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  • Answering The Call For Multigenerational Residences

    Answering The Call For Multigenerational Residences

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    At different times over the past century, Americans have found themselves living under the same roofs with family members of multiple generations.

    The financial hardships of the Depression spawned generational living in many U.S. households. The housing shortage of 1946-50, immediately after World War II, triggered the same full-house phenomenon. Today, it’s happening once again. A recent Harris Poll for Bloomberg found roughly 45% of those ages 18 to 29 are living in their parents’ homes. That represents the highest percentage since – you guessed it – the 1940s. Add the large number of grandparents living with their kids and grandkids, and you have multi-generational living redux.

    Whether the causes are evolving societal dynamics, a renewed appreciation of the importance of generational bonding or – as is far more likely – a simple shortage of cash, today’s housing is more valuable if it can respond to multiple generations. What follows are short thumbnails of upscale residential designs appealing to all ages.

    Prado, Las Vegas, Nev.

    Versatility is the byword of this development from acclaimed, Las Vegas-based, design-led development firm Blue Heron. Cocooned in the coveted enclave of Section 10 in West Las Vegas, the community offers an assortment of sprawling single-family homes that marry functionality with multigenerational living.

    Buyers have the opportunity to choose either one- or two-level homes as well as detached casitas. These options can blend privacy and independence when desired with a sense of belonging when that feeling is sought.

    “When designing modern luxury homes for generational living, it’s very important to create spaces for getting together and privacy,” says Chris Beucler, Blue Heron’s Nexus Division president. “Prado, located in an iconic neighborhood of Vegas estates, excels at that. Every home in Prado is on half-acre lots with incredible generational suites with private bedroom, bathroom and sitting area, and detached casitas for even more space and privacy, making it a fantastic place for expanding families.”

    Whitetail Club, McCall, Idaho

    This private real estate community and club appeals to many buyers, including those who want year-round residences able to accommodate the entire family.

    Among popular design features sought by buyers of custom homes are attached “mother-in-law suites” and detached rooms, both of which allow for a blend of privacy and togetherness.

    “At Whitetail Club, the basis of our community is set up for multi-generational use, and our architects always keep this in mind when designing custom homes for members, who plan to make memories with grandparents, parents, kids and grandkids, for generations to come,” says Joey Snyder, Whitetail Club real estate sales executive. “Of our custom builds, many feature a minimum of four-bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms, a large flex space that may double as a bunkroom, stand-alone living areas and an open-concept living room that flows into the kitchen and dining areas, creating a space for the entire family.”

    Stanly Ranch Residences, Napa, Calif.

    Among the exceptional features of the 3.5-bedroom Vineyard Homes’ Oak and Madrone floor plans at Stanly Ranch is a groundbreaking design enabling interior rooms of the residences to be entered via exterior courtyards.

    The result: Family members can enjoy serenity and, when desired, separation from the gatherings in the larger residence, while savoring the spectacular natural landscape served up by the surrounding Napa Valley.

    Kohanaiki, Kona, Big Island, Hawaii

    A 450-acre, private residential community situated on the Big Island’s picturesque Kona Coast, Kohanaiki offers a private club experience delivering something for every generation of the family. Real estate options include estate homesites, custom single-family homes and paired townhome-style dwellings. Experiences range from golf and spa treatments for older and younger adult family members, water sports for teens and educational alternatives for the youngsters in any family group.

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    Jeffrey Steele, Contributor

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  • Mauna Loa Lava In Hawaii No Longer Imminent Threat To Highway

    Mauna Loa Lava In Hawaii No Longer Imminent Threat To Highway

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    HONOLULU (AP) — Lava from the world’s largest volcano is no longer an imminent threat to the main highway across the Big Island of Hawaii, scientists said Thursday, a development that was a welcome reprieve for motorists who depend on the road.

    Mauna Loa was still erupting Thursday morning, but the lava that was feeding the flow heading toward the crucial road has been cut off, likely because of a reduced production rate, said David Phillips, deputy scientist-in-charge at U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

    “That’s good news for us,” Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said. Still, county officials said they will stay on the alert — because scientists say things could always change.

    Lava from Mauna Loa, which began erupting Nov. 27 after being quiet for 38 years, was 1.76 miles (2.83 kilometers) from Saddle Road, also known as Route 200 or Daniel K. Inouye Highway, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

    “So just to emphasize, there is no current threat to any island communities or infrastructure at this time,” Phillips said.

    Last week, officials said the earliest the lava could hit the road was one week, prompting motorists to brace for upheaval from a possible closure that could add hours to commute times on alternate coastal routes. But, as expected, the lava slowed considerably in recent days as it moved across flatter ground, leaving scientists unable to estimate a clearer timeline.

    Phillips said the active fissure is still generating lava flows, but they’ll be localized around the fissure.

    If there are additional flows in the channel, it’s very unlikely that supply from the top will push the flow front ahead to become a threat, said Frank Trusdell, a geologist with the volcano observatory.

    “So right now, we don’t expect that the new lava coming out on the surface to be able to replenish the supply to the flows that are closest to Daniel K. Inouye Highway,” he said.

    Meanwhile, scientists were trying to understand why lava fountains were higher than usual overnight — a marvel noticed by people across the island, Phillips said. There wasn’t a good estimate of size, he said, but they were at least several hundred feet.

    Some 20,000 vehicles have used a viewing route, which opened last week in an attempt to manage throngs of nighttime lava-gawkers, officials said.

    Native Hawaiian community members planned to be out along the highway Friday to ensure the area is free of debris and garbage.

    “And so as we do when we are preparing for the arrival of Pele, it is a practice for many of us to prepare our homes, prepare the areas where we live, and to make sure that that these areas are clean,” said Hawaiian cultural advisor Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, referring to the deity of volcanoes and fire.

    For many Native Hawaiians, an eruption of a volcano like Mauna Loa has a deep yet very personal cultural significance.

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  • Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Erupts, Spewing Ash And Debris Nearby

    Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Erupts, Spewing Ash And Debris Nearby

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    HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, began spewing ash and debris from its summit, prompting civil defense officials to warn residents on Monday to prepare in case the eruption causes lava to flow toward communities.

    The eruption began late Sunday night in the summit caldera of the volcano on the Big Island following a series of closely spaced, fairly large earthquakes, Ken Hon, the scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcanos Observatory, said at an early morning news conference. Magma moved to the surface, although lava flows were contained within the summit area and weren’t threatening nearby communities.

    A time-lapse video of the eruption from overnight shows molten lava lighting up the caldera, moving across it like waves on the ocean.

    There have been some photos provided to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory that suggest that the south end of the caldera has overflowed, causing some lava flows a few kilometers (miles) out of the caldera, Hon said.

    In some previous eruptions, lava has overflowed the caldera but never made it close to populated areas.

    “Right now we are looking at indications, trying to figure out if this is going to be an eruption that remains within the summit of Mauna Loa or moves down one of the rift zones either to the southwest and to the northeast,” Hon said.

    “We don’t want to try and second guess the volcano,” Hon said. “We have to let it actually show us what it’s going to do and then we inform people of what is happening ASAP.”

    There is currently no indication of any migration of the eruption into a rift zone, officials said. A rift zone is where the mountain is splitting apart and the rock is cracked and relatively weak – making it easier for magma to emerge.

    The ground is shaking and swelling at Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano in the world, indicating that it could erupt. Scientists say they don’t expect that to happen right away but officials on the Big Island of Hawaii are telling residents to be prepared in case it does erupt soon. This map shows the lava flow hazard level zones for the island.

    “At this time, it’s not a time to be alarmed,” Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.

    There are no evacuation orders.

    Even though it noted there is no indication of lava moving into a rift one, Hawaii County Civil Defense announced it has opened shelters in Kailua-Kona and Pahala because it has reports of people self-evacuating along the South Kona coast.

    Scientists will have to wait to see if this remains a summit-only eruption or a rift zone eruption. The average Mauna Loa eruption is not typically prolonged, lasting a couple of weeks, Hon said.

    “Typically, Mauna Loa eruptions start off with the heaviest volume first,” Hon said. “After a few days, it starts to calm down a little bit.”

    The USGS warned residents at risk from Mauna Loa lava flows should review their eruption preparations. Scientists had been on alert because of a recent spike in earthquakes at the summit of the volcano, which last erupted in 1984.

    Portions of the Big Island were under an ashfall advisory issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu, which said up to a quarter-inch (0.6 centimeters) of ash could accumulate in some areas.

    Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.

    Mauna Loa, rising 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level, is the much larger neighbor to Kilauea volcano, which erupted in a residential neighborhood and destroyed 700 homes in 2018. Some of its slopes are much steeper than Kilauea’s – so when it erupts, lava can flow much faster.

    During a 1950 eruption, the mountain’s lava traveled 15 miles (24 kilometers) to the ocean in less than three hours.

    Tourism is the economic engine for Hawaii, but Roth predicted few problems for those on vacation during the eruption.

    “If it does go into one of the rift zones, it’s going to impact a very small area of the island,” he said. “It will be spectacular where it is, but the chances of it really interrupting the visitor industry — very, very slim.”

    For some, the eruption might cut down on some travel time, even if there is more vog, or volcanic smog caused by higher sulfur dioxide emissions.

    “But the good thing is you don’t have to drive from Kona over to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see an eruption anymore,” Roth said. “You can just look out your window at night and you’ll be able to see Mauna Loa erupting.”

    Associated Press writer Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, contributed to this report.

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