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  • Left homeless for holidays after fire tore through their block, South L.A. residents plead for answers

    Left homeless for holidays after fire tore through their block, South L.A. residents plead for answers

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    A small, unburned patch of the living room under a caved-in roof is all that remains of Omar Hernandez’s house after a massive fire tore through his block in South Los Angeles this week. Pink insulation and overhead lights dangle from above as he tiptoes around glass shards and gravel in slippers.

    Hernandez, 53, and his wife and cousin are spending nights at a friend’s apartment in Glendale, but return every day to what is left of the house to salvage any belongings. The plan is to move everything out by Monday as they search for a new home and some answers.

    Before dawn Tuesday, flames swept through an apartment building under construction in the 1500 block of East Vernon Avenue in the working-class neighborhood of Central-Alameda. Burning hot and fast through the exposed wood of the building’s framing, the fire spread quickly to neighboring homes, injuring three people and displacing 17, including Hernandez.

    Seven buildings were damaged, including five that were left at least partially unsafe for occupancy. Entry is prohibited to one single-family home and two duplexes deemed completely uninhabitable, according to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.

    Kimberly Erendira, 12, is among those whose homes were gutted by the fire. Seven buildings were damaged or destroyed.

    (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

    As neighbors sift through the remnants of their belongings and seek new housing, many are pointing to the building under construction. City records show that it was to be a four-story affordable housing complex and that it had received expedited processing, clearances and approvals under Mayor Karen Bass’ Executive Directive 1.

    “I blame the owner of the construction site,” Hernandez said. “They were trying to make this small plot of land into a four-story building next to small homes. Whoever said OK to this project needs to be held accountable.”

    The site, steps from neighboring houses, had a problem with trespassers and no security guards on the property, multiple neighbors said.

    Jerardo Diaz, 30, whose family lived in the home directly behind the site for 35 years, had even asked the construction crews to put up a bigger fence to give his family more privacy. In front of the charred remnants of his house there now hangs a red leaflet from the Department of Building and Safety reading: “Unsafe / Do not enter or occupy.”

    The site’s contractor, Arrow Construction Co. in Artesia, did not respond to a request for comment.

    The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and it’s unclear when authorities will make a determination, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

    Blackened, burned-out cars smoldering outside a destroyed home

    The cause of the massive fire this week in the Central-Alameda neighborhood is still under investigation, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

    (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

    Meanwhile, those whose homes were damaged or destroyed are struggling to figure out what to do next as families face the prospect of a holiday season spent rebuilding or looking for a new home.

    “To explain to a child, when it’s Christmastime, [that] all their friends have toys but they’re not going to be able to this year — because right now their mom and dad need to get a roof over their head — is going to be their reality,” said Edward Winters, 63, of Lynwood, a former East Vernon Avenue resident who visited Wednesday morning to help neighbors after seeing a GoFundMe page that had been set up for Hernandez.

    Hernandez said he had not received any help from his landlord or communication from the contractor of the construction site. He works as a dental assistant and moonlights as a DJ, and said he lost three cars and $15,000 worth of DJ equipment in the fire, among other belongings.

    Hilda Flores, who has known Hernandez for 20 years and set up the GoFundMe page, is housing his family in her two-bedroom Glendale apartment and has urged them to stop returning to their destroyed home.

    “I told them, ‘Leave the clothes.’ Those are all material things we can buy again,” said Flores, 41. “It’s not safe.”

    Large planks of charred wood protrude into the walkway to the home, and pieces of insulation fall from the damaged ceiling despite a tarp they put up to cover it. Smoke and bits of charcoal still linger in the air.

    “The main thing is we need a place to stay,” said Isabel Perez, 67, Hernandez’s wife. “A two-bedroom in this area. Anything, really.”

    Neighbors have voiced concern over the mental well-being of the displaced families. Perez believes her husband has been suffering from depression since the fire, and says their dog, Mia, suffered burn injuries on her head and must be taken to the veterinarian.

    “Omar is crying every hour and wakes up in the middle of the night crying from nightmares,” she said. “Mia keeps on whimpering and crying too. If something is seriously wrong with Mia, he might die.”

    “At least we lived,” Perez murmured to herself, cradling Mia.

    A spokesperson for City Councilmember Curren Price, who represents the area, acknowledged the anguish victims are feeling and said the American Red Cross has been assisting the city’s emergency response.

    “They’re in limbo, living day to day,” Angelina Valencia said of the displaced residents, adding that at least one family has temporarily moved to Bakersfield to stay with relatives.

    Price met with victims Tuesday afternoon, and his office has coordinated with local organizations to give the families clothing, toiletries, baby wipes, diapers and toys.

    “Our own staff has donated baby clothing because most of the impacted families have young children, from a month old to a 12-year-old,” Valencia said.

    Price’s office had connected with two families and was working to reach others.

    A small group standing behind yellow tape reading "Fire line do not cross" as a crew works from a firetruck in the background

    Evacuated residents were left stunned Tuesday morning, many without shelter, after the East Vernon Avenue fire.

    (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

    The Red Cross has also provided residents cards with some funds, but “it’s only meant to help them in the short term with their immediate needs,” Valencia said. “Still, the families feel confused and desperate to get answers as they don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

    A disaster team, caseworkers and volunteers have been in touch with the displaced residents and will continue to offer assistance in the days to come, said Stephanie Grande, spokesperson for the Red Cross’ Los Angeles region. A temporary evacuation center closed at 1 p.m. the day the fire broke out.

    “Casework assistance often entails connecting those affected by a disaster with existing social service programs in the community, helping them navigate complex paperwork, providing financial assistance to help meet immediate needs, and locating help from other agencies to assist with longer-term recovery needs,” Grande said.

    With the shock of the fire behind them, Julise Jimemes, 56, said the neighborhood was coming together to lend what support it could to the displaced families.

    When Jimemes woke up Tuesday morning, she was convinced her home would be taken by the fire. She gathered all of her important papers and belongings into her car and got ready to flee with her 87-year-old mother.

    But after firefighters extinguished the blaze, Jimemes’ home remained unscathed.

    Thankful to be among the fortunate ones, she couldn’t bear to see neighbors struggle on the block she has called home for 35 years. On Friday, she said, she planned to cook dinner for Hernandez’s family.

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    Ashley Ahn, Karen Garcia

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  • California Democratic Party convention locked down amid anti-Israel protests

    California Democratic Party convention locked down amid anti-Israel protests

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    SACRAMENTO — 

    A protest by about 1,000 people angry over U.S. support for Israel in its war with Hamas entered the convention center where the California Democratic Party was meeting Saturday evening, causing security guards to lock entrances to the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Sacramento and prompting an early end to the day’s official events.

    Delegates and other participants were temporarily blocked from exiting and entering the building after demonstrators barged through security around 6 p.m. and opened several doors, allowing more people to stream into the building where California Democrats gathered for a weekend of events gearing up for the 2024 election.

    “Cease-fire now. Cease-fire now,” they chanted as they marched through the convention hall waving Palestinian flags and carrying “Free Palestine” signs.

    California Democratic Party officials canceled evening meetings and parties “for the safety and security of our delegates and convention participants,” spokesperson Shery Yang said in a statement.

    The demonstration was not as dramatic as Wednesday’s protest at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, in which police clashed with demonstrators calling for a cease-fire as members of Congress gathered inside. Both instances highlight how the war between Israel and Hamas is dividing the left as the U.S. heads into an election year.

    Protesters in Sacramento called President Biden “Genocide Joe,” and said, “bombing hospitals and children is a crime.”

    Israel’s military has been searching the Gaza Strip’s largest hospital for a Hamas command center that it alleges is located under the building, a claim Hamas and the hospital staff deny.

    The Sacramento protest began earlier in the afternoon in a park blocks away. The crowd heard from speakers decrying the Israeli bombardment of Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 incursion in which militants massacred about 1,200 people in Israel and abducted about 240. In response, the Israeli military has killed more 11,500 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health authorities, with an additional 2,700 missing, believed buried under rubble.

    Several Jewish delegates to the convention expressed frustration that protesters who had not registered to attend the convention could so easily enter the facility.

    Naomi Goldman, a Democrats for Israel California board member wearing a “Nice Jewish Girl” T-shirt, said it was painful to hear protesters chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” While many Palestinians consider the refrain a cry for liberation, many Jews hear it as a message that Israel should be obliterated.

    “I am eagerly anticipating meaningful comment from my party on hate speech and violence targeting the Jewish community,” Goldman said, “as well as a total denunciation of what delegates did to disrupt our assembly, and how it will ensure safe inclusive spaces for everyone who hold a diversity of opinions.”

    Ameera Abouromeleh, an 18-year-old Palestinian American who joined the protest with six members of her family — including her 74-year-old grandfather who she said was born in Jerusalem — said she looks forward to voting next year for the first time as a way to show solidarity with family who remain in the West Bank.

    “I’m feeling really lucky to be 18 because this is when I can really make a change about what happens to my people and my land,” said the community college student from the East Bay Area. “Even though you squish someone under the rubble, our voices will be heard further.”

    She said that in the presidential election she plans to vote for Cornel West, a progressive academic who is running as an independent. But she was unsure about whom she prefers in California’s race for the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

    Democratic candidates in that race — including Reps. Katie Porter of Irvine, Adam B. Schiff of Burbank and Barbara Lee of Oakland — made the rounds at the convention Saturday seeking their party’s endorsement.

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    Benjamin Oreskes

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  • 14 are injured when bus and car collide and smash into a Long Beach restaurant

    14 are injured when bus and car collide and smash into a Long Beach restaurant

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    Fourteen people were injured after a bus and a car collided with each other and then crashed into a Long Beach restaurant Thursday afternoon, officials said.

    Ten people were taken to nearby hospitals to be treated for injuries, including four who required advanced life support, said Capt. Jack Crabtree of the Long Beach Fire Department.

    The crash was reported at about 3:15 p.m. Thursday after a Long Beach public transit bus and a car crashed near South Street and California Avenue and then smashed into the structure, Crabtree said.

    Firefighters and paramedics arrived to find 14 people injured. They included two people who were in the vehicle. Firefighters had to extract the two passengers from the vehicle using the Jaws of Life. A dozen passengers from the bus also suffered injuries.

    A bus and car crashed into each other and then into a restaurant in Long Beach on Thursday.

    (KTLA-TV)

    All of the injured appeared to be adults, he said.

    The first floor of the building that was struck was a restaurant, but no one inside the building was injured, he said.

    The second floor of the building is composed of residences. Two people were displaced as a result of damage to the structure, he said. They are receiving assistance from the Red Cross and Long Beach health officials.

    Building and Safety Department officials also responded to the area to assess the structure, Crabtree said.

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    Salvador Hernandez

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  • ‘Succession’ star Alan Ruck reportedly crashed into Hollywood pizza parlor

    ‘Succession’ star Alan Ruck reportedly crashed into Hollywood pizza parlor

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    The universe apparently wanted “Succession” star Alan Ruck to get some pizza on Halloween.

    Surveillance video shows a Rivian truck — reportedly driven by Ruck — smash into the side of Raffallo’s Pizza in Hollywood. Los Angeles police confirmed to The Times that a crash occurred around 9 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.

    Four vehicles were involved in the collision, according to LAPD Sgt. Hector Guzman.

    “There were injuries reported, but they appear to be minor,” Guzman said. “Nothing life threatening in nature.”

    Surveillance video captured the action. The Rivian is traveling southbound on La Brea approaching Hollywood Boulevard when it rear-ends a vehicle. The impact pushes that vehicle into the intersection, where it then crashes into a another vehicle. The Rivian, meanwhile, has continued in a southwest direction, clipping a separate car before slamming into the side of Raffallo’s Pizza. Photos show the cab of the truck breaking through the building’s exterior.

    A truck slammed into the wall of a pizza shop in Hollywood on Tuesday night.

    (KTLA)

    “The whole building shook and I thought a bomb or something had exploded,” Tim Ratcliff, who owns restaurants close to Raffallo’s, told KTLA.

    Ratcliff told the outlet that he rushed to help the driver, who “appeared more concerned about the well-being of others than his own.”

    No one involved in the incident was arrested for driving under the influence, police said.

    According to TMZ, Ruck stayed at the scene of the crash. He was seen outside of his vehicle, talking on his cellphone while the damage was assessed.

    The police investigation into the crash is ongoing.

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    Emily St. Martin

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  • Another suspected marijuana sales flyer found at university; police launch probe – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Another suspected marijuana sales flyer found at university; police launch probe – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    This image of a flyer promoting “liquid weed” is captured from an online community of Hongik University. Yonhap

    Another flyer advertising suspected marijuana sales was found at Konkuk University in Seoul on Monday, prompting the police to search for the distributor.

    According to officials at the university, a business card-sized flyer promoting “liquid weed” was found tucked into the window of a car parked in the basement parking lot at the schools’ Arts & Design Building earlier in the day.

    “Do you need inspiration? We prepared a innovative product for you ‘liquid weed,’” the card reads, claiming the substance is “totally legal.”

    “Contact me while it’s still legal!” it says, bearing a QR code on its backside.

    Konkuk University issued an emergency notification warning students not to access the QR code if they find the flyer, while the Gwangjin Police Station in the district launched an investigation to track down the distributor through CCTVs.

    The incident came after the same flyer was found recently at the art school’s building at Hongik University in Seoul, prompting the school to urge its students to be cautious and notify the police.

    Under the drug control act, exporting, importing, producing, selling or advertising marijuana is illegal unless specifically authorized by the chief of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. (Yonhap)

    Original Author Link click here to read complete story..

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  • As Mortgages Lock Homeowners In Place, Remodeling Comes Of Age

    As Mortgages Lock Homeowners In Place, Remodeling Comes Of Age

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    The costs to purchase a new home right now continue to escalate, putting it out of reach for much of the population, driving more households to stay in place and do what they can to maintain, repurpose and reimagine their homes.

    Many of the households currently on 15- and 30-year mortgage payment plans are at rates below 5%. Now, mortgage rates have skyrocketed to their highest levels in about 15 years. So, at the new rates, a home buyer would add more than $40,000 to the life of the loan on an average home purchase. With that said, it’s no wonder that a recent Zillow report noted that homeowners with mortgage rates below 5% are nearly twice as likely to want to stay put in their current home.

    While economic factors aren’t the only reasons people stay in place, it is the leading driver today, which is also triggering investments in home improvement projects.

    Commitments to home improvement projects also could be easier today because homes are appreciating at the fastest rates ever. The average annual appreciation typically sits around 4%, but recently homeowners experienced an average of 17%, giving them plenty of equity to tap into to finance projects.

    “Pent-up demand and macroeconomic conditions, such as aging housing stock and high mortgage rates, which continue to drive home improvement activity, are instilling a sense of optimism among builders, remodelers, architects and interior designers as they look ahead to the second half of the year,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist.

    With these drivers motivating more home improvement projects, let’s take a look at some details around who is doing what, when, where and why.

    A Different Era of Remodeling

    Over the years, remodeling projects have evolved. Today, they take on many new variations.

    First, we are coming out of a pandemic. Homeowners are emerging from lock down, and they face new work situations. Companies across the country are shutting down offices, pushing people back into their homes for the daily office grind. So, homeowners are looking at ways to renovate to create quiet, calm, technology-enhanced spaces to work.

    Second, the pandemic also drove households to think about their home can impact their health. So, remodeling projects centered around health and wellness, including indoor air quality, are becoming more frequent. Research from Chrissi Antonopoulos, a senior energy analyst at Pacific Northwest National Labs, shows that many of the motivators for home improvement projects are quality of life based.

    Third, the housing stock is aging. Today’s Homeowner reports that the median age of a home in the U.S. is 39 years old, with 50% of homes being built before 1980. So, a larger percent of projects are tied into the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of homes.

    Houzz data goes into additional detail on the projects that are related to the aging housing stock, with close to 30% of homeowners choosing to upgrade plumbing in 2022, with electrical and home automation improvement projects close behind.

    Finally, the government is offering incentives that are motivating owners to consider clean energy retrofits. Harvard’s Improving America’s Housing Report shows that 34% of home improvement spending goes to energy-related projects, which has remained steady during the last decade. There is a strong correlation between the aging of a home and the investment in energy efficiency projects, which increases substantially when the house is more than 20 years old.

    These incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act are new and just being communicated to homeowners at a state level, so could inspire much more remodeling activity during the coming months.

    Regardless of the incentive, the study also shows that 93% of homeowners felt they had a better quality of life after finishing their renovations, which as Antonopoulos pointed out, is a major incentive.

    Homeowners Age In and Out of Remodeling

    Why would the homeowner’s age matter in these home improvement activities? In general, older homeowners have more disposable income to finance projects and to hire labor to do the project. On the flip side, they also have the experience and knowledge to tackle projects on their own. Plus, they most likely have been living somewhere longer, so they have built up more equity in their home, which can also be a financing mechanism.

    “We know older generations who have been in their homes longer have, on average, more equity to tap into to do more expensive jobs which typically involves a contractor,” said Dave King, the executive director of the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI). “Additionally, there is some evidence to suggest that younger generations simply aren’t as interested in the trades and haven’t learned the same DIY skills as their older counterparts. and are therefore less likely to do DIY as a percentage of total projects done.”

    However, many younger buyers aren’t going to be priced out. To find affordable housing, many have to take on fixer uppers, and they may just simply have the energy to make it work. Data provided by HIRI show that younger generations are more likely to purchase a home that needs improvement.

    “There has also been some work in the last few years from HIRI that suggests Millennials are more likely to do a hybrid with contractors,” King said. “Gen Y will do some of the work themselves, then have a pro come in for certain aspects.”

    The National Assocation of Realtors reports that 12% of recent buyers who are older Millennials purchased a previously owned home because they wanted a DIY fixer upper.

    The group’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research, Dr. Jessica Lautz, adds that a considerable share of younger buyers may have compromised on the condition knowing they would need to later remodel, but did what they could to enter the housing market today.

    The Social Media Impact

    Younger generations also grew up watching every style, size and shape of renovation show on TV, and now watch social media influencers talk about renovations online. When I did a quick search for influencers focused on remodeling, I got lists of hundreds, and the most popular have more than a million followers.

    This content and the influencers behind it are creating streams of content that are easy to access and can make anyone catch the DIY bug. The HIRI data shows that younger populations are much more likely to consider themselves “heavy DIYers.” Maybe that is because there is a Youtube video that can walk them through nearly any project that they want to take on.

    It appears that younger generations are doing more projects that fit in the discretionary space such as needing more space in their home compared to older generations who are more likely to simply be doing maintenance, which again could be because of the longevity in the home.

    From the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies Remodeling Futures Group recent Improving America’s Housing report we see similar data. It shows that younger owners continue to be the most likely to do DIY projects and are somewhat less likely to do pro projects. But, maybe that is not always the case.

    “That said, we have seen the DIY share of improvement spending trend downward over the last several decades for the youngest owners under age 35, which we’ve also speculated is because younger owners today are not as skilled at DIY projects as prior generations or as interested in spending their time on these activities,” said Abbe Will, senior research associate and associate project director with the Remodeling Futures group. “And with the aging of the housing stock, younger owners today are also buying into homes that are more likely to need upgrades requiring skilled installation like roofing and electrical/plumbing systems and equipment.”

    Data from Today’s Homeowner supports this, showing that older homeowners only spend 15% of their home improvement budgets on DIY projects.

    Houzz reports show an increase in households of every generation hiring pros to do the work, up 2 percentage points to more than 9 in 10 renovation projects in 2022. The same report points to Gen Xers and Seniors relying the most on pros at 46% each.

    Another demographic differentiator was marriage. The Today’s Homeowner reports show that married couples with children spent more on remodeling projects than single people.

    Bringing Meaningful Value

    With every homeowner chasing their dream home, there are lots of opportunities for renovations. As homeowners spend more time at home, they need a space that can deliver intangible value, be safe, healthy, comfortable and secure. Anotopoulous says that means talking to them about health and wellness, not about money savings.

    “In residential there are no shareholders, so they don’t renovate homes because they want to make money,” she said. “They are concerned about indoor air quality, or health. The motivations that the U.S. Department of Energy traditionally use are not the things that drive uptick in the residential market.”

    Her research on the spectrum of home improvement motivators shows that even though people often say they are committing to a renovation for financial reasons, they most often are not. Her advice is to stay away from a focus on lowering utility bills and talk about thermal comfort instead, like most HVAC companies that sell comfort. So, there are other motivators that we have to acknowledge even if the pros, and the homeowner themselves, don’t fully understand.

    The Future

    The market remains healthy. Today’s Homeowner predicts that home improvement sales will reach more than $620 billion in 2025.

    With current economic factors, there will continue to be discretionary spending financed by home equity and homeowners wanting to get the most pleasure out of where they are stuck in place.

    And, once they are invested, they want to stay put for a while. The 2023 Houzz and Home Study reports that more than 60% of homeowners plan to stay in their home for 11 years or more following a planned renovation in 2022. Plus, only 6% of today’s homeowners doing renovations plan to sell their home, which is half of where it was in 2018 at 12%.

    With more homeowners staying in place, not a lot of new housing coming online, it looks like a healthy road ahead for remodeling.

    Plus, 69% of homeowners feel a major sense of accomplishment after they’ve completed their project, but who wouldn’t enjoy a healthier, safer, more resilient home?

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    Jennifer Castenson, Contributor

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  • Napier CBD shake-up: Te Whatu Ora to turn large vacant building into office hub to free up space for health service expansion – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Napier CBD shake-up: Te Whatu Ora to turn large vacant building into office hub to free up space for health service expansion – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    An artist’s impression of a revamped Dalton House (right) and Vautier House (left) in Napier. Photo / Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay

    Well-known buildings on the edge of Napier’s CBD have been sold ahead of a major redevelopment, with new tenant Te Whatu Ora set to move offices in.

    It’s a move it says could allow an

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  • These Housing Innovations Remove The Risk Of Rising Climate Threats

    These Housing Innovations Remove The Risk Of Rising Climate Threats

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    As you read this you may be experiencing one of the hottest days in history in your area or breathing smoke from a wildfire. These situations are more and more common, causing physical impacts, but also bringing process and design questions into discussion.

    Adaptation means taking on responsibility for those who live in dangerous areas. Through smart innovations in new home design and construction and advanced retrofits, people can be protected, live well and even save energy costs.

    In 2018, Hurricane Michael wrecked 60,000 homes causing $25 billion in total damages according to InsideClimate News. When that storm hit, Annette Rubin was at home with a newborn, healing from a C-section. Listening to the impact of the storm outside her home and fearing for her baby and her own life, Rubin started thinking about building code and how or if her home was going to protect her.

    In a frantic state, she pulled out the house plans to see what the five-year-old home could withstand. It was built to the standard category three level winds that are building code in that area and the forecast was showing that Hurricane Michael was a more severe category five storm.

    “I thought if it hits our house, we probably won’t make it,” she said. “We couldn’t leave. We couldn’t go down because of storm surge, and it wasn’t safe to go up. Luckily for us, it went over us and hit east of us, but it was traumatizing enough that I wanted to figure out a different way to do this because hurricanes aren’t new. They happen every year.”

    After lots of due diligence, Rubin found a strong, sustainable panel system manufactured by Emmedue. Then, she took the next step. She started the company Vero Building Systems to be an owner and operator installing the Emmedue panel system.

    With 77 plants around the world, the technology has been used and distributed for years, but Rubin is the first to bring it to Florida where it exceeds category 5 hurricane resistance and will be able to withstand up to 250-mile-per-hour winds.

    Looking for a proof, she found the panels installed locally in a 7,000-square-foot home that has survived 3 hurricanes in 14 years.

    “He lives a mile from me, has two times the size of our house and pays one-third the price for energy,” she said. “His energy bill is $300. Mine is double. There are no thermal bridges, so it is astronomically better than a traditional stick build.”

    The core of the panels is polystyrene with steel wire mesh on both sides that are welded together for strength. Once the panel is put in place, a layer of shotcrete (a high velocity application of concrete) goes on top of the wire mesh to create a super insulated, strong structure. Plus, extra mesh goes around angles and to reinforce windows and doors.

    VERO panels are not only sustainable when installed, but so is the manufacturing process. Rubin sources a petroleum-based polystyrene feed that is steamed using natural gas to compress it down. Plus, everything in the plant is recycled, from the beads to the wires, and the manufacturing has no off gassing.

    “We are able to cut emissions by about 40% during an onsite installation,” Rubin said. “There is no heavy machinery. Plus, we cut about 60% of emissions over the lifetime of the building.”

    Most of the work is in manufacturing the panels, that are very light and easy to install on site. Rubin estimates that VERO’s installation process could be up to 40% less time from traditional building methods.

    “We did a whole house in two and a half days with installers speaking three different languages,” she said. “One installer had experience and two did not.”

    With the energy savings and the added protection, the system has about a 5% premium compared to stick-built construction.

    VERO ships nationwide and also is working on a package for tornado safe rooms, again with the capability to withstand more than 250-mph winds.

    Protecting Homes… And Dollars

    Some of the solutions that jurisdictions are exploring to help their communities are focused on reactive measures like evacuation plans and risk communications, along with proactive measures like new zoning, building codes, and improvements to the physical landscape.

    These are hefty, include many different stakeholders to move forward, and therefore need long timelines to come to fruition. In today’s market, the longer the timeline, the more housing costs go up. So, more people are forced into migrating to the areas with the highest climate risks so they can find affordable housing options, which means that people not only need resilient housing, it has to be affordable as well.

    Chris Anderson is the CEO at Greensborough, North Carolina-based, modular home building company Vantem that delivers a solution at only $100 per square foot. This product, backed by Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy fund, is made with refractory materials to be fire resistant, survives category 5 hurricane damage, and withstands up to 8.2 magnitude earthquakes.

    To address the migration into coastal areas in Florida, Vantem acquired a plant in southern Georgia to build fast and efficiently.

    “The homes are built like on an automotive construction line and all MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] is already installed when it is delivered to the job site,” said Anderson. “The factory will be converted by early 2024, and we are looking at two other facilities to get to 20 plants over the next 10 years.”

    Vantem is looking for joint ventures with local developers that have strong pipelines aimed at affordable housing in high risk climate markets.

    Similar to VERO, Vantem is already accepted and well used around the world, with more than three million square feet currently built out across the globe. In the United States, Vantem has code approvals to build up to three stories.

    Anderson says that even with the cost and process efficiencies, solutions can be customized on a large scale.

    “We translate architecture into the Vantem system as fully engineered product for that market,” he said. “Each factory has a particular focus. If you are going to do a lot of multifamily, the factory is designed for that. There are factories specifically designed for single family, like the first in Georgia.”

    At the core of Vantem’s efficiency and sustainability is the innovation of the panel.

    “People who are doing high production modular worldwide are trying to standardize traditional process, but the better way to do it is to simplify the system,” Anderson said. “In modular, you have a water shed between 1 to 5 modules a day to 6 to 10, where high output usually requires a bigger capital expense, but they tried to automate a complex system. Automation applied to inefficiency, just magnifies inefficiency. Our capital expenses are one-fifth the cost of other modular factories.”

    The Need For More Innovation

    Many reports show that the frequency and intensity of climate events will continue to increase. VERO and Vantem have fabulous solutions that will help many in the Florida region now, but as Zillow reports, unchecked greenhouse gas emissions could put 802,555 homes nationwide at risk from a 10-year flood by 2050. Not to mention the other climate disasters impacting the country.

    Efforts like Ed Barsley’s Climate Creatives Challenge offer opportunities to reward innovation in support of new and novel approaches for communicating the impacts of climate change and the benefits of mitigation, adaptation and resilience. As the founder of The Environmental Design Studio, Barsley wants to unleash creative energy to communicate climate related themes to the public, along with adaptive actions.

    The contest is a series of eight challenges and open for entries now, including prize money. Initiatives like this will spotlight the need, bringing much needed innovation forward.

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    Jennifer Castenson, Contributor

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  • Tauranga CBD: Grey St building used by The Importer being bought by council for laneway – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Tauranga CBD: Grey St building used by The Importer being bought by council for laneway – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    The Importer store in Grey St is relocating. Photo / Sandra Conchie

    A CBD building is set to be knocked down to create a proposed laneway between Grey and Durham Sts.

    Furniture and homewares store The Importer, formerly at 79 Grey St, has moved to Mount Maunganui and Tauranga City Council intends to demolish the building to improve pedestrian and cycle connections and accessibility within the city centre’s retail precinct.

    The Importer is consolidating its business to its Tawa St store. Its owner has been approached for comment.

    Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley told the Bay of Plenty Times the council has an agreement to buy 79 Grey St.

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    Building the laneway was a “priority action” for the Knowledge and Retail Precincts, as defined in the City Centre Action and Investment Plan, Tolley said.

    “The laneway will support pedestrian connections between the retail precinct of Grey St, the University of Waikato and the future public transport spine. Apart from providing better connections between these key city centre assets, it’s also intended that in the short-term, this area would serve as a pop-up green space or carpark.”

    “We’re in the early stages of planning for this site, and we’ll share more details with the community once settlement is complete.”

    Neighbouring Paw and Partners canine innovative fashion store owner Scott Brownsaid he was disappointed to see any business move from the city centre.

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    Original Author Link click here to read complete story..

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  • Building 4200 at Marshall Space Flight Center imploded

    Building 4200 at Marshall Space Flight Center imploded

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    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – The home of the Marshall Space Flight Center’s administrative headquarters was demolished on Saturday morning.

    Building 4200 was the administrative headquarters for 63 years seeing incredible feats accomplished in NASA’s history. The Marshall Space Flight Center has played an unprecedented role in space exploration with the development of the Saturn V rocket that propelled the Apollo missions to the Moon.

    Other projects included engines and propulsion hardware for the space shuttle program, science communications for the International Space Station and management of the Space Launch System.

    The first employees at the flight center began moving into the building in June 1963 after it was built by Electronic and Missile Facilities Inc. of Valley Stream, New York. On top of being home for the Research Projects Division, Aeroballistics Division, Future Projects and the Launch Operations Directorate, there was a barber shop, library, cafeteria and other services in Building 4200.

    Building 4200 which was demolished Saturday morning was the former headquarters of the MSFC.

    Many well-known figures toured the building including First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson and General Chuck Yeager.

    Marshall Space Flight Center’s historical preservation officer, Scott Worley, said it best with the demolition of the building.

    “Buildings come down,” Worley said in a statement. “But rockets keep going up. Our work lies beyond the sky.”

    Watch the implosion in the video at the top of this story.

    Copyright 2022 WAFF. All rights reserved.

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  • Firefighters rescue young child from burning building in Oklahoma City

    Firefighters rescue young child from burning building in Oklahoma City

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    Firefighters rescued a young child from a burning building in Oklahoma City.It was a daring rescue of a young child who was trapped in an apartment in a burning building over the weekend. On Monday, the damages could still be seen at the apartment complex off Robinson Avenue and Southwest 89th Street.The fire caused several units to be evacuated and left a child in serious condition.”Firefighters were prepared for the worst on their way to this call,” said Benny Fulkerson, Oklahoma City Fire Department. Alarms were still sounding Monday afternoon after a fire at the Cape Cod Condominiums left a 4 to 5-year-old boy hospitalized.”The thing about this fire that’s interesting is even as the firefighters were responding to the incident, dispatchers were talking to people who were calling this in and those people were saying that there’s children trapped inside this apartment,” Fulkerson said.Firefighters said when they arrived on the scene, a resident said there was a child stuck in the living room of an apartment. They could hear him screaming from outside.Firefighters then fought the flames to find the little boy and saved his life.”That’s what people expect us to do, that’s why we’re here. Our firefighters said there was fire above the child in the living room where they located him and was able to remove him from that living room area that was well-involved in fire,” Fulkerson said.He was treated for burn injuries and smoke inhalation, but firefighters have been told the child is out of the hospital. Firefighters said there were no other injuries reported but the damages were extremely costly.

    OKLAHOMA CITY —

    Firefighters rescued a young child from a burning building in Oklahoma City.

    It was a daring rescue of a young child who was trapped in an apartment in a burning building over the weekend. On Monday, the damages could still be seen at the apartment complex off Robinson Avenue and Southwest 89th Street.

    The fire caused several units to be evacuated and left a child in serious condition.

    “Firefighters were prepared for the worst on their way to this call,” said Benny Fulkerson, Oklahoma City Fire Department.

    Alarms were still sounding Monday afternoon after a fire at the Cape Cod Condominiums left a 4 to 5-year-old boy hospitalized.

    “The thing about this fire that’s interesting is even as the firefighters were responding to the incident, dispatchers were talking to people who were calling this in and those people were saying that there’s children trapped inside this apartment,” Fulkerson said.

    Firefighters said when they arrived on the scene, a resident said there was a child stuck in the living room of an apartment. They could hear him screaming from outside.

    Firefighters then fought the flames to find the little boy and saved his life.

    “That’s what people expect us to do, that’s why we’re here. Our firefighters said there was fire above the child in the living room where they located him and was able to remove him from that living room area that was well-involved in fire,” Fulkerson said.

    He was treated for burn injuries and smoke inhalation, but firefighters have been told the child is out of the hospital. Firefighters said there were no other injuries reported but the damages were extremely costly.

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  • 2 people dead after plane crashes into building in Keene

    2 people dead after plane crashes into building in Keene

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    Two people are dead after a plane crashed into a building in Keene on Friday night, according to the Keene mayor. Keene Mayor George Hansel said the plane crashed shortly after departure from the Dillant-Hopkins Airport.The plane hit a multifamily building at 661 Main Street at 6:48 p.m., which started a fire. The eight people living in the building were not hurt but the two people in the plane were killed. >> Read: Building owner reactsOfficials said the three-alarm fire was out by 8:47 p.m. The plane hit a garage attached to the building.”So the point of impact was somewhat remote from the main body of the house,” Keene fire Chief Donald Farquhar said.The plane is owned by Monadnock Aviation, Hansel said.”The fact that it hit a building where eight people were living and none of those people were injured is an important detail, and we’re very lucky,” Hansel said. >> Video: Officials give update The Federal Aviation Administration and New Hampshire Department of Transportation were at the scene on Saturday and the National Transportation Safety Board would also be there Saturday and the lead agency, according to Hansel. Airport director David Hinkling said the plane crashed about an eighth of a mile from the end of the runway. >> Video: Aerial video of plane crashMichael Robinson is the building director at Hope Chapel, which is next door to the apartment building. “It’s a little unnerving because this is the direct flight path to the airport, so planes go over constantly, and we think nothing of it because we’re so used to it,” Robinson said.He said one of his friends that lived in the apartment lost everything.”His vehicles — he’s a contractor, so he lost all his tools that were in the thing. He got hit pretty hard,” Robinson said.Hope Chapel’s Sunday service tomorrow is canceled so investigators can continue working in their parking lot. >> Read: Church youth group ‘shaken up’The American Red Cross of Northern New England said they have seven staffers assisting at the scene.”Our Disaster Action Team is mobilizing, and we are waiting to hear more about what specifically the community needs from us,” the Red Cross said in a statement. The National Transportation Safety Board said it’s investigating the crash.

    KEENE, N.H. —

    Two people are dead after a plane crashed into a building in Keene on Friday night, according to the Keene mayor.

    Keene Mayor George Hansel said the plane crashed shortly after departure from the Dillant-Hopkins Airport.

    The plane hit a multifamily building at 661 Main Street at 6:48 p.m., which started a fire. The eight people living in the building were not hurt but the two people in the plane were killed.

    >> Read: Building owner reacts

    Officials said the three-alarm fire was out by 8:47 p.m. The plane hit a garage attached to the building.

    “So the point of impact was somewhat remote from the main body of the house,” Keene fire Chief Donald Farquhar said.

    The plane is owned by Monadnock Aviation, Hansel said.

    “The fact that it hit a building where eight people were living and none of those people were injured is an important detail, and we’re very lucky,” Hansel said.

    >> Video: Officials give update

    The Federal Aviation Administration and New Hampshire Department of Transportation were at the scene on Saturday and the National Transportation Safety Board would also be there Saturday and the lead agency, according to Hansel.

    Airport director David Hinkling said the plane crashed about an eighth of a mile from the end of the runway.

    >> Video: Aerial video of plane crash

    Michael Robinson is the building director at Hope Chapel, which is next door to the apartment building.

    “It’s a little unnerving because this is the direct flight path to the airport, so planes go over constantly, and we think nothing of it because we’re so used to it,” Robinson said.

    He said one of his friends that lived in the apartment lost everything.

    “His vehicles — he’s a contractor, so he lost all his tools that were in the thing. He got hit pretty hard,” Robinson said.

    Hope Chapel’s Sunday service tomorrow is canceled so investigators can continue working in their parking lot.

    >> Read: Church youth group ‘shaken up’

    The American Red Cross of Northern New England said they have seven staffers assisting at the scene.

    “Our Disaster Action Team is mobilizing, and we are waiting to hear more about what specifically the community needs from us,” the Red Cross said in a statement.

    The National Transportation Safety Board said it’s investigating the crash.

    This content is imported from Twitter.
    You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

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  • Jindal Stainless can be one of the top companies in sector globally post expansion: Abhyuday Jindal

    Jindal Stainless can be one of the top companies in sector globally post expansion: Abhyuday Jindal

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    Pegged to be the metal for nation-building, stainless steel is being increasingly used in architecture, building and construction activities, automobiles, railways and transport in India and globally. Yet, the recently imposed export duty of 15 per cent on steel is dampening the business operability. 
    Abhyuday Jindal, Managing Director, Jindal Stainless, in an exclusive conversation with BT’s Nidhi Singal talks about the company’s strategy, its upcoming merger, expansion plans, and much more. Edited experts:
     
    BT: Jindal Stainless reported an 8 per cent year-on-year growth in its consolidated profit for the April-June quarter, despite rising input costs and export duties. What was the strategy that worked for the company?

    Abhyuday Jindal: The last quarter was actually quite a challenging quarter because there were two-three external factors that are coming into effect now. First, the commodity cycle was on a downward trend. All your raw material prices were falling. So when that starts, the whole economy, and the world, go into kind of destocking mode. There is pressure to sell volumes, there is pressure on margins.
    At this time, our government came up with this 15 per cent export duty. So, it is actually a double whammy for companies like us. Prices any way were coming down, plus with this export duty coming, it became unviable or very challenging for Indian companies to export.  Companies like us, where there is not so much demand in stainless steel (that we are trying to create), we were dependent on the export market.
    There are certain sizes that we have or certain equipment we created, which are created only for the export segment. That was a big negative impact on us because of that kind of volume we then had to push to domestic. 
    One positive thing for our company is that we are very agile. We are not dependent on any industry or any segment more than 15-20 per cent. Just to give an example, last two years, the auto was severely impacted because of semiconductors. And auto is a big sector for us, but our volumes were not impacted at all because whatever shortfall was in auto, we were very easily able to push that into other sectors. (As) railway picked up, so we pushed it into railways. 

    The infrastructure segment has picked up with all the support coming from the government. The same thing we are doing now is that with this export duty coming on, we are not able to export the volumes that we were (doing earlier). So, we have pushed our volumes into the sector in that we were not very aggressive. We were leaving that more for the Indian secondary stainless steel players and the smaller company.  But with the export market not available to us, we have entered into this segment. There was a little dip as compared to Q4 last year, but overall we were able to maintain the volumes. Margins are definitely impacted by this export duty coming in because everybody is then buying only for the domestic market. And I think that was the impact the government wanted, which has been created. So, we are hopeful that next couple of months, they should do away with this export duty. 
    The other factor is that now steel players can add boron, which classifies them as alloy steel, and then they are able to export without export duties. But in stainless steel, that is not possible.
    We are into process industries also:  petrochemical, nuclear, auto, and railways. Architecture Building Constructions (ABC) is a massive area where stainless steel is consumed, and the world showcases that. And anywhere you see stainless steel is the material that is consumed in infrastructure to a maximum. So, in the same way, India is also leading up to that. A lot of interesting areas, like railway foot-over bridges, are now completely into stainless steel. In all coastal areas, they are supposed to be made of stainless steel. So that way, we are able to manage our Q1 performance.

    BT: What percentage of your business was coming from domestic and export?
    AJ: To serve domestic customers in one passion and export in a strategic manner aligned with the ‘local to global vision. 
    Pre-pandemic, our export share has been 20-25 per cent. During the pandemic, it increased to about 30 per cent. However, post exports duty imposition it is low at 10 per cent only.  When this export duty goes down, we hope to take up our export percentage (back) higher again.
     
    BT: When you divert your production to other sectors, how easy or difficult is it to switch manufacturing?
     
    AJ:  There are standard grades, and there are customised grades. And when we say we can switch, we can switch in the series also. Last full year, the 300 series was the major series for us. Almost 50 to 60 per cent of our sales were in the 300 series. That was also because the export market is more on the 300 series. So then, because export was high, the 300 series was high. Now that export duties have (been) put in, the 300 series has come down by about 10 to 15 per cent. But we’ve picked up 400 series and 200 series, which go into other sectors and segments. So that way, we are able to move very fast into other industries and streams.
    (The switch can happen) within, I would say, 20 to 25 days. We can very easily switch because it is purely (about) getting the required raw material. Nothing else needs to be done. If the raw material is with us, we can switch instantly. But if raw material has to be organised, then it can take about 20-25 days. The equipment, processing techniques – everything is the same. It is only the grade that we need to switch.
     
    BT: How will the merger with Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Ltd impact your operations?
     
    AJ: Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Ltd. was demerged in 2014. The reason was that we were in corporate debt restructuring. Along with our committee of bankers and our team internally, one way to protect our organization was decided. We had two factories, one in Hisar, and one in Orissa. Splitting them into two listed companies was a good option. 
    Hisar, in the history of the Jindal Group, has never been at loss. For almost 50 years, Hisar has continuously been making profits. However, at that time, the stainless steel industry went through a very tough time. The point of view was that let us protect one company during those trying times.
    Today, the biggest reason that the domestic stainless steel industry is suffering is unwarranted imports — heavy dumping that happens from China and Indonesia. Over the course of the last 10 years, due to excessive dumping, the whole industry and our margins and volumes were always under pressure. In 2014-15, the companies decided to split.
    (Today) I would say we are the only company in the whole manufacturing sector that successfully did the splitting of companies and successfully got out of CDR. 2019 is when we completely paid all the debt, did not take any haircuts, and got out of CDR. Over the last couple of years, we have reduced our debt significantly, and our ratios are now one of the best in the metal sector. So now we felt it was the right time to remerge the companies.
     
    This was also from the perspective of having one standalone entity that is a global major in stainless steel. After the merger, we will be among the top 10 stainless steel producers in the world. And after our expansion, which will start in January of this financial year, we aim to be in the top 5 in the world.
     
    The merger will have a lot of benefits, including an improved balance sheet and stakeholder benefits. Our negotiating power will increase because rather than negotiating with our vendors and suppliers as two separate entities, we will now negotiate as one. It will also help in improving our customer service. Our investors will benefit too. There was always confusion in the market – what does Hisar do, or what does Jajpur (Orissa) do? Because of having two legal entities, we had to make a lot of double investments – warehousing, logistics, etc. Now, we’d be able to do away with all this.
     
    BT: Where does India stand in the stainless steel ecosystem globally?
     
    AJ: Till last year, we were actually number two in terms of production in stainless steel. China is number one, always, and then India was number two. Then certain factors happened – anti-dumping duty and CVD on stainless steel for imports coming in from China and Indonesia were removed. As soon as that got removed, Indonesia picked up its production and now has overtaken India as number two in terms of the stainless steel ecosystem. 
    So it’s China number one, India used to be number two last year, and then Indonesia.  Now it’s China, Indonesia, and India.  So because of the government policies and because of the factors that have impacted us, India’s position is falling, which is a very big negative, I can say it from the government’s point of view.
     
    BT: So aren’t the new export duties going to further damage India’s position in the stainless steel leatherboard?
    AJ: Definitely, because now everybody, after the two years and the momentum that we saw in the industrial activity, every company has announced expansion, adding capacities and making India further strengthen its position. But with this duty and depending on how long it will continue, everybody is now either questioning that expansion or delaying it further. I mean everything is under question because of this export duty. We do feel that it should not stay for long, but all our plans are under, I would say, fix right now.
     
    BT: But on the other side, isn’t the government really pushing every sector with the PLI?
    AJ: The government is reworking the steel PLI. Nobody has been able to really apply or get anything from the steel PLI. The focus for PLI has been importing substitution, but I feel that the interaction with the industry requires being more robust. That is reason, why they are reworking on it, because every company from the steel industry represented that there is nothing in this that we can actually apply for or we can actually go and get this PLI for us. This is why, from the information that I’m getting now, they are reworking it and coming out with a new PLI for the steel industry.
     
    BT: Stainless steel is created using scrap. So, where do you source your raw material from?
    AJ: Stainless steel is the most sustainable material because it is 100 per cent recyclable and contributes to a circular economy. We use more than 85 per cent of scrap in one production. For this reason, we are completely focused on scrap (which is also a global phenomenon).
    We source our scrap from all over. It is mainly domestic and nearby countries. South East Asia, Middle-East, and India contribute to 70-75 per cent of our scrap consumption. The remaining 20-25 per cent comes from the US and Europe.
     
    BT: How much of it is coming from India? And do you see this growing?
    AJ: India, you can say, is almost 45 per cent.  And yes, especially with government – the kinds of policies that they coming out with are helping and supporting this. Now they are coming up with the National Scrap Recycling policy, which will definitely help in terms of getting more scrap available to the Indian ecosystem.
     
    BT: Even though you don’t use coke for melting, your process of sourcing the scrap (raw material) is heavy on carbon emissions. What initiatives have you taken to reduce your carbon footprint?
    AJ: Manufacturing through the scrap route is relatively low on carbon emission.
    We (have) already announced that we are not going to be investing in any more thermal power plants. We are setting up and investing in almost 300 megawatts of renewable capacity in Odisha, Harayana, and Rajasthan. We are also going to commission a green hydrogen project in Hisar that will enable the company to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 2,700 metric tonnes per annum.
    We have also looped in EY India for charting out a dynamic plan to achieve our ESG and decarbonisation goals.
    For all our expansion, we require a lot of energy that will all be met through renewable sources.

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  • Green Ideas Celebrates 20 Years of Building Science Success

    Green Ideas Celebrates 20 Years of Building Science Success

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    Green Ideas Building Science Consultants has provided industry-leading services to develop sustainable, high-performance building projects for two decades.

    Press Release
    –

    Oct 6, 2022


    PHOENIX, October 6, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    October 2022 marks Green Ideas Building Science Consultants‘ 20th year of helping businesses, universities and Architecture-Engineering-Construction professionals create resource-efficient projects with minimal environmental impact and maximum return on investment.

    Charlie Popeck, President of Green Ideas and one of the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professionals in the United States, founded the Arizona Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2002, which was the second-ever chapter of the national non-profit organization. Charlie has personally trained more than 40,000 industry professionals to pass the LEED Professional Accreditation exams over the last 20 years.

    After two decades of performing building science consultation, the company has completed over 150 high-performance building projects, including 110 LEED-certified projects throughout the country. From the iconic Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona (LEED Silver) to the BASF Near-Zero Energy Home in New Jersey (LEED Platinum), Green Ideas maintains its business approach to high-performance building design, construction, and operations. Other notable projects include the Intel Ocotillo Campus, one of the most complicated manufacturing facilities on earth, and the General Dynamics Roosevelt and Hayden facilities, the largest LEED-certified industrial projects in the U.S. at the time of its certification. A complete list of Green Ideas’ projects can be found here.

    Since its inception in 2002, Green Ideas has worked closely with many building owners and developers to save massive amounts of energy and water. Upon reaching the company’s 20th-year milestone, Charlie stated, “We’ve had some challenges transforming the commercial real estate market over the years but I’m proud of the energy and water savings we have achieved, as well as creating healthy indoor environments for building occupants…all while saving clients operating and maintenance costs.”

    About Green Ideas® Building Science Consultants
    Green Ideas is a full-service building science consulting firm offering 3D energy and daylight modeling, building commissioning, and world-class LEED certification services. The firm is designated as a LEED Proven Provider by Green Business Certification Inc. and is a certified B Corporation. Its clients are building owners, architects, engineers, contractors, real estate developers, facility managers, and corporate entities wishing to establish business advantages through high-performance building practices. With a vision as bold as the results they achieve, Green Ideas is dedicated to transforming the market by promoting building science through a “triple bottom line” approach to business operations. Follow Green Ideas on Linkedin for more up-to-date information and latest projects.

    Source: Green Ideas

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  • Parenting 101: What you should know about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day

    Parenting 101: What you should know about National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day

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    Each year, September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The day honours the children who never returned home and acknowledges the survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. 

    It’s also Orange Shirt Day, which is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept that “Every Child Matters”.  

    Here are a few events that will honour this cause:

    Illuminating Parliament Hill

    To commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and to honour the Survivors, their families and communities, buildings across Canada will be illuminated in orange from September 30th at 7pm to sunrise October 1st. This will include federal buildings such as the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

    Remembering the children

    A one-hour national commemorative gathering will be broadcast live from Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats on September 30, 2022. Check your local listings.

    Truth and Reconciliation Week

    This bilingual educational program is open to all schools across Canada. All sessions will be held virtually, allowing classroom participation from across the country and the involvement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. From September 26-30, 2022, registration is required.

    Former residential school students can call 1-866-925-4419 for emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada. Indigenous peoples across Canada can also go to The Hope for Wellness Help Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310 or connect to the online chat.

    – Jennifer Cox

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | Future of APA!: History of No Kill Austin and…

    Austin Pets Alive! | Future of APA!: History of No Kill Austin and…

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    Aug 27, 2021

    As the second installment in a short series of letters meant to inform you of APA!’s relationship with the City of Austin, we wanted to bring you up to speed on the Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC) property and how it impacts the renegotiation of our license agreement to operate APA!.

    Built in the 1950s, the TLAC facility was a huge improvement over what existed before, which was a structure somewhere in Austin that held all the animals in a massive concrete pen without adequate food and water until they were all shot, in front of an audience, when their time was up. The beginning of sheltering in Austin, as in the entire United States, was rooted in the fear of a nationwide pandemic of Rabies.

    Austin American Statesman, 1951
    Austin American Statesman, 1956, laying the pad for the original Ringworm facility and the original Building C

    As such, from 1950 all the way until 2008, the intention of housing the animals was never to save them all or any percent close to that. The original purpose of this facility, in fact, was to continue ridding Austin of dogs and cats who didn’t have owners with the means to reclaim them. TLAC and the structures that still stand today serve as an important reminder for all of us of a past that we never want to go back to.

    Austin American Statesman, 1977, when TLAC was occupied by the Humane Society

    In 2007, the city made the decision to vacate TLAC and embarked on hiring an architect to build a new shelter in East Austin. There was a lot of controversy over the planned move because it would involve removing lost and homeless animals from downtown Austin. The concerns were threefold:

    • A lack of visibility would lead to more deaths (now substantiated by the commercial market). Then mayor, Lee Leffingwell, compromised, promising the citizens of Austin there would always be an adoption center at TLAC, even after the move.
    • The new shelter had fewer kennels than TLAC. Staff asserted that more animals could be co-housed at the new shelter so it actually served the same number of pets. Unfortunately, at the time, almost all big dogs were being killed so co-housing was only intended for little dogs.
    • The addition at the new site of a huge incinerator so the pets who were killed would no longer have to be sent to the city dump in large truck fulls. Luckily, this was struck from the final plans because it was a big expense for a practice that was going to stop.

    In the end, the new shelter was approved and slated to open in mid 2011 with the understanding that the old TLAC facility, already in disrepair, would be demolished.

    By 2008, APA! started rescue work and began pulling animals from the TLAC euthanasia list so that we could make a measurable impact on the live release rate in the City of Austin. Our goal was to make Austin a No Kill City as fast as humanly possible. At this time, the city was at only a 45% live release rate with 10,000 to 14,000 animals dying every year. APA! volunteers showed up every day to see the animals listed to be killed by 11:30am the following morning, and pull as many as we could into foster homes.

    By 2010, when Austin had a 72% live release rate (largely up because of APA!), the city council, championed by Mike Martinez and Laura Morrison and at the recommendation of the Animal Advisory Commission, voted to formally make Austin a No Kill City with a goal of a 90% live release. In the No Kill Implementation Plan that was passed with this vote, a section included keeping open an adoption center at TLAC, specifically by using the Davenport Building (TLAC’s main admin building), after the city shelter moved to its new location. Of course, we already had our eye on using TLAC as our future facility though we heard from Council offices we had a 0% chance of getting it.

    By 2011, the year of the city shelter move, APA! helped the city achieve an 89% live release rate. And now we were openly advocating for taking over the old shelter (TLAC) so that we could continue to help Austin and have a building for our organization.

    Surprisingly, APA! had to overcome massive obstacles to be able to occupy TLAC, even though it was empty and even though we were the driver of No Kill. The city had plans to tear it down, due to the dilapidated conditions that existed well before we started rescue. The city couldn’t sell it or use it to build anything other than a park or animal shelter since it is dedicated park land with a grandfather clause for animals. At the time, we had a rocky relationship with the city shelter staff due to the nature of how we supported them, by pulling animals off the euthanasia list rather than taking animals they wanted us to take who may or may not ever have been in danger of euthanasia. Although we were awarded the temporary use of TLAC, that relationship made it very hard to keep Lamar Beach for animals, even after we moved in.

    In 2017, city council voted, this time championed by council members Kathie Tovo, Leslie Pool, Alison Alter, Steve Adler, Greg Casar to allow APA! to rebuild at TLAC and stay for 75 years, basing future plans on a document called the Lamar Beach Master Plan, that showed the general space we would occupy and what our buildings might look like.

    Essentially, in Phase II of the master plan, with an unknown timeline, Cesar Chavez would be moved away from the lake and cross right through our current footprint. To accommodate that, APA! needed to move back towards the YMCA and the railroad track. In that vote, the council directed city staff to “negotiate and execute” the 75 year agreement over the next four years.

    You might be thinking, who would want to build when we are sandwiched between Cesar Chavez and the railroad tracks? We would! We had looked for other property throughout Austin but faced neighborhood overlays that have a blanket clause requiring kennels to be voted on by the neighborhood. That was a painful and exhausting process and it was clear the only neighborhood in Austin that wanted us was the one right around TLAC. With the neighborhood restrictions throughout the City of Austin, we faced finding a property outside the city limits which would eliminate visibility of our important work. At the time, we abandoned the idea of an alternate location.

    We began these negotiations, sure about our ability to rebuild based on the Master Plan, and expected to get to the 75 year contract signing quickly. However, as soon as the surveyors and architects got busy, it was made clear to us that land issues would halt immediate plans to fundraise and improve the shelter facilities at TLAC. These issues are detailed below:

    1. The power lines over us are the heaviest duty type of transmission power line there is, meaning they cannot be buried. We worked hard with Austin Energy and there is no way around them. Nothing can be built on 30 feet of either side of them. We have TWO sets that run from one side to the other, eliminating over 120 feet of buildable space in a longitudinal section.
      1. We have broached the subject of heavy renovations under the power lines since the power lines were raised after our buildings were built, but Austin Energy has assured us that any site plan request that comes through for renovation will be denied because they believe it is in our best interest to get out from under the lines.
    2. There is a 72” water main that runs from the railroad tracks down to Cesar Chavez that cannot be built over and cannot be moved.
    3. The railroad hill is partially owned by the railroad company and would cost $1M to purchase each of two small chunks that would be technically on our property.
    4. The floodplain is outside the land we would be building on but it prevents us from moving our footprint anywhere else on the land and going through the process of demanding that the master plan be reviewed again.
    5. The property known to us as the “Y Field” in the northeast corner behind us, is where we would be pushed to and it is currently owned by YMCA. In order for us to gain formal access to it, the Y and the city have to finish the agreement that requires the city to build a parking garage on Y property, closer to Cesar Chavez. The status of this is unclear, holding up our ability to formally attain the Y field that would be needed for us to build on.
    6. There are many heritage trees on the property that we do not want to harm and that would be quite expensive to move.

    After years of discussion with many city departments that control the entities above, it is clear that whatever space we have left at TLAC will likely be a fourth to a third of the size of the footprint we use today.

    As a result, we believe we have no choice but to purchase another property, hopefully for use in addition to TLAC, in order to serve our full mission. This will prove difficult because of the neighborhood restrictions that exist in seemingly every neighborhood within the city limits. We are currently pursuing all leads on land within 30 minutes of downtown Austin for what we hope is ultimately a satellite facility.

    So what does that have to do with the negotiation of our license agreement? It means that after years of discussion with many city departments, we have come to learn whatever space we have left at TLAC will likely be just a quarter to third of the footprint we use today. We are bitterly disappointed with this outcome and believe we have no choice but to add a second site because the city cannot fulfill all of our land needs as we once thought. The bottom line is the millions of dollars our non-profit organization provides in lifesaving services to the City of Austin annually, and will spend building at the site, far exceeds the value of having free land to build upon.

    I want to be clear, we still want to rebuild whatever we can at TLAC because we believe the extra cost to us is worth it for our mission and for Austin. We know it is necessary for pets to be front and center in our city and if we leave, TLAC will never be used to help animals again. We know our city believes in No Kill as one of its core community principles. Our vision for the future of this land is to use it to show the world that No Kill is a crown jewel of Austin. It should serve as a Phoenix, rising from the ashes of the 500,000 pets that needlessly lost their lives at this site over the last 70 years, and be a sign that history will never repeat itself on Austin’s watch again.

    We will continue to keep you updated on these matters and hope you, as one of our valued supporters, will help advocate for keeping the TLAC property for the animals after this short letter series ends. We will continue to look for new property regardless of what happens at TLAC and appreciate the leads our supporters send us. If you think you might have a land lead to send our way, you can find details of what we are looking for here.

    As always, we are grateful for the support you have shown to APA! staff and to the pets that are counting on us. If our history has taught us anything, it’s that Austin believes in the value that animals bring to all of our lives and expects us to do everything we can to save them. Thank you for joining us and committing so much to this mission.

    Thank you,

    Ellen Jefferson, DVM
    President and CEO
    Austin Pets Alive!/American Pets Alive!

    Read the previous post in this series here.

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  • Fashion Meets Engineering With the Introduction of Goldieblox’s New Construction Toys

    Fashion Meets Engineering With the Introduction of Goldieblox’s New Construction Toys

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    Press Release
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    updated: Nov 12, 2020


    LOS ANGELES, November 12, 2020 (Newswire.com)
    –
    GoldieBlox released a new line of construction toys today as the first collection from a partnership with New Zealand-based toy company Flexo. Research shows that construction toys help build motor and spatial skills, which are the building blocks of STEM education. 

    With these new construction toys, GoldieBlox continues its mission to close the gender gap in STEM through entertainment and play. Available starting today on Amazon.com and GoldieBlox.com, the line includes four building kits designed for kids, especially girls, ages 8 and up. 

    The four construction kits that can be adapted into endless creations include:

    ANIMAL PRINT MINI PURSE BUILDING KIT – $24.99

    Build a functional and adorable zebra purse or a picture frame, cow print purse or checkerboard bag.

    RAINBOW MINI PURSE BUILDING KIT – $24.99 

    Build a functional and adorable rainbow purse plus matching bracelet or a pencil holder or cute unicorn collectible.

    FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS BUILDING KIT – $14.99

    Build functional and adorable friendship bracelets or create a flower crown, necklace or cookie collectibles. 

    WATERMELON MINI PURSE BUILDING KIT – $24.99

    Build a functional and adorable watermelon purse as well as other DIY possibilities like a picture frame, flower crown and ornament. 

    The kits are all inter-compatible and can be used in combination with existing major brick building systems, enabling unlimited, creative open-ended play. Flexo’s patented system of parts enables kids to build functional objects that do not fall apart.

    This unique system of bricks and stitches offers the perfect introduction to STEM concepts and is designed for kids 8+. Each construction kit comes with its own reusable storage pouch and videos are available online that showcase several other build ideas as additional inspiration. Compatible with all major brick brands, GoldieBlox + Flexo’s construction toy system offers the ability to build curves, spheres and other three-dimensional objects.

    “We spent the last two years working closely with Flexo to develop this innovative new construction toy line with girls in mind,” said GoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling. “There are hardly any products currently in the marketplace designed specifically to appeal to girls in the 7-12 age range that are adequately challenging and offer open-ended play; GoldieBlox’s new line fills that gap.”

    GoldieBlox is a multimedia company rewriting the script for young girls by empowering them with digital-first content and creative products that spark their imaginations. Founded in 2012 by engineer Debbie Sterling, the company aims to equip girls with the right tools to build their confidence and dreams so they can be the catalysts of change in any industry they choose. Our team of visionaries, dreamers, mentors and creatives is dedicated to girls’ empowerment through community, products, partnerships and content. Learn more at GoldieBlox.com.

    Source: GoldieBlox

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