council approved changing the tax split to 94/6, which means after money is taken out for income tax collections/operations, 94 percent of the income tax receipts will go to the general fund and 6 percent will go to debt retirement. The tax split had been 82.5/17.5, with part of the 17.5 going to capital improvements after covering the debt payments.

Besides all the financial matters, council also gave permission to city Service/Safety Director Joe Cappuzzello to advertise for requests for qualifications and contract for engineering for the 2021 paving project. The paving will be paid for through the additional .25 percent additional income tax approved by voters again last year.

Council also approved moving the vacant property registration ordinance from under the housing and zoning code 1187 to the building code under chapter 1335.

In other action, council approved the vacation of an unnamed alley off of Dodge Drive behind Dunkin Donuts, authorized advertising for bids for a used 2014 Ford Taurus and a used 2015 Ford Taurus, authorized selling radios/chargers and a turnout gear washer from the fire department on govdeals.com and approved using $68,410 of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act funds for wages and benefits for the fire department. The additional CARES Act funding came from money returned by other communities which had not used their full allotment.

Council also approved resolutions commending retired housing inspector Roy Brown and retired Service/Safety Director Ken Kenst for their dedicated service to the city. Brown served from Sept. 12, 2001 to March 4, 2010 and again from May 13, 2013 to Oct. 29 this year for a total of 16 years. Kenst served nearly nine years from Jan. 9, 2012 to Nov. 30 this year.

mgreier@salemnews.net

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Salem council clears the deck with passage of 14 measures - Morning Journal News

Although 2020 is a year that most would probably like to forget, many people have never been more excited for the Christmas season than this year. While Christmas celebrations will look different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some families will create new traditions and others will adapt old ones in order to celebrate safely. Here are a few Christmas podcasts to help you get into the spirit of the season.

Deck the Hallmark

The ultimate Christmas special podcast, three guys sit around and attempt to watch and review Hallmark channel movies. Hosts Brandon Gray, Dan Thompson and Daniel "Panda" Pandolph will watch 40 all-new holiday movies that will air on Hallmark, and will also chat with special Hallmark guests. Recent episodes include "Five Star Christmas," "Christmas By Starlight" and "Christmas Waltz."

Find it: https://www.deckthehallmark.com/

Merry Little Podcast

Produced by MyMerryChristmas.com, the Merry Little Podcast features about 10 minutes of all the things people love about Christmas. From the latest Christmas music to the history of the Christmas culture, listeners can explore the meanings behind the Christmas holiday. Episodes also touch on movies, scripture and controversies related to Christmas. Recent episodes include "The Magic of Turkeys and Santa," "New Christmas Music 2020" and "Let it Be Christmas."

Find it: https://merrypodcast.com/

Christmas Clatter

Host Todd Killian discusses everything that makes Christmas special. Killian gets into the seasons movies, music, food, traditions, family and the quiet moments of reflection. Each episode also features interviews with some of the biggest names in the Christmas field. Recent episodes include "My Stove Is A Bit Rubbish," "Christmas Present" and "Holly Jolly."

Find it: https://christmasclatterpodcast.libsyn.com/

Tis the Podcast

Anthony Caruso, Julia Colburn and Thom Crowe are obsessed with Christmas and are determined to keep the spirit alive the whole year. The three hosts debate and discuss everything from Christmas movies to the existence of Santa Claus. They share reviews, insights and witty banter. Recent episodes include "Without The Star, The North Pole, The Village, Christmas Itself Is Doomed," "We Should Be Thankful For Being Together" and "If You Believe, Its All Possible."

Find it: https://www.tisthepodcast.com/

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Podcasts to Listen To: Deck the Hallmark and the best Christmas podcasts - Pittsburg Morning Sun

They say theres no place like home for the holidays.

Cathi Olson and her team at Ooh La La and Creative Touch Gallery would concur.

Beginning in November, the paired Dubuque home decor and art and framing shops began the task of prepping tri-state homes for the holidays. Additionally, Ooh La La began its transformation into a winter wonderland in October for its annual Christmas open house.

This year, because of COVID, customers were only allowed in small numbers and could only spend an hour at a time in the shop, Olson said. Usually, we host the open house for one evening, and everyone comes at once, but we spread it over several days this year. Customers loved it, and it was very safe. People just enjoy coming in and seeing the lights.

Olson, who manages Ooh La La and has worked for the shop since it opened 27 years ago as an

offshoot of Creative Touch Gallery, said that while the stores are open year-round, its the holiday season that steps up the pace.

Its a tradition for the shops and for the Dubuque community, Olson said.

Creative Touch Gallery opened its doors in 1978. In 1993, Ooh La La followed.

My parents felt the need for a home decor store, Olson said. The gallery was already open, so they felt thought it could go along with that.

Since then, the shop has gone from helping customers pick out paint colors to selling art, furniture, lamps, clocks and more.

It a full-service shop for every season, Olson said. And it has been a great partnership with the gallery.

During the holiday season, the focus shifts from vases and florals to wreaths, garlands and other festive decor, with the locations eight staffers each with lenghty tenures playing a unique role.

Every year that we decorate, if anyone needs something, we call on each other, said Dan Soat, who has worked for the businesses for 21 years and specializes in making wreaths, garlands and tree toppers, in addition to designing and building frames for the gallery. We all really work well together.

That sentiment was echoed by Jane Kaesbauer, who has focused her efforts on Ooh La La for 24 years as a decorator, display designer and assisting with sales, shipping and in other areas.

Her husband, Mike Kaesbauer, owns the locations.

We actually started as a kitchen store, then over the years, we evolved, Jane Kaesbauer said. Weve been able to work with customers virtually, where we exchange pictures, and they can pick up what we create for them. We also ship. People can stop in the store. Its a place that customers can go to get everything, all at once.

That comes in handy for the holidays, when called to visit homes. Staffers have erected such merriment as 12-foot Christmas trees, multiple Christmas trees and lavish archway garlands, in addition to bringing in a touch of the season to homes even outside of the Dubuque area.

We decorate a variety of homes, based on the persons wants, and many of our clients are like family that we have worked with over the years, said Carole Borel, who started at the gallery before decorating homes and designing florals. She has worked for the businesses for 28 years. Everyone here also is known for having very different tastes, and no one is afraid to share their opinion.

Olson said that she and staff have noticed a marked increase in customers decking the halls a little earlier this year and with a lot more decorations.

I think that people are needing joy right now, Olson said. The tradition of Christmas decorating started a long time ago, when people would go out, cut down a tree and create handmade ornaments. There is something about decorating that makes us think of our loved ones. And this year, with so many spending so much more time at home, we have needed it more than ever.

For those looking to spruce up their holiday surroundings this year, pops of black, white and red colors are all the rage.

Ooh La La also boasts a lot of inspiration to get the creative juices flowing. Additionally, the shop will take in existing decorations, such as wreaths and garlands, and give them new life.

Sometimes its as simple as looking at what you already have and thinking of how you can change it up to make it a little different this year, or seeing where else you can put something thats different from other years, Soat said.

People walk around their homes and are so happy and excited, Olson added of working with customers. And it makes all of us happy to be able to do that for them.

Living on Main

Another Dubuque-based home decor store, Living on Main, also is decked out for the holidays.

Kris Gorton, who has owned the Main Street shop for the past seven years, brings her professional touch to the table for her Christmas-inspired creations, working as a display designer for Marshall Fields in Minneapolis before moving on to residential work.

Her husbands job relocated the couple and their two daughters to Dubuque.

Its the coolest job, Gorton said. I went from creating these huge displays to bringing joy into peoples homes. Its such a pleasure.

For the holiday season, she suggested keeping your design taste in mind when decorating.

Its always good for people to have a sense of who they are and what their style is, Gorton said. Flip through a magazine. Even notice your clothing choices and how they reflect who you are. All of that will influence how you decorate.

Gorton said Living on Main caters toward a cleaner and more modern aesthetic, with a less is more approach something she believes can be implemented in even the most ornate of homes.

Cutting down clutter and making intentional design choices offers a simpler way to live, she said. This can be applied equally to holiday decor. If you have a collection of nutcrackers, for example, think of grouping them together, rather than putting them everywhere for a bolder look. Maybe you fill a container or bowl with ornaments in one color for one room and a different color for another room for a visual pattern thats consistent. Its the same approach as basic merchandising principles you see in stores. It really can make your home look good.

At Living on Main which includes everything from furniture to art, lamps and a variety of home decor Christmas is in full swing with throw pillows, table top trees, garlands, candy cane platters and more for those looking to switch or or enhance their holiday home decor.

Traditional colors, like red and green, are popular this year, Gorton said. Something else we have in the store every year are inexpensive ornaments that can be added to napkin rings with a ribbon. You can write the recipients name on the back and gift them. They way, they can build an ornament collection thats from you. Its really sweet.

Gorton said she, too, believes people are doing more with their holiday decorating this year.

I think its absolutely necessary in order to help us feel somewhat normal, she said. People are working from home, and their kids are at home. Now more than ever is the time to enjoy decorating for the holidays and creating those traditions.

Megan Gloss writes for the Telegraph Herald.

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Deck the halls: 2 Dubuque home decor locations with women at the helm share their holiday decorating tips - telegraphherald.com

A sampling of the bright holiday cards Era senior living residents received from WSU business students. Photo courtesy of Crystal Campbell

By Sue McMurray, Carson College of Business

Isolated in their rooms and unable to have face-to-face visitors, senior living residents are by far one of the most severely impacted populations by the coronavirus pandemic.

Complicating matters are rising costs of senior care and increased vacancies that have financially hobbled senior living establishments so they are unable to provide as many personal touches to their care programs as they normally would, especially during the holiday season.

Thanks to the compassion of several WSU Carson College of Business students, more than 60 senior living residents in several communities managed by Era Living are receiving a series of personalized cards and a bookmark to lift their spirits and let them know someone is thinking about them during the holidays.

The vision for the holiday card campaign belongs to Crystal Campbell, an accounting student at WSU Vancouver. Campbell said her idea occurred while attending the WSU Granger Cobb Institute for Senior Living seminar series Leaders LIVE! featuring senior living industry professional Marla Becker.

Becker, the executive director of Aljoya Mercer Island, oversees the operations of Era Living that consists of eight communities of seniors. Jenni Sandstrom, assistant professor of hospitality at WSU Vancouver, invited two of her classes to attend to give students an inside perspective on how operations have changed during COVID-19.

When I heard Marla say increased expenses had made it prohibitive to do anything special for residents during the holidays beyond small gifts, I thought of my grandmother, who recently passed away, said Campbell. She absolutely loved getting cards and always hung them up as part of her holiday decorations.

Campbell envisioned a holiday card campaign as an inexpensive way to enrich the lives of Era Living residents and reached out to other students to participate. She ended up with 34 volunteers, including seven students and two faculty from WSU Vancouver, she said. With Beckers help, she developed a questionnaire for the residents in eight Era living communities to gauge interest and collect information to personalize the cards.

Each resident will be receiving a hand-made bookmark and 16 cards during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Humanity is the most important characteristics that anyone can possess, said Viktoriya Shapaval, an accounting senior. A little communication in the form of cards from the outside world would make the retirement community feel loved and know that we think of them. By making these cards with my kids, I hope to teach them this value by setting an example of doing right.

I love being able to just make someone smile, said Emily Antos, a senior majoring in hospitality business management and psychology. Creating value in someones life is important to their well-being, in the sense that you have made an impact in their lives, but it also helps you feel a sense of purpose.

The students sentiments are in line with several learning goals Sandstrom expects her classes to achieve, such as the ability to work in teams, understand measures of service quality, and develop self-awareness leading to a better understanding of human interactions and the impact of an individuals behavior on others.

What started as a good will activity is actually reflective of the type of leadership, creativity, and interpersonal skills we want students to develop in preparation for their business careers, said Sandstrom. Partnering with Marla to help alleviate seniors sense of isolation also provided students with a clear example of a healthy balance betweenpersonal and corporate ethos.

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Business students deck the halls for senior living residents with holiday card campaign - WSU News

By Diane White McNaughton

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmasfrom back in the day.

While technology has dazzled us with lawn-sized synchronized light displays, pre-lit artificial Fraser fir trees with LED lights, and apps that allow you to control your twinkling light displays from your office, many season-loving central Pennsylvanians are opting for a more traditional holiday vibe, with fresh evergreens, vintage ornaments, and gold and silver accents.

Musical snowglobes, country Santas, natural pinecones and berries, cascading ribbons, nutcrackers, and tinsel are also making a return appearance. Aluminum trees, color wheels, Shiny Brite ornaments, Bubble Lites, and retro snowmen are also de-Grinching our days. Ceramic lighted tabletop trees, kissing balls, old-time jingle bells, handmade painted Santas, and retro stockings are also re-emerging to re-create a winter wonderland and take us on a walk down Memory Lane.

Yes, these ARE your grandmothers ornaments.

But these ornaments are more than just bright baubles.

Psychotherapist and author Amy Molin, featured on GoodMorningAmerica.com, says that Christmas decorations can take families back to a simpler time and help people understand their own identity. We reconnect to our childhood when we put up decorations, and may help us feel more connected to a lost loved one, she says. Studies also show that those who decorate early are also says to be happier people. In this day of uncertainty, illness and isolation, it sure cant hurt.

Vintage ornaments dont have to be only those handed down through the generations from your great-grandmother. Replica ornaments from our Wonder Years can be found both online and in person, including at Pottery Barn, Etsy, Amazon, Christmas Tree Shoppes, Lowes, Stauffers of Kissel Hill, Blooms by Vickery, The Garden Path, Paper Moon Flowers, and more.

The Shiny Brite company produced the most popular ornaments in the nation throughout the 1940s and 50s. First produced in Germany in the early 1900s and imported to the U.S. until the late 1930s, businessman F. W. Woolworth and German immigrant Max Eckhardt then collaborated with U.S.-based Corning Factory to perfect the traditional ornament-making methods and make them available stateside, according to Better Homes and Gardens.

Though tinsel itself dates to the 1600s, tinsel surged in popularity in the 1960s, just before the lead-based decoration was revamped for safety reasons.

In 2001, Christopher Radko, producer of fine, hand-painted ornaments, began reproducing Shiny Brite ornaments and packaging them in vintage styled boxes.

Todays vintage Santa figurines come in all shapes and sizes. However, blow mold Santas, made popular with the new-fangled plastic technology of the 60s, and fun-size Santa mugs, popularized by Holt Howard company, are deemed to be highly collectible.

The Civic Club of Harrisburg on 612 North Front Street is getting into the vintage holiday spirit by decorating their historic home together Dec. 1.

According to Mary Beth Lehtimaki, Club president, white, green and silver dominate their color scheme in the riverfront Mansion known as Overlook, built in 1903.

Many hands make light work, and also guarantee a fun time for socializing, she says.

In past years, the club hung a fresh wreath with red poinsettias on the front door. Green and red plants are also placed under every archway outside. Inside, the fireplace mantels are dressed up in holiday glam.

One mantel features all silver, with white lights, small trees and reindeer. A stained glass ornament hangs in a window.

The Christmas tree in the main lobby is adorned in reds and golds.

Another mantel holds Santa figurines and reindeer, in a bed of cottony snow.

Dauphin Countys Fort Hunter Mansion in Susquehanna Township also dresses up its home, erected in 1814, with evergreen and ever-timeless ornaments.

In the Fort Hunter Mansion, we focus on traditional, fresh decoration, with a nod to the kind of decorating that might have been done by the last residents of the Mansion, Park Manager Julia Hair says.

Christmas decorating wasnt the all-consuming exercise in the late 1800s/early 1900s that it is today. The Mansion decorations are basically the same every year in that they are natural materials and are traditional, but within that framework, each decorator has some freedom to use different materials or add a different twist, she adds.

In addition to the Mansion, Fort Hunter sponsors a popular Festival of Trees display, which will be held in the Centennial Barn this year. Several different tree decorating styles are showcased. And for creative interpretations of the holiday spirit, the Fort Couture (Christmas Tree Dress) exhibit in the Stone Stable, adds bling, innovation and inspiration, Hair says.

Fresh greens are donated by members of the Civic Committee of the Garden Club of Harrisburg, who do the actual decorating in the Mansion, she says. The committee trims the branches in their own backyards to provide materials for the decorations, bringing different evergreens for variety and interest. Hair says.

In the Mansion, candles in the windowsills and on mantels sparkle, as do the hand-blown glass ornaments on the tree. On the decorated trees and dress forms, there is much sparkle to behold ornaments, bedazzled ribbons, tree lights, Hair says.

There are vintage ornaments on the tree, she says. Only a few are original to the residents of Fort Hunter Mansion; they are very fragile these days. Many of the ornaments are reproduction vintage, which we sell in the Fort Hunter Museum Shop, which are also available online this year.

Only one tree is in the Mansion, and this year we are contemplating a tabletop tree which is more accurate to the Victorian period than the larger trees that we are accustomed to, Hair says.

Like Overlook, Fort Hunter Mansion is decorated by Dec. 1. Fort Hunter is open for guided tours Tuesday Sunday through Dec. 23. Tours are by pre-paid reservation only and are offered at a COVID-19 discount price of $5 per person.

Tour times and capacity are limited to ensure visitor and staff safety. Face masks, social distancing and hand sanitizing are required of everyone.

I have learned that old buildings have a beauty and grace that very often do not need a lot of adornment to be enchanting, Hair says. Candlelight and evergreens are simple and are enough.

Simple elegance can sometimes take your breath away, Hair says.

Experiencing a lovely building like Fort Hunter has a kind of magical quality to it with the candlelight, beautiful trimmings, the feeling of connecting to the past. It seems to capture people of all ages. I think younger children may have trouble understanding Christmas in a time before blinking lights and electronic gadgets!

Some families visit every year as a part of their holiday tradition. That tells me that being in this place is something they want to repeat. Visitors are often intrigued with the different kinds of dried flowers that are used in the decorations and leave the tour full of enthusiasm to do something like that for themselves. Sending folks off with inspiration might be one of the take-aways.

While some of the decorations are more modern, most are time-honored.

Decorations seem to reveal the personality of the residents, Hair says. In Fort Hunters case, the simple natural elements reflect what looks to us like a simpler time. And this year especially, we all need to be surrounded by the nostalgia that holidays often bring, whatever that nostalgia is for each one of us.

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Deck the Halls with Greens, Gold and Old - Harrisburgmagazine

Backers of a planned $100 million STEAM building on the University of St. Thomas St. Paul campus hope to get the green light this month to demolish one of the schools oldest buildings to make way for the project.

The proposed demolition of Loras Hall, a 126-year-old Cass Gilbert-designed brick building nestled between Cretin Avenue and the River Road, is up for review at the St. Paul Heritage Preservation Commissions Dec. 14 meeting. The commission needs to sign off on a demolition permit because Loras Hall is part of a historic district.

Mark Vangsgard, vice president for business affairs and CFO for the University of St. Thomas, said the commission could approve or deny a permit or ask for more information. If the project moves forward, it would go before the HPC again at some point for design approval, he said.

Pending approvals, the University of St. Thomas plans to break ground in spring 2022 on the 120,000-square STEAM building, which would be a hub for studies in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. The building would open in fall 2024.

Earlier this fall, members of the Heritage Preservation Commission pushed back on the universitys demolition plans, and urged the school to consider other project locations that would allow Loras Hall to remain standing.

In a seven-page public comment, St. Paul resident Marc Manderscheid said the building should be preserved because of its connection to Cass Gilbert, its contribution to the historic district, and its Renaissance Revival architectural style.

North Dormitory [Loras Hall] is a community treasure, to be cherished, which is why you should deny the requested demolition permit, Manderscheid wrote.

In a September 2020 letter to Heritage Preservation Commissioner George Gause, Vangsgard said the universitys site selection process involved exhaustive research and study over the past three years.

The university strongly believes the highest-value site for the STEAM project is along the south side of Summit Avenue between OShaughnessy Science Hall and the St. Paul Seminary. This would require Loras Hall to be removed, Vangsgard wrote.

St. Thomas, which acquired Loras Hall in 1982 from St. Paul Seminary, previously used the building as a dormitory. More recently, the building has housed faculty offices, music practice rooms, a credit union and storage space.

St. Thomas is working with BWBR Architects and McGough Construction on the building plans. The project would include a utility plant to provide energy-efficient heating and cooling for multiple buildings, according to the university.

The university estimates it would cost about $10 million to rehab or repurpose Loras Hall and even then, the buildings construction and configuration would limit how it could be used, according to HPC documents.

Vangsgard said in an interview that theres a great need for STEAM building space as more students pursue science and engineering degrees. At present, about 22% of the schools undergraduates are in that category, up from 5% in 1995, he said.

Thats putting a strain on building capacity. Based on a 2018 study, the university says it needs more than 190,000 gross square feet of STEAM space. Vangsgard wrote that the university would have to reduce the building size to 100,000 square feet if Loras needs to be retained.

Vangsgard added that St. Thomas has an urban campus with very limited sites available for building. In this case, the new building would need to be connected to existing engineering and science facilities.

That narrows down, if you will, where it can go, he said.

RELATED:Sustainable: St. Thomas microgrid tests vision for future

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St. Thomas seeks demolition OK - Finance and Commerce

It's a final blow to one of the most powerful telescopes on Earth that has aided astronomical discoveries for 57 years and withstood hurricanes, earthquakes and tropical storms.

Engineers assessed the damage and determined that all three of the telescope's support towers broke off, sending the 900-ton instrument platform plummeting down to the dish below. The telescope's support cables also dropped. The observatory's learning center was significantly damaged by the falling cables as well.

The collapse occurred just weeks after NSF announced that the telescope would be decommissioned and disassembled through a controlled demolition after sustaining irreparable damage earlier this year.

"The instrument platform of the 305m telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell overnight. No injuries were reported. NSF is working with stakeholders to assess the situation. Our top priority is maintaining safety. NSF will release more details when they are confirmed," according to a tweet by the National Science Foundation.

"NSF is saddened by this development. As we move forward, we will be looking for ways to assist the scientific community and maintain our strong relationship with the people of Puerto Rico," the foundation said in another tweet.

The spherical radio/radar telescope includes a radio dish 1,000 feet across and a 900-ton instrument platform suspended 450 feet above it. Cables connected to three towers hold the telescope in place.

"We are saddened by this situation but thankful that no one was hurt," said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan in a statement. "When engineers advised NSF that the structure was unstable and presented a danger to work teams and Arecibo staff, we took their warnings seriously and continued to emphasize the importance of safety for everyone involved. Our focus is now on assessing the damage, finding ways to restore operations at other parts of the observatory, and working to continue supporting the scientific community, and the people of Puerto Rico."

An auxiliary cable came loose from a socket on one of the towers in August, creating a 100-foot gash in the dish. Engineers were assessing and working on a plan to repair the damage when another main cable on the tower broke on November 6.

When it broke, the cable crashed into the reflector dish below, causing additional damage.

After the break on November 6, engineers inspected the rest of the cables and discovered new breaks as well as slippage from some of the sockets on the towers. Multiple engineering companies reviewed the damage. They determined that the telescope could collapse because it is "in danger of catastrophic failure" and the cables were weaker than expected.

The latest review revealed that damage to the telescope could not be stabilized without risking staff and the construction team. This led to the NSF making the decision to decommission the telescope after 57 years.

"We believe the structure will collapse in the near future if left untouched," according to a letter by engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti that assessed the observatory ahead of the decommissioning announcement on November 19. "Controlled demolition, designed with a specific collapse sequence determined and implemented with the use of explosives, will reduce the uncertainty and danger associated with collapse."

The firm also recommended that this be carried out "as soon as pragmatically possible."

Those plans were underway when the telescope collapsed.

The NSF said its priorities include safety at the site, conducting a damage assessment and containing or mitigating any environmental damage. The agency will also focus on bringing any ongoing scientific and educational support from the observatory back online.

The foundation will also ensure that Arecibo staff will be paid and make repairs to research tools, such as the roof of the Light Detection and Ranging, or LIDAR, facility and the 12-meter telescope used for radio astronomy research.

The NSF had planned to preserve as much of the observatory as it could to allow the facility to serve as a hub for research and education in the future, as well as restoring operations at the observatory. There is no word yet on how this collapse impacts those plans or if the foundation was able to migrate all of the archival data collected by the telescope to off-site servers.

Of interest is the LIDAR geospace research facility, the visitor center and the off-site Culebra facility for analyzing precipitation and cloud cover data.

A legacy of discoveries

Over the years, Arecibo Observatory has revealed new details about our planet's ionosphere, the solar system and worlds beyond it.

The telescope has supported and contributed to important discoveries in radio astronomy as well as planetary and solar system research, including gravitational waves.

The Arecibo telescope played a key role in discovering the first planet outside our solar system and has helped astronomers identify potentially hazardous asteroids en route to Earth.

Observations made by the telescope helped discover the first binary pulsar in 1974 (which led to the 1993 Nobel Prize in physics), supported NASA's Viking mission, produced the first radar maps of Venus' surface and spotted the first exoplanet in 1992.

More recently, Arecibo detected organic molecules in a distant galaxy and discovered the first repeating fast radio burst.

The observatory, which was featured in the James Bond film "GoldenEye," was completed in 1963 and has been helmed by the NSF since 1970. It is operated and managed by a team at the University of Central Florida, the Universidad Ana G. Mndez and Yang Enterprises Inc.

"Arecibo has been an incredibly productive facility for nearly 60 years," said Jonathan Lunine, the David C. Duncan professor in the physical sciences, and chair of the department of astronomy at Cornell University, in a statement after the decommissioning was announced.

The telescope was designed and constructed by Cornell.

"For the Cornell scientists and engineers who took a daring dream and realized it, for the scientists who made new discoveries with this uniquely powerful radio telescope and planetary radar, and for all the young people who were inspired to become scientists by the sight of this enormous telescope in the middle of the island of Puerto Rico, Arecibo's end is an inestimable loss."

Scientists worry about projects that were in progress using the Arecibo telescope, as well as what it means for future detections -- especially of asteroids that come near Earth.

"The planetary radar capability at Arecibo, funded by NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program, has served as one of two major planetary radar capabilities. It has allowed NASA to fully characterize the precise orbits, sizes, and shapes of some NEOs passing within radar range after they are discovered by wide-field optical telescope survey projects."

But NASA's fully operational Goldstone Observatory in California will also be able to characterize these objects, "so NASA's NEO search efforts are not impacted by the planned decommissioning of Arecibo's 305m radio telescope."

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Arecibo Observatory collapses ahead of planned demolition - CNN

Robert Suris and a rendering of the project

Hollywood commissioners approved the demolition of a 93-year-old building to clear a downtown site for Soleste Hollywood Boulevard, an eight-story, mixed-use development with 347 residential units.

Commissioners voted 6-1 to reject an advisory boards recommendation against demolishing the three-story building at 2001 Hollywood Boulevard, which opened in 1927 as the home of Hollywoods first bank.

The developers plans to preserve a vintage bank vault on the ground floor apparently swayed commissioners, who considered preserving the entire building, which the citys Architectural Preservation Board recommended in July.

Soleste Hollywood Boulevard would include a 233-unit building and a 114-unit building, 30,000 square feet of commercial space and 475 parking spaces. The floorplans range from studios to one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.

The lead developers are Robert Suris, managing principal of The Estate Companies, based in South Miami, and Steven B. Berman, chief executive officer of Hollywood-based FIRM Realty.

In 2009, Berman paid $7.1 million for the 3.38-acre development site, a commercial building at 2001 Hollywood Boulevard and adjacent parking lots.

Berman signed a conditional contract to sell the site to The Estate Companies if the city approved demolition of the building, Debbie Orshefsky, an attorney for the developers, told city commissioners at their meeting Wednesday night.

City of Hollywood Records and Archives

The Estate Companies is a residential developer that markets projects under the Soleste brand. Now under construction is Soleste Grand Central, near the Brightline train station in downtown Miami. The 18-story, 60-unit multifamily tower at 218 Northwest Eighth Street is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2021, according to the developer. The firm has completed projects in West Miami, Miami Beach, Brickell and Little Havana.

Miami-based Modis Architects designed Soleste Hollywood Boulevard in an Art Moderne style incorporating such details as steel columns, mesh railings and aluminum storefronts.

The original Neo-Classical architectural features of the bank building at 2001 Hollywood Boulevard disappeared following three major renovations in the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s, according to a city staff report. Its within the Hollywood Boulevard Historic Business District, a section of the citys central business district that was listed in 1999 on the National Register of Historic Places.

None of us would be having this conversation if the 1920s faade were there, Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy said during the city commissions five-hour discussion of the issue Wednesday night.

Levy expressed support for preserving the vault in perpetuity.

The concrete-encased vault is a vestige of the original building, which opened as the First National Bank of Hollywood. Hollywood founder Joseph Young built the three-story structure and had his office there.

The developers of Soleste Hollywood Boulevard plan to build a museum-themed restaurant that incorporates the 80-square-foot vault. Were creating an environment around that vault, Suris told the commission.

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Hollywood approves downtown demolition, paving way for mixed-use apartment project - The Real Deal

Park City officials are preparing to hire a firm to demolish a series of buildings on City Hall-owned land where leaders intend to develop an arts and culture district, a step being taken even as other important decisions approach regarding what will be an especially ambitious municipal project.

There is a Dec. 10 deadline for firms to submit bids for the demolition work. Seven buildings will be razed as part of the preparation of the land for development. The demolitions are expected to begin in early 2021, depending on broader upcoming Park City Council decisions about the project. The demolitions will include the former location of Anayas Market, two storage buildings close to the former Anayas location, the former location of a car wash, the former location of a sporting-goods store, the onetime location of a health clinic and the building that currently houses the Kimball Art Center. The timeline for the demolition of the building that once housed a gas station is under consideration.

The highly visible land stretches inward from the southwest corner of the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive. City Hall acquired the 5.25 acres for $19.5 million with the intention of building an arts and culture district with the Kimball Art Center and the Utah offices of the Sundance Institute as the anchors.

The plan to develop a district remains intact, but the elected officials are scheduled to return to the topic shortly. Mayor Andy Beerman and the City Council at that time are expected to discuss a phasing plan, financing plan and the overall scope of an arts and culture district. The discussion will be held amid continuing concerns about the economic impact of the novel coronavirus and the effect of the illness on City Hall finances. Officials project a drop in tourism-related revenues like sales taxes this winter with there being so many worries about the spread of the coronavirus and travel.

City Hall in November outlined topics for a series of City Council meetings addressing the arts and culture district. The meetings are tentatively scheduled to start on Dec. 15. Another important meeting would involve the City Council considering a resolution about the future of the district, with staffers outlining resolution possibilities like proceeding with the first phase of construction in 2021, pausing the efforts until May or delaying the efforts for an unspecified amount of time. The tentative timeline runs through the middle of January, when the City Council could be asked to approve three agreements or contracts related to the arts and culture district.

It seems that preparations for a demolition could move forward even as the discussions are ongoing about the arts and culture district since the buildings would likely need to be removed under any of the scenarios since a redevelopment of some sort will be pursued.

The concept for the arts and culture district includes housing, transportation upgrades and a limited amount of commercial space like artist studios alongside the Kimball Art Center and the Sundance offices. City Hall earlier submitted an application to the Planning Department for the project. The Park City Planning Commission review has not started. A previous owner of the land encountered Planning Commission and public resistance while seeking a development approval.

Park City sees the district as something that would further solidify the community as a destination for arts and culture as well as help diversify the local economy from one that is heavily reliant on the ski industry.

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Park City readies demolitions to prepare land for arts district - The Park Record

Of course, not every building is going to spur the spending needed to save it. One example sits languishing in the Old Redford neighborhood, near the intersection of Lahser Road and Grand River Avenue near the Redford Theatre.

Trash lines the sidewalk of a multi-section, two-story building with a brick facade, windows open to the elements and fabric hanging down from them; two fenced lots next to and behind the building are overgrown with trees, greenery and trash, including a truck bed cap.

The properties at 17203 and 17205 Lahser Road and 22040 Argus Ave. are city-owned. The building at 17205 Lahser was home to the Redford Printing Co. and Detroit Suburban Newspapers Inc., which went bankrupt in 1986, according to Detroit Free Press archives.

Business owners on Lahser including Alicia George of Motor City Java House, now closed during the pandemic, have been advocating for years to get the building torn down.

"I'm always conscious that this is not a file in a filing cabinet in a storage room. This is something that's physical, tangible and we are witnessing this," George said. "Even if you can't demolish this, secure it, make it safe until something else is done ...

"When you go into a district, you begin to kind of see what it feels like. Is it inviting? Is it cool? Is it different? And with the abandoned properties and buildings that's over here, it's like, it just makes it look ugly and not look inviting, and then the spirit and the energy is kind of on guard It's depressing, it's not safe."/

Community advocates in Old Redford like George, her husband John George of Detroit Blight Busters and artist Chazz Miller have been boarding up and beautifying vacant commercial buildings for years. They see art and building reuse as intrinsically linked, Miller said.

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Commercial demolitions grind to near halt as Detroit focuses funds on razing blighted homes - Crain's Detroit Business