Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Rockports Ledgemont is inarguably one of the North Shores grande dames, boasting sweeping views of Thacher Island and the open expanse of the Atlantic Ocean from nearly every one of its 15-plus rooms. Just moments to beautiful Long Beach, this magnificent property sits 130 feet above sea level while bordering the 100 bucolic acres of Rockports South Woods. Expertly crafted and designed with only the finest of materials, nearly everyone who sees it will assuredly agree that this is no ordinary offering. Marketed by J Barrett & Companys George Needham, it lists for $3,350,000.

This exceptional one-of-a-kind home is truly a crown jewel of Cape Ann, says the Realtor. Constructed in 2013 by a renowned local builder, its 21 acre lot is one of the largest, if not THE largest, residential parcels in town.

Approached by a long driveway lined with custom lighting and attractive stonework, the homes shingle-style facade enhanced by multiple decks is quintessential New England. Step inside to a wide open and versatile floor plan riddled with exquisite finishes such as coffered ceilings, crown moldings, wainscoting, hardwood floors, recessed lighting and architectural columns. Offering the perfect blend of formal and relaxed spaces, the main level features stunning living and dining rooms; a handsome den with pocket doors, beamed ceiling, wood burning fireplace and a built-in mahogany bar; and a family room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a stone fireplace with pellet stove. In keeping with the homes thoughtfully fluid design, this space melts into a breathtaking gourmet kitchen with state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances, custom cherry cabinetry, stone counter tops, an expansive center island with pendant lighting and a generous dining nook. For outdoor entertaining when the weather permits, a bluestone patio with granite fireplace is easily accessed from most of the rooms on this level.

A master suite with sitting area, built-in jetted tub, double sinks and private deck is just one of five en suite bedrooms on the second floor including a generous space with private entrance, ideal for a workout room, au pair or in-law, suggests Needham. Also sharing this level is a home office, custom bookcases in the hallway and a convenient laundry room.

While the entire home is undeniably awe-inspiring, it is perhaps on the third floor where you will find the best seat in the house. Wrapped in windows and nautical-inspired bead board, this secluded observatory with soaring wood ceiling offers uninterrupted 180-plus degree ocean views. As if all this were not enough, other amenities include a mudroom with walls of closets and cubbies, a large lower level with full bath, and a six-car heated attached garage.

For more information on this remarkable property, or to schedule a private showing, call George Needham at 978-382-8178.

AT A GLANCE:

5-plus bedrooms

7 full and 1 half bath

7,022 square feet

21.19 acres

$3,350,000

LISTED BY:

George Needham

J Barrett & Company

978-382-8178

http://www.jbarrettrealty.com

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Amazing Rockport estate leaves nothing to the imagination - The Salem News

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analyzed the 2019 Survey of Construction (SOC) data, which shows a trend of declining home size across the country before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NAHB predicts that this trend is likely to reverse in the years to come, however, there are some regions of the country that have large homes built today. The NAHB reports which areas of the United States have some of the largest single-family homes.

According to the 2019 Survey of Construction, the three regions of America with the largest homes built are the Middle Atlantic, Mountain States, the West South Central, and the South Atlantic. Middle Atlantic states include New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The Mountain States include Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

The West South Central region is made up of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Lastly, the South Atlantic region consists of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, as well as the District of Columbia.

The median square footage of new single-family homes started in the U.S. last year was 2,300 square feet. This includes finished areas of the basement and attic. The median square footage was 2,500 square feet for new single-family homes started in the Middle Atlantic region of America in 2019. That same year, single-family homes started in the Mountain States, as well as the West South Central and South Atlantic regions, all had a median square footage of 2,300 square feet.

The NAHB also reports that there were substantial differences in square footage between single-family attached and detached homes. In single-family attached homes, the median square foot area of completely finished floor space nationwide was 1,800 square feet. For detached single-family homes, the median square footage was 2,400.

The Middle Atlantic is the top region in the country for building some of the largest attached and detached homes, with a median of 2,400 square feet and detached 2,600 square feet, respectively. Meanwhile, the New England area, where new single-family attached homes are more common than in any other region, had a median square footage of 1,800 for attached homes in 2019.

Analyzing spec homes compared with custom homes built by contractors and owners also reveals some variation in new home sizes. Across the country, new single-family homes built by contractors have a median square foot area of completely finished floor space of 2,400 square feet.

By comparison, homes built by owners are typically smaller, with about half of them reporting square footage of 2,000 square feet or less. New single-family homes built for sale tend to be about the same size as those built by contractors, with a median square footage of 2,300 square feet.

The NAHB provides more detailed data on the square footage of new single-family homes in its full analysis.

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Where Americans Build the Biggest Homes - theMReport.com - The MReport

NORTH SYRACUSE, N.Y. When Andy and Janice McWains grandson left his grandparents home for the last time before they moved Florida, he was overcome with emotion.

He kissed the house, Janice said, laughing. Im going to miss you, he said.

While doing the interview from the Sunshine State about their amazing ranch at 7674 Windsor Drive North in North Syracuse, the couple began to have similar feelings as their grandson.

We love the house, Andy said. We are attached to the property.

We are having reservations about selling, they joked.

The couple moved to the ranch, built at the end of a cul-de-sac, in December 2013 from a patio home in Radisson.

Janices elderly father was moving in with them and they had adopted a second golden retriever. They needed more space.

They would find it here.

The three-bedroom house has almost 5,000 square feet of living space set on almost two acres of property. There are 36 acres of vacant land, and full of deer, behind them.

(They were also friendly with the homes builder, Nick Paduano, and knew of his reputation for building quality homes.)

The main level is wide open and has a huge kitchen joining a large formal dining room and a spacious family room with a gas fireplace. Sliding doors lead out into a beautiful four-season room which Andy calls the highlight of the house.

The owners enjoy watching wildlife from the rooms 13 windows in a heated and air-conditioned space. There is even a second gas fireplace for cold days in winter.

Thats where you want to sit, Andy said.

Janice says that the homes finished walk-out lower level is like entering a whole new world.

We used to entertain big time here, Janice said. It was a major party house.

The couple says that they hosted four Christmas parties of at least 80 people each last year and have held parties of 125 people during the summer.

The area has a kitchen that mirrors the one upstairs and has a full bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub.

I wish it were it upstairs, Janice joked.

The way they filled the space might explain their grandsons attachment to the home.

The lower level was stocked with a custom billiard table, arcade games, pinball machines, foosball, and bowling machines.

The grandchildren especially liked the slot machines, hoping to learn a little money while visiting their grandparents.

The space leads out to the heated, saltwater in-ground swimming pool which they had installed in 2014.

No wonder the kids wanted them to stay there!

We miss it, Andy said.

They have already moved to Florida and are enjoying the warmer weather there.

For more information about this property, contact realtor Timothy Connors of Coldwell Banker Prime Properties. His information is below.

THE DETAILS

Address: 7674 Windsor Drive North, North Syracuse, N.Y. 13212

Price: $489,900

Size: 4,840 square feet

Acreage: 1.63 acres

Monthly Mortgage: $1,637 (based on this weeks national average rate of 2.93 percent, according to Freddie Mac, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. Fees and points not included.)

Taxes: $16,342 (Based on assessed value of $422,785)

Built: 2005

School District: North Syracuse

Kitchen: The eat-in kitchen is open and allows for easy access from the formal dining room, spacious family room and all-season room. It allows for easy entertaining and keeps party conversations going. Owner Andy McWain says the kitchen can seat 10 people. There is plenty of storage space and a kitchen pantry. The kitchen has double ovens. The lower level has another full kitchen which mirrors the one on the main level.

Living areas: This 2005 ranch is in pristine condition and has had only two owners. It is immaculate, Janice McWain said. Wide plank oak hardwood flooring was used throughout and the home features solid wood doors and no square corners. It is described as being a one of a kind ranch with almost 5,000 square feet of space. Nine new closet systems have been installed since 2013. The main floor has a front living room, which has been primarily used as a home office, a formal dining room and a family room with a gas fireplace. A three-season porch was converted into a wonderful four-season room which the owners consider the highlight of the home. There are 13 windows there, hot water baseboard heat, air conditioning and a gas fireplace. The McWains enjoy watching the wildlife out back from there. The main level also has a laundry room.

Bedrooms: There are three full bedrooms in the house, with space for another in the lower level. The master bedroom has his-and-her California closets and a new ceiling fan.

Bathrooms: All new granite counters and sinks have been installed in the three full bathrooms. The master bath includes a bidet and a glass door around the bathtub. The lower level bathroom has a Jacuzzi-style tub.

Lower level: The walk-out lower level was kept open so it could host parties by the owners. The space was filled with pinball machines, slot machines and a custom billiard table. It was favorite spot for the owners grandchildren. The kids loved it, Janice said. It provides easy access to the back patio and swimming pool area. With a full kitchen and bathroom, the space could be used as an in-laws apartment.

Outdoors: This ranch was built at the end of a cul-de-sac in North Syracuse. It was built on 1.63 acres and there is plenty of room for outdoors parties. The owners have hosted events there with 125 guests. There are 36 acres of peaceful state land behind the house, full of deer. The heated saltwater in-ground swimming pool was installed in 2014 and was featured by Cannon Pools as being one of the best in Central New York. The home as an insulated three-car garage and the back of the home has another garage which the owners use to store pool equipment. They call the neighborhood very friendly and said they knew everyone. The home is just minutes away from two Wegmans and the airport.

Agent: Timothy Connors

Coldwell Banker Prime Properties

Address: 6263 Route 31, Cicero, N.Y. 13039

Phone: (315) 345-4058

Email: Tim.Connors@coldwellbankerprime.com

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If you know of a beautiful or interesting house currently up for sale, please consider sending a nomination for it to be featured as a future House of the Week. Send an email with the listing to home@syracuse.com.

Do you know of any older homes in Central New York which have fallen on hard times but have a lot of potential should they be restored to their original grandeur? A fixer-upper with a lot of potential? Consider nominating them to our new feature, Save this Home, in which we will spotlight grand houses of the past around Central New York that need to be saved. Send nominations to home@syracuse.com.

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House of the Week: Couple call their North Syracuse ranch their major party house - syracuse.com

About a mile from the ocean in Santa Monica, a brand-new home is shaking things up with a dazzling concoction of jagged lines and concrete finishes. Designed by architect Joe Flynn, the modern, blocky build features a massive wall of glass perched above the street, and inside, floating staircases navigate spaces with Italian tile, heated floors, skylights and smart home features. Out back, the landscaped patio tacks on a lap pool and spa.

The details

Location: 1767 Sunset Ave., Santa Monica, 90405

Asking price: $5.487 million

Year built: 2020

Living area: 5,400 square feet, four bedrooms, six bathrooms

Features: Landscaped walkway; high ceilings; polished concrete finishes; dining room with angled wood ceilings; kitchen with custom island; floating staircases; lofted office; wine cellar; media room; owners suite with private terrace; steam shower; outdoor fire pit; two-car garage

About the area: In the 90405 ZIP Code, based on 12 sales, the median price for single-family homes in October was $2.438 million, up 40.7% year over year, according to CoreLogic.

Agents: David and Anna Solomon, Douglas Elliman of California, (310) 279-7759

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos via Dropbox.com, permission from the photographer to publish the images and a description of the house to jack.flemming@latimes.com.

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Home of the Week: A jagged structure in Santa Monica - Los Angeles Times

Garfield Township planning commissioners will discuss a proposed 168-unit apartment complex on Hartman Road and a planned bed-and-breakfast on Hainey Lane at their 7pm virtual meeting tonight (Wednesday). The board will also consider approving a construction extension for a planned 84-unit apartment complex on Garfield Road that has experienced project delays due to the pandemic.

Hartman Road Apartment ComplexThe owner of 6.19 acres of vacant land on the south side of Hartman Road west of Dracka Road hopes to build a 168-unit apartment complex on the site, complete with seven three-story buildings, a clubhouse, and a pool area. But while the project is similar to other high-density, multi-family developments nearby such as Liv Arbors it likely faces an uphill battle for approval because of being located on the more rural, agricultural side of Hartman, says Township Planning Director John Sych.

Township planning commissioners will hold a conceptual planning review of the proposed Mosser apartment complex tonight an informal first look at plans that allows commissioners to talk through the project and share feedback before developers return with a formal application. No decision will be made on the project tonight. However, developers will likely hear some tough feedback, according to Sych, who says the townships master plan calls for keeping the south side of Hartman more rural with lower-density housing as opposed to the type of bigger complexes that are just across the street.

When I look at the master plan, at some point there needs to be a transition to lower density, he says. I dont know if Hartman is a good place to allow too much more residential. Were really trying to encourage infill further north. While Sych acknowledges the need for more housing in the region, he says there are multiple other locations in Garfield Township along Garfield and LaFranier roads, as examples, and in several commercial areas where property is still available and dense apartment complexes make more sense.

If planning commissioners want to consider allowing dense housing on the south side of Hartman, Sych says the board could revisit the master plan and consider changing zoning designations for the entire corridor. That would prevent the township from spot zoning or changing the zoning rules for one particular property which Sych says undermines the purpose of a master plan. When you make a considerable deviation of the master plan, it weakens the plan itself, he says. So if we wanted to do something, we should evaluate the master plan.

The Mosser project is the second apartment complex in two months to be proposed for the area surrounding the Miller Creek Nature Reserve. The first, which planning commissioners conceptually reviewed in October, is a proposed 60-unit complex on vacant land behind the Baymont Inn between Hartman and South Airport roads. Sych says that project has attractive potential, being located near commercial properties and offering possible sidewalk and trail connections to the Mall Trail along US-31 and to Miller Creek Nature Reserve. That one, the location looks very well from our standpoint, says Sych. Its a nice fit. Developers M Brothers Northern LLC have not yet returned with a formal application following the October conceptual review, though Sych notes that planning commissioners raised questions about wetland impacts and sewer and water connections at that meeting that may take developers time to address in project plans.

Bed & BreakfastA couple with an organic working farm on Hainey Lane near the northeast corner of Cedar Run and Gray roads hope to open a small bed-and-breakfast on the site.

Matthew and Rebecca Ligon are seeking township approval of a special use permit (SUP) to turn a former mother-in-law suite into overnight guest accommodations on their property, called Blended Roots Farm. The couple bought the site in 2014 and started developing an organic farm on the property the following year, producing maple syrup and growing vegetable gardens, sunflower patches, and U-pick flower beds open to the public.

In their application documents, the Ligons say they hope to create walking paths through their expanding sunflower fields with signage and turn the farm into an educational community experience showing and teaching people how to grow, raise, and produce food for the community and their families. The bed-and-breakfast would not only help the farm reach its long-term goals of educating and possibly inspiring visitors from all walks of life, but provide a quiet, peaceful getaway for those looking to enjoy our way of life, the couple wrote. This would also showcase Garfield Township for our commitment to putting community and farming first.

Bed-and-breakfast establishments are permitted on agricultural land in Garfield Township with a SUP. Staff indicated the Ligons proposed project appears to meet SUP requirements, including being on owner-occupied property, having no more than eight guests at any time, having adequate on-site parking, not renting out any snowmobiles/all-terrain vehicles/other recreational equipment, and being at least 1,000 feet away from the next closest bed-and-breakfast. If planning commissioners find the application acceptable tonight, they will vote to set a public hearing for January 13, at which time they could approve the bed-and-breakfasts SUP.

Fox RunFinally, planning commissioners will consider offering a construction extension to Eastwood Custom Homes tonight for the development groups planned 84-unit apartment complex called Fox Run on the east side of Garfield Road between South Airport and Hammond roads. The complex is planned to include 84 two-bedroom apartments on approximately 4.3 acres of land, with amenities including a walking trail, dog park, and three playgrounds. The project was approved as a planned unit residential development (PURD) by planning commissioners in early spring 2019, giving developers two years from that date to begin construction and make meaningful progress toward completion. Developers can seek a one-year extension of that deadline if they can provide evidence they will be able to start construction and make meaningful progress before the third year is up.

According to Eastwood Custom Homes President William Clous, the pandemic and loss of labor caused by COVID-19 forced construction to be delayed this year. He is requesting a one-year extension of his PURD through April 2022, noting in a memo to the township that he intends to break ground in May 2021 and work towards completion in the following months. Township staff are supportive of the extension, agreeing in a memo to the board that the ongoing pandemic has certainly been identified as causing many disruptions across all industries and is certainly a factor beyond the control of the applicant.

Pictured: Garfield Township Hall

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Garfield Township To Discuss Proposed Apartment Complex, Bed & Breakfast - Traverse City Ticker

Need a last-minute gift for the architecture enthusiast in your life? Does that person also enjoy butt plugs?

If so, look no further. The New York-based interior architecture and exhibition design firm Wolfgang + Hite has turned New York Citys skyscraper-studded $25 billion mega-development Hudson Yards into a seven-piece sex toy set. Its phallic-shaped buildings of mostly high-end office space and some residential have been transformed into silicone dildos. The trophy developments centerpiece, the stairs-to-nowhere architectural sculpture the Vessel, has been rendered into a hot pink butt plug, available for $75.

[Photos: Wolfgang + Hite]The full set of sex toys replicate the entire built space of Hudson Yards, with individual dildos modeled on each of the projects six towers, which were designed by architects including Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Foster and Partners, and Diller Scofidio and Renfro. Made to order, the full sets take a few weeks to manufacture, so wouldnt be available in time for this years holiday season. The butt plugs and the dildo version of the tower at 15 Hudson Yards, though, are available now.

Originally produced last fall, the architectural sex toys were designed to be used. Of course they work, says Shan Raoufi, cofounder of Wolfgang + Hite. Manhattans finest new jewel is really good at finding the sweet spot.

We have gotten good reviews, actually, adds Greta Hansen, the firms other cofounder. She notes that the toys are geared toward certain sexual proclivities, because some of those structures are huge.

[Photo: Wolfgang + Hite]The sex toys are what Hansen calls a soft critique of Hudson Yards as a transformative force in this part of Manhattan, and a reaction to the $6 billion of public funding that was used to develop the projectfinancing partly secured by gerrymandering the citys map to connect the projects site to Harlem and qualifying as providing jobs to the economically distressed neighborhood.

[Photo: Wolfgang + Hite]We were pretty upset to learn how much public money went into the largest private development in the history of the United States, says Raoufi. Real estate at this level is part of an asset class that is just traded and invested. We just dont think this much public money should be going to someones portfolio.

[Photo: Wolfgang + Hite]During the coronavirus pandemic, this level of public funding is even more upsetting, Hansen says, as the offices are largely emptied and the commercial areas drained of activity. I think it puts this kind of city investment into even starker light, she says. The city and the state now are having huge budget deficits because weve been hit so hard by the pandemic. It kind of makes you wonder whether they might look back and question the prudence of their investment in Hudson Yards.

[Photo: Wolfgang + Hite]Such reflection may not be likely. Shortly after they first created the sex toys last year, Raoufi and Hansen had one of the full sets sent to Stephen Ross, chairman of the Related Companies, which developed Hudson Yards. Through a friend, they sent a follow-up email to one of Rosss assistants to see what he thought. There was no response.

But Hansen and Raoufi have gotten some feedback from one of the architects involved in Hudson Yards. She wrote us and asked us for instructions on how specifically she could use her building, Hansen says. We need to send her a Christmas gift.

The rest is here:
Wolfgang + Hite sex toys are the ultimate gift for architects - Fast Company

in response to an international call to redevelop thessalonikis waterfront, OF. STUDIO has teamed up with degree zero architects to create OCULIS. launched by ALUMIL, the competition called for innovative ideas regarding the redevelopment of the greek citys western coastal side and the creation of a new central business district. the criteria set by UIA sought high energy efficiency and sustainability to redefine thessalonikis position on the international map while welcoming citizens and entrepreneurs alike.

aerial view of OCULIS

image by cosmoscube

the proposal is composed of ten striking towers to highlight the new central business district at the entrance of the city. a podium, designed at the lower levels as a fluid, multi-program zone, sparks the revitalization of the site area, the adjacent city quarters, and the city waterfront. through a sequence of public plazas, the proposal opens up and connects to the city at the northern boundary while creating a public path through the project site.

the podiums create a base for the tube-shaped towers

image by cosmoscube

a green buffer zone of natural beauty forms the southern edge towards the commercial port. in order to connect the development to the water without interrupting the operations of the port, the water bays are extended to reach the site. at the same time, to create a buffer zone between the port, the design explores the creation of a green zone of coastal afforestation.

the podiums contain a sequence of covered, semi-covered and open spaces

image by cosmoscube

the towers follow a modular concept. the design emerges from a basic tube-shape geometry that transforms to respond to different programmatic uses. this maintains formal coherence throughout the design proposal while at the same time promotes mutation and variation, integrating the particularities of each tower according to functional requirements.

the towers propose a striking skyline for the new central business district of thessaloniki

the podium represents the expansion of the city fabric into the site. it consists of a sequence of covered, semi-covered and open spaces, corresponding to the mediterranean climate, rituals, and lifestyle. multiple free-shaped spaces interconnect or detach to allow ventilation and sun penetration while the roofs overhang to provide shade. green roofs and ramping surfaces create a fluid and continuous landscape allowing routes for pedestrians and cyclists to circulate throughout the development. the podiums create a base for the towers, lifting their geometries above it and providing protected access to their circulation cores at ground level.

layout at +82m and ground level: a fluid landscape runs throughout the development, connecting the various programs of the towers

a wide range of programs is proposed alongside two additional functions education and cultural spaces to further enrich the civil fabric

the modular concept behind the towers

the transparency or opaqueness of the faade systems change according to the use of each building

project info:

project name: OCULIS

competition: ArXellence 2 by ALUMIL

location: thessaloniki, greece

design: OF. STUDIO and degree zero architects

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readershere.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom

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OF. STUDIO + degree zero architects propose 10 tube-shaped towers for thessaloniki's waterfront - Designboom

Similarly, Part 10 of the manual titled, Employment, Instructions and Control of Convicts, as also mentioned in the rules under section 59 (12) of the Prisons Act, states:

Sweepers shall be chosen from among those who, by the custom of the district in which they reside or on account of their having adopted the profession, perform sweepers work, when free. Anyone else may also volunteer to do this work, in no case, however shall a person, who is not a professional sweeper, be compelled to do the work.

The rule, however, remains silent over the issue of consent for those from the sweeper community.

These rules are drafted essentially keeping the larger male population in mind and get replicated in womens prisons too, in states where women-specific rules have not been formulated. In the absence of a woman prisoner from the appropriate caste groups, the Rajasthan prison manual says, two or three specially selected male convictMehtarsmay be taken into the enclosure by a paid worker under the condition Mehtar is a caste name, denoting those engaged in manual scavenging as a caste occupation.

On medical workers, the manual says, Two or more long- term prisoners of good caste should be trained and employed as hospital attendants.

Across states, prison manuals and rules stipulate the labour that needs to be carried out on a daily basis. The division of labour is roughly determined on the dichotomous purity-impurityscale, with the higher castes handling only work that is considered pure and those lower in the caste grid being left to carry out the impure jobs.

Consider the case of Bihar. The section titled Preparation of foodopens with this line: Of equal importance is the quality, proper preparation, and cooking of the food and its issue in full quantity. Further, detailing the measurements and cooking techniques in jail, the manual states: Any A class Brahmin or sufficiently high caste Hindu prisoner is eligible for appointment as a cook. The manual further specifies, Any prisoner in a jail who is so high caste that he cannot eat food cooked by the existing cooks shall be appointed a cook and made to cook for the whole complement of men. Individual convicted prisoners shall in no circumstances be allowed to cook for themselves, unless they are specific division prisoners permitted to do so under rule.

Not just on paper

These are not mere words printed in an official book and forgotten. The caste practice ubiquitous in the Indian subcontinent manifests in more ways than one. Several prisoners who were approached shared their experiences of being segregated and pushed into doing menial jobs purely on the basis of the caste they were born into. While Brahmins and other high caste prisoners considered their exemption to bea matter of pride and privilege, the rest had only the caste system to blame for their condition.

The jail tells you your rightaukaad(status), says Pintu, a former prisoner, who spent close to a decade at Jubba Sahni Bhagalpur Central Jail and a few months at the Motihari Central Jail. Pintu belongs to a naior barber community, and throughout his stint in prison, he served as one.

The Bihar prison manual too formalises caste hierarchies in labour. For instance, it says for those assigned sweeping work: Sweepers shall be chosen from the Mehtar or Hari caste, also from the Chandal or other low castes, if by the custom of the district they perform similar work when free, or from the caste if the prisoner volunteers to do the work. All three castes fall under the Scheduled Castes category.

From time to time, prison manuals have gone through a few tweaks. Sometimes this was triggered by public outcry or the Supreme Court or a high courts intervention; sometimes the states themselves felt the need for it. In most states, though, the issue of caste-based labour practices has been overlooked.

In some states, for instance Uttar Pradesh, religious scruples and caste prejudices are considered important for reformative influences. A separate chapter focusing on reformative influences in prison says, Reasonable respect shall be paid to religious scruples and caste prejudices of the prisoners in all matters as far as it is compatible with discipline. The prison administration holds sole discretionary power over the extent of the reasonability and compatibility of these prejudices. The reasonability, though, has only meant furthering blatant caste prejudices while assigning work and exempting some from harsh labour both in male and female prisons.

The Madhya Pradesh Jail Manual, which was amended only a few years ago, continues with the caste-based assignment in conservancy work the official term used for manual scavenging. The chapter titled Mal Vahan or conservancy states that a Mehtar prisoner would be responsible for handling human excreta in the toilets.

Identical practices find mention in the Haryana and Punjab state prison manuals and rules too. Selection of sweepers, barbers, cooks, hospital staff among others are all pre-decided as per ones caste identity. If any prison faces scarcity of prisoners of a certain caste to carry out the requisite labour, prisoners are to be brought in from nearby prisons. However, no exceptions or changes in rules are mentioned in the manual.

When Sabika Abbas, a programme officer working with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), a non-governmental organisation working on prisoners rights, recently visited prisons of Punjab and Haryana, she said the blatancy of the practice shocked her. Male and female prisoners alike shared their experiences of caste and caste-based labour work assigned to them. Some were compelled to carry out the work due to poverty and lack of financial support from their families. But these prisoners too were primarily from the backward caste groups, says Abbas.

Her research, commissioned by the Legal Services Authorities of Haryana and Punjab, covers a plethora of issues plaguing the prison system. Abbas observes that even though pre-trial detainees are exempted from carrying out labour in prison, the prevailing system compels them to work. In most prisons in both states, we observed that the posts for sweepers and cleaners were lying empty for years. It was understood that those menial jobs will be carried out by prisoners belonging to lower caste groups, she observes. Unlike other state prisons thatare still following the colonial prison rules, Abbas points to the amendments in the Punjab manual. Punjab is relatively newer. It was last updated in 1996 but still did not do away with the caste-based provisions, she adds.

West Bengal, perhaps the only state that makes special provisions for prisoners arrested in connection with political or democratic movements, continues to be just as regressive and unconstitutional as others when it comes to assigning labour according to caste. Similar to Uttar Pradesh, the West Bengal prison manual follows non- interference with religious practices or caste prejudices. Certain specific preferences are accommodated in the manual a Brahmin wearing sacred thread or a Muslim desiring a certain length of trousers. But with that, the manual also states: Food shall be cooked and carried to the cells by prisoner-cooks of suitable caste, under the superintendence of a jail officer. Likewise, Sweepers should be chosen from the Mether or Hari caste, also from the Chandal or other castes, if by the custom of the district they perform similar work when free, or from any caste if the prisoner volunteers to do the work.

These practices have remained in the prison rule book but have gone unchallenged. Dr. Riazuddin Ahmed, a former Inspector General of Prisons in Andhra Pradesh and former director of the government-run Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration in Vellore, says the issue of caste has never been deliberated upon while making policy decisions. In my career spanning over 34 years, the issue has never come up for discussion, he says. Ahmed feels that clauses mentioned in the manual are mostly a reflection of the states attitude towards those incarcerated. Prison officials, after all, are a product of the same caste-ridden society that exists outside. Regardless of what the manual states, it is entirely up to the prison staff to ensure dignity and equality of prisoners, Ahmed feels.

Disha Wadekar, a Delhi-based lawyer and a vocal critic of the Indian caste system, compares prison laws with the regressive laws of Manu. A mythical figure, Manu is believed to be the author of theManusmriti,which had sanctioned the degradation of humanity on the basis of caste and gender in ancient times.

The prison system simply replicates Manusdandniti(laws). The prison system has failed to work on the normative penal system that is built on the tenets of equality before the law and protection of law. On the contrary, it follows Manus law that is founded on the principles of injustice a system that believed that certain lives are to be punished more than others and that some lives have more value than others. The states have stuck to the ascribed caste-based understanding of justiceand decide on punishment and labour as per an individuals standing in the caste grid, explains Wadekar.

Indian states, barring West Bengal, have borrowed from the Prisons Act, 1894. Not just borrowed but also remained stuck there, Ahmed adds. In 2016, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) came up with an elaboratemodel prison manual. The model prison manual is aligned with international standards such as the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners (UN Bangkok Rules) and the UN Minimum Standards for Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules). Both call for the repeal of practices that discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or any other status. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, propounded by the United Nations in 1977, to which India is a party, has clearly stated that: No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.

No desire for change?

Since prison is a state subject, it is entirely on the states to implement these changes suggested in the model prison manual. Acknowledging the problems in the existing prison manual of different states, the model prison manual states, Management of kitchen or cooking of food on caste or religious basis will be totally banned in prisons. Similarly, the model manual also bars any kind of special treatment to a prisoner on the basis of her caste or religion. In fact, the model prison manual lists agitating or acting on the basis of caste or religious as a punishable offence. But implementation of the model prison manual leaves much to be desired.

It is not as if state prison departments have not struck down inhumane and unconstitutional practices from the books. Goa did, so did Delhi, Maharashtra and Odisha. They specifically stated that caste wont have any relevance in running prisons. Over the years, several inhuman practices like using fetters and whipping as a mode of punishment were done away with, so were caste-based occupations in some state prisons.

But did that weed out the caste practice entirely? No, says Lalita*, a former prisoner. Between 2010 and 2017, Lalita faced multiple cases in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra. While most of her incarceration period was spent in Byculla womens prison, she was also taken to other prisons from time to time. The travel and interactions with other prisoners and prison officials gave her the opportunity to understand the carceral system in all its complexities.

Unlike the male prisoners, women are fewer in number and so are the provisions made available to them. Lalita was a fierce fighter in jail, demanding basic rights and dignity for herself and her co-prisoners. So, when women prisoners revolted against the prison authorities, demanding better food quality and more frequent supply of poultry and meat, Lalita was at the forefront.

Prison rules are plenty and prisons authorities quote them each time to prevent any intervention by prisoners and their legal representatives. But these official documents are seldom accessible to common people, let alone an incarcerated individual. Nothing is more dangerous than an informed prisoner asserting her rights, says Lalita.

Ahmed agrees with Lalita. And to explain the unavailability of the updated manual, Beluah Emmanuel, professor and a senior faculty at the Academy of Prisons and Correctional Administration in Vellore, says that on average, it takes at least 15 years for changes in the manual to reflect. Each time states introduce any change to the manual, it is merely noted at the official level. The revision to the prison manual reflects only when it is reprinted once in 15 years. Finding all amendments at one place is practically impossible, adds Emmanuel. The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), which has been working on prisoners rights for several decades, has been unsuccessfully trying to access updated prison manuals for a long time. Only about 10 states have prison rules/manual on the state prison websites. It is extremely difficult to access updated rules of other states. In our experience, access to prison manuals is a challenge for prisoners as well. Ideally, all prison libraries must have a copy of the prison rules, says Sugandha Shankar, a senior programme officer at CHRI.

A sadhvi in the mix

In Maharashtra, Lalita says, unwritten caste practice is rampant. Her stay in Byculla prison coincided with that of Pragya Singh Thakur, a prime accused in a bomb blast case of 2008 in Malegaon, a town in northern Maharashtra. Thakur, on her release in 2017, was inducted into the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and later in 2019, became an elected member of parliament from her hometown, Bhopal.

At the time of her arrest, she was merely a self-appointed seer. That, however, did not stop her from growing her clout in prison, nor did it prevent her from influencing prison officials. Thakur was lodged in one of the three separate cells, which doubles up as both a VIP cell for the rich and influential seeking privacy, or in the case of erring prisoners, a torture or a solitary cell.

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From Segregation to Labour, Manu's Caste Law Governs the Indian Prison System - Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting

What you want to know about the Rappahannock County comprehensive plan

For the first time in a long time, Rappahannock County might greet the new year with a fully up-to-date comprehensive plan. Next week, the Board of Supervisors could make the long-awaited decision to approve updates to the countys guiding vision document updates that are more than a decade overdue.

Last month after several members of the public expressed opposition to the plans maps delineating boundaries around each of the countys five villages, the supervisors agreed to remove the maps from the proposed plan and arranged to revisit the issue in a future revision.

In preparation for the landmark vote, the Rappahannock News and Foothills Forum compiled comments from prominent county leaders and former officials to provide answers to some of our readers most pressing questions.

What is the comprehensive plan, and what is it for?

Virginia state code compels every local planning commission in the commonwealth to prepare a plan for the purpose of guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the territory within its jurisdiction. By statute, the comprehensive plan is meant to be general. And as many local officials point out, it is meant only to inform present and future activity, not to establish new enforceable ordinances.

Jurisdictions are encouraged to update their comprehensive plans at least every five years, but Rappahannock has not fully updated its plan, first written in 1973, since 2004.

[The comprehensive plan] should be our guiding star that we look to and consult in our future decision-making processes. Its supposed to be a loose document, an overarching general plan not a zoning document. Christine Smith, Chair of the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors.

It is a protective document. What are we protecting? We are protecting Rappahannock County the way we all know and love it. Keir Whitson, Hampton District Supervisor.

At its base the comprehensive plan is really just supposed to outline and lay out the vision of the jurisdiction, whether its a town or a county, in terms of how they see development and where they see opportunities for growth, whether that be development growth or economic growth or anything else. Patrick Mauney, Executive Director of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission

What is the relationship between the comprehensive plan and zoning?

While there is nothing in the Virginia code that requires a governing body to adhere to its jurisdictions comprehensive plan, the plan is generally thought of as a guardrail for planners making zoning and subdivision ordinances.

If a newly-revised comprehensive plan designates an area for industrial growth and development but it is not currently zoned for such activity, for example, then zoning and subdivision rules should be amended to align with that objective. Each time the comprehensive plan is amended, a review should follow to determine how the changes will be reflected in county policies and which governing body will have oversight.

I always thought of [the comp plan] as the skeleton and the zoning regulations are like the flesh on the skeleton. Sharon Pierce, former Chair of the Planning Commission.

Any time we consider a new or modified zoning ordinance (which is very specific in time and detail) we must first ask: is it supported by the comp plan? That is, does the new idea fit within the vision of the plan, the opening of the funnel? If not, it would not be supported and the idea would need to be reshaped or we would need to ask ourselves if our vision shifted. If our vision shifted, the comp plan can be modified after properly advertised public hearings at the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Rick Kohler, Piedmont District Representative to the Planning Commission.

Some residents object to the wording in Principle 4 of the comp plan, which reads: Encourage residential development within the designated village areas, infill development to be preferred; to allow for the broadest possible range of housing opportunities, styles, configurations, and affordability within the context of a rural, agricultural community.

Why encourage and not accommodate?

Planning Commission Chair David Konick has correctly emphasized on a number of occasions that the word encourage has been in the comprehensive plan since the 1980s.

The term and phrase are intentionally broad. One goal of Rappahannocks comprehensive plan has been to preserve the countys rural character. To accomplish that, former (and some present) county planners have believed that Rappahannock needs to allow some higher density development in the village areas to protect against legal challenges that could argue low-density zoning is exclusionary.

The focus of encouraging growth was from the standpoint of defending the comprehensive plan as a whole. And everything changes -- political wills change, legal statuses change but at the time the intent of that [phrase] was that the growth would occur around the villages. So accommodate is maybe a better word than encourage but encourage was there because the intent [was] to say if growth happens it should happen around the villages. I could even argue that the villages do need an amount of growth to be economic units. Sharon Pierce, former Chair of the Planning Commission.

Can the Sperryville sewer accommodate growth, and if so, how much?

The short answer? No one really knows.

Water and sewer services allow for higher commercial and residential density than private septic systems, but their purpose is not to designate village boundaries. Sperryvilles sewer system was built in the late 1980s to respond to state and federal environmental clean water protection mandates that prohibited the dumping of waste into the Thornton River. (Similarly, the Town of Washington put in its sewer lines in 2010 largely to protect the Rush River watershed.)

The Sperryville sewage permit is specified to an amount of effluent, not a number of households. The plant was built to process 55,000 gallons of wastewater per day. Currently, the sewer serves roughly 180 connections that produce notably less effluent than the maximum allowed by the permit.

The authority has engaged a Luray-based firm, Racey Engineering and Surveying, to analyze the sewers true capacity.

It would be better for the authority and the system to have more users helping to share the burden of the cost. It is a source of revenue so a reason we might want more users is not necessarily because were promoting growth, but if it is in our legitimate service area it would be nice if we could get that additional revenue. Alex Sharp, Chair of the Rappahannock County Water and Sewer Authority

Why were the comp plan maps removed?

At an October public hearing to discuss the comprehensive plan, Board Chair Christine Smith observed that the maps seem to have taken on a life where they are seen as encouraging and including more growth.

The village area maps were intended to improve upon the aerial photographs that were previously included in the 2004 comprehensive plan, but the proposed maps met with unexpected resistance from county residents and even the Piedmont Environmental Council.

Patrick Mauney, executive director of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission, told the Rappahannock News that the maps had been devised by superimposing the countys zoning maps onto digital maps of the villages. The initial maps were just village boundaries with no designation of what the zoning was, he said. And the regional commission drew those boundaries, Mauney continued, based on where parcels naturally seemed to have fence lines and tree lines.

Nonetheless, the myriad objections to the maps included fears that development and growth might increase traffic dangers; burden Sperryvilles sewer system; tarnish the rural charm of the historic villages; and burden the villages with unwelcome sprawl.

Chris Parrish, vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors, put it succinctly during a November session: I have yet to talk to anybody personally that is in favor of the maps.

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'Must we grow?' and other questions | Government | rappnews.com - Rappahannock News

This week's top stories1. Parents of special needs students: Kids need to be in school

For children with special needs, a celebratory rub on the back or high-five can mean the world. In the age of COVID-19, those physical acts of reassurance happen less often, with school restrictions on social distancing and the stress of spreading the virus hanging in the air. But Long Island parents and instructors say having special needs students back in school, either full time or hybrid, is better than keeping them at home.

"We've always had our challenges. Now they're exacerbated to the ninth degree," said Tricia Desiderio, vice president of the Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators. The school environment is "less interactive," there's greater spacing between desks, and group-activity tables have disappeared, Desiderio said. Special needs educators across the Island said they saw numerous students' abilities both physically and academically diminish.

Schools are more than a place to learn math and science for kids with special needs they host a spectrum of services, including counseling, and physical, occupational and speech therapy, educators said. Special needs students thrive on the structure, routine and expertise in schools. When a student regresses in school, they're not necessarily forgetting some fractions, but they're losing life skills that help them be more independent and communicate with others, educators said.

Melissa Clark, of West Babylon, said it was difficult doing speech therapy with her daughter, Brianna, who has autism, during the months of remote learning in the spring. She said her daughter lost some of her ability to speak in the time. She noticed the remote therapy sessions really didn't offer more than 15 minutes of instruction before Brianna's attention drifted elsewhere.

Read the full story.

The Wyandanch school district plans to end the use of failing cesspools at two schools and hook up to the Southwest Sewer District under proposed legislation that would waive county sewer hookup fees for schools under a state fiscal monitor.

The pandemic has changed education on Long Island. Find out how.

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Read the full story.

Suffolk Countys planned seizure of the former Dowling College campus in Oakdale is on hold after the propertys owner paid more than $2 million in back taxes, officials said.

Read the full story.

Danielle Grey-Stewart, a Hicksville native who grew up enamored with science and how it shapes the world around her, was selected for the 2021 Rhodes scholarship program, one of just 32 recipients in the United States to receive the prestigious distinction.

Read the full story.

An Oceanside High School sophomore recently collected 30 boxes worth of donated art supplies for use by children in local hospitals. In lieu of a "Sweet 16," Autum Blois held one of her biggest art supply drive-by collections last month at her family's home, where about 700 boxes of crayons were dropped off by residents, said Maureen, her mother. She called this collection, "Autum's Colors."

Autum, who is on the autism spectrum, previously has held donation drives to benefit local hospitals, including Mount Sinai South Nassau and NYU Winthrop. Of Autum's passion for art, Maureen said: "She never leaves our house without some sort of drawing material."

Have questions? Send them to ednews@newsday.com. Newsdays education reporting team will pick one to answer in this space each week.

Are children safe from COVID-19 in school?

Medical experts say "yes" for the most part, but warn against gatherings outside of school, where the virus is spreading among children and adults. School buildings were shut for months at the start of the pandemic, though medical experts now believe children are less likely to be infected with the virus in an education setting where they are wearing masks, keeping their distance and cleaning protocols are followed.

"Schools have done tremendous work to try and make the learning environment very safe," said Dr. James Schneider, chief of pediatric critical care medicine at Cohen Childrens Medical Center in New Hyde Park. On the other hand, organizing parties and gatherings at home and in the community with 20 or 30 people children and adults is "absolutely irresponsible."

He added, "We know for sure that is how [COVID-19] is spreading."

Even though many children do not fall seriously ill, its a mistake to underestimate the impact of COVID-19 on children, as some people have done, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Childrens Hospital.

"I think the first thing to remind them is that more children have died of COVID-19 this year than have died of flu in the past," Nachman said. "So when people dont think these illness affect children, the answer is, They do. "

Find the latest education news at newsday.com/long-island/education. Catherine Carrera can be reached at catherine.carrera@newsday.com or on Twitter @CattCarrera.

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Why in-person instruction can mean the world - Newsday