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September 30, 2005

Beyond ornaments

By CAROL STOCKER
The Boston Globe

For a long time, the words "garden" and "art" have not been used in the same sentence, because when you say "garden art" many people think nf pink flamingos. When tasteful folks wanted to see fine art outdoors, they'd visit "sculpture parks," and for their own outdoor spaces they'd buy "garden ornaments" instead of real art.

That's changing, in part thanks to Newton, Mass., sculptor Julie Levesque, whose garden turned out to be just right for holding outdoor art shows. Though her house looks unexceptional from the front, when you round the corner into the backyard there's a surprise: a dramatic 20-foot ridge of puddingstone. It used to be covered with years of accumulated ivy, but when she started pulling it out she unearthed platforms constructed by ' long-ago owner.

"There were obviously some kind of objects here before, maybe gargoyles or gnomes, and I knew it would be a great space for contemporary sculpture," said Levesque. "So I called up these artists whose work I had always admired and invited them to be part of an outdoor exhibition. Nobody was doing that in 1996. But anyone who was doubtful immediately said yes as soon as they saw the garden."

She found that outdoor sculpture often sells better in a garden than a gallery, and continues to hold her annual backyard show, "Art for the Garden," the weekend of the Newton Open Studios each May.

Others have followed her lead. "Julie was the innovator," said Meredyth Hyatt Moses, who is curating an annual art show this month at Cairn Croft,a much-admired private gardel in Dover.

What kind of garden shows off art the best?

"You need a garden that takes your breath away," Moses said, but not one so flowery that it upstages the art, and one that has some open space "so the sculpture can breathe a bit." It helps if there are paths and distinct garden "rooms" so viewers can explore. And hillsides can literally elevate the art.

All that's true of Cairn Croft. "Art is an important part of the garlen and it's great fun. We show 80 pieces by 20 artists and sell three-quarters of them. It's the fusion of the art and the garden that does it," said the garden's owner and creator, Kevin Doyle, a professional landscape designer. "Our goal is to find homes for all this art," he said with a wave of his hand.

Though Doyle and his partner, Michael Radoslovich, take a commission on art sales, Doyle warned other would-be curators. "You won't make any money. What we make goes into the show, into the garden, and into buying art from the show for the garden. But it's not going into the Institute of Art, that's for sure. I have two guys here for 10 days before the show, grooming the garden."

Most art-in-the-garden shows feature modern abstract pieces, but Pam and Gregory Bruell have done the unexpected by sponsoring a competition for new classical sculpture in their 2-acre Carlisle garden. The first exhibit in 2003 also displayed borrowed works by past masters such as Daniel Chester French, "That helped the young artists understand the type of classical sculpture we wanted," said Pam, a biology professor formerly at Harvard Medical School. Winners and finalists of the second coopetition will be on exhibit at the Bruells' inspired garden on weekends from Sept. 10 to Oct. 7. Jonathan Fairbanks, curator emeritus of AmeriCan Decorative Arts and Sculpure at the Museum of Fine Arts, rated and judged both the 2003 and the 2005 shows.

The idea came from a tour of Renaissance art in Italy, where the Bruells traveled witl art students who complained that galleries were not interested in showing new figurative sculpture in the classical style. Since Pam is an art enthusiast and Gregory is a serious gardener, using the garden as a showcase seemed "a project we could do together that involved both our passions," said Gregory, who works in data communications and whose latest project is remote monitoring for people's homes allowing them to save money on utilities and maintenance.

His Japanese-inspired garden is itself a work of art, with 90 varieties of Japanese maples and meticulously weeded moss gardens incorporating 20 species. "When I drive along and find some moss which looks good, I find out who owns it and ask if they want to sell it," said Gregory.

After the success of their 2003 event, the Bruells recruited a board of advisors from the art world and formed the Viselaya Foundation to continue holding competitions every other year.

Viselaya is a hamlet in the Czech Republic where Gregory's ancestors owned a fondly remembered rustic retreat before fleeing Europe in World War II. When Gregory was a boy, "my father was always taking us to arboretums along the Hudson Valley." The ideal of the lost Viselaya as a place of peace and reflection was "buried in my subconscious and came out on its own" in the creation of this new garden, said Gregory. He purchased the top prize winner from the 2003 competition and designed a permanent place for it in his garden. The sculpture of a fallen angel is by Pablo Eduardo and is titled "Paradise Lost."

Founded in 1848, rustic Forest Hills Cemetery is another place to see classical sculpture in a gardenesque setting, including a masterpiece by French. This is a memorial to a fellow sculptor, Martin Milmore, who died at the peak of his career. The angel of death stops the hand of the chisel-wielding artist in mid-stroke.

Since 1998, Forest Hills has integrated a changing exhibit of contemporary sculptures, much of it for sale. Pieces include an open bronze book detailed with leaves and acorns by artist Carol Spack that echoes a nearby cemetery monument with a carved marble book. "It's very elegant here, so we have to have a fairly high degree of sophistiation to blend in," said Cecily Miller, head of the Forest Hills Educational Trust.

The exhibit "does increase visitation," said Miller. "Part of what we're trying to do is restore the role of the Victorian cemetery as a cultural space for enjoying nature, beauty, and art." In addition to the year-round collection of 35 modern pieces, a themed show, "Dwelling; Memory, Architecture and Place at Forest Hills Cemetery," is scheduled for next June through October.

Nancy Grimes, the innovative owner of New England Garden Ornaments in North Brookfield, has just finished hosting "the first annual" Stone Show at her private garden in Hardwick, Mass. Thg exhibit featured new granite, marble, and sandstone sculptures by New England artists priced from $1,200 to $45,000.

"I've met extraordinary stone sculptors and I always felt badly there were few places to show large stone sculpture," Grimes explained. Sales were good, she added. "People have trouble visualizing how a piece they like would look in their garden, so it helps to show it in a real garden. If they buy it indoors, often they find it's too small when they take it home."

Bedrock Farm is the home of Jill Nooney in Lee, N.H. This gardening crtist has filled acres with lush plants and whimsical sculpture, often using old farm equipment, which she will open to the public Sept. 10. Her company is called Fine Garden Art. "Jill is the most imaginative and energetic force in modern American carden ornamentation," said Grimes. "She can use every kind of material and she hasn't had a reprocessed, old idea ever."

More galleries now include flower gardens as part of their exhibition space. When Milton sculptor Guy Hughes converted a barn invo The Coppershed Gallery at his summer home in Warren, Maine, last year, he included his wife's half-acre garden in the display area for art. "It's on a north-facing slope. Northern light is bad for plants, but good for art," said Hughes, who works in bronze, copper, and wood.

"Sculpture is a notoriously hard sell," Hughes said. "But it sells better in a beautiful garden."

Posted by huligar at 09:47 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2005

Stone Master to diversify operations

By HAMISAH HAMID

MARBLE and granite products maker Stone Master Corp Bhd plans to diversify into plantation and property development to reduce dependence on its core business.

Stone Master executive chairman Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohamed said it is the company’s long-term plan to diversify into agriculture, plantation and construction sectors, starting with small-scale activities.

“The investment for our diversification plans will come from internally generated funds.

“The size of investment will depend on the size of the (plantation and construction) projects,” he told Business Times after the company’s annual general meeting in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

Also present was Stone Master executive director Hwang Teck Seng. The company is currently identifying oil palm plantation or agriculture land in Peninsular Malaysia.

“Hopefully, we can implement it in the current financial year,” he said. At the same time, Stone Master will also diversify its product range to include kaolin.

Abdul Aziz said about 90 per cent of the company’s products — marble, granite and ceramic tiles — are sold locally while the rest are exported to countries like Japan and Australia.

The company, which currently has 10 showrooms throughout the country, plans to open another showroom in Perai, Seberang Perai in the fourth quarter of this year.

On prospects of the current financial year, Abdul Aziz said the company expects to maintain its profitability despite heightened competition in the sector.

Posted by huligar at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2005

Stone LIVE! To Debut At StonExpo 2005!

(Dallas, Texas) StonExpo has always been known for its solid, proven, unparalleled education. For nearly 20 years, stone professionals have attended the show to learn everything they need to know to be successful. This year, stone professionals can get more education than ever. For the first time, StonExpo is providing live, "how to" sessions for all show attendees.

Stone LIVE!—Your Place For LIVE How—To Education-is making its debut at this year's show in October. Stone LIVE! will feature industry experts leading installation demonstrations on the show floor. These informative, must-attend sessions give stone professionals the latest, most up-to-date information on how to deal with some of the more common installation challenges facing them today.

Stone professionals know that proper installation is critical to their business…mistakes mean lost profits. These sessions will help not only to understand common installation mistakes and challenges, but will provide key information on how to avoid them!

The Stone LIVE! sessions, which are FREE! to all show attendees, are an up-close opportunity for all stone professionals to learn proper installation techniques. These 1-hour sessions will demonstrate how to "do it right the first time" and how to ensure your customers happy with the outcome!

Attendees should plan their schedules so they include time to attend these key sessions while at the show:

Thursday, October 20
Countertop 1: Installations In Kitchens
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Wall Flashing Details
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Tile-Lined Shower Receptors, "A Water Management System"
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Friday, October 21
Countertop 2: Installations In Bathrooms
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Tile-Lined Shower Receptors, "A Water Management System"
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Wall Flashing Details
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 22
Countertop 1: Installations In Kitchens
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Countertop 2: Installations In Bathrooms
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

"Because StonExpo is the industry's leading event, we feel it's important to keep pace with the issues facing the industry," says Michelle Troop, Senior Show Director, StonExpo. "We are pleased to offer this new level of education that will deliver the information that stone professionals need most!"

In addition to Stone LIVE!, the StonExpo 2005 Conference Program continues to provide the top-quality education stone professionals need to improve their businesses. This year's program features 34 strategic sessions in six targeted tracks-Business Management, Design/Market Trends, Fabrication/Installation, Sales/Marketing, Technology/Machinery/Tools and Care/Maintenance/Restoration. Plus, there are several sessions scheduled that are specifically designed for stone professionals who deal with the commercial sector.

Pre-show workshops will take place Wednesday, October 19 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Seminars are scheduled for Thursday, October 20 – Saturday, October 22 from 7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. For complete course descriptions and speaker bios, visit www.StonExpo.com.

Attendees who are members of the MIA receive discounted pricing on Conference Packages and MIA events. Visit www.StonExpo.com for complete pricing.

StonExpo 2005 will take place October 19-22, 2005 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For details on attending StonExpo, call 866.550.6808 or 972.536.6440 or visit www.StonExpo.com. On the web site, you will find complete information on exhibiting companies, show activities, the conference program, registration, housing, MIA functions and everything you need to attend the industry's most anticipated event.

StonExpo's Official Sponsors are the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and Natural Stone Alliance. The mission of the MIA is to promote the use of natural stone and be the world's most authoritative natural stone information resource. Membership in the association is worldwide and includes nearly 1,200 natural stone producers, exporters/importers, distributors/wholesalers, fabricators, finishers, installers, and industry suppliers—all committed to the highest standards of workmanship and ethics.

The Natural Stone Alliance includes the American Monument Association, Canadian Stone Association, Elberton Granite Association, National Building Granite Quarries Association and Northwest Granite Manufacturers Association, leaders in the stone industry representing the major associations who are committed to promotion and education to the industry and general public the value and benefits of natural stone.

StonExpo's Official Endorsers are Veronafiere/Marmomacc. Founded in 1898, Veronafiere organizes 30 to 35 exhibitions annually. Marmomacc, the world's largest and most prestigious exhibition in the natural stone industry, will be held September 29 – October 2, 2005 in Verona, Italy. For complete information, visit www.marmomacc.com.

About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood, LLC, is the premier media company serving housing and construction. Through five operating divisions, the company produces award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data and custom marketing solutions. The company also is North America's leading publisher of home plans. Hanley Wood Exhibitions (Dallas), conducts 15 trade shows, including World of Concrete, one of the top 20 trade show events in the country.

Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $225 million company owned by JPMorgan Partners, LLC, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Posted by huligar at 08:17 AM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2005

Cornerstone Industries International Inc

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(CCNMatthews - Sept. 26, 2005) - Cornerstone Industries International Inc. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:CIA) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned operating subsidiary, Cornerstone Granite and Marble Wholesale Inc. ("CGMW"), has increased its orders and backlog by more than 30% due to the strong demand for building materials resulting from the recent hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in Florida and New Orleans."Our exclusive supply agreement with Home Solutions of America Inc.

(AMEX:HOM) has given us an opportunity to be one of the first companies to supply building materials for the rebuilding and clean up efforts currently underway in New Orleans and Florida by Home Solutions of America," stated Anthony Leeber Jr., President. "With no end in sight of when the need for building materials for the hurricane damaged area will slow down, we are in the process of dramatically increasing our inventory to handle the increased demand."Home Solutions of America currently has over 100 crews working in the rebuilding and clean up efforts and is in the process of sending as many crews as possible to the damaged areas as they become available. "We feel our company, Home Solutions of America, will have a substantially increased need for materials for the next 2-3 years due to the extensive damage from the recent hurricanes," stated Frank Fradella, Chairman and CEO. "Our exclusive supply agreement with CGMW gives us the ability to have access to large quantities of world class building materials immediately which gives us the ability to be one of the only companies in the forefront of the rebuilding effort.""While the Company's facilities were not affected by the recent storms in the South Eastern United States, we are saddened by the devastation these hurricanes have caused in our home areas and the surrounding areas. The Company will continue to do everything in its ability to assist in a quick and complete rebuilding of our neighboring communities," stated Mr. Leeber Jr.CGMW is a Florida corporation which imports and supplies, on a wholesale basis, raw granite and marble slabs, sinks, tiles, hardware and fabrication supplies. Cornerstone offers competitive pricing to U.S. based retailers on raw slabs and stone fabrication tools and supplies.Home Solutions of America is a niche provider of specialty residential services including Restoration and Specialty Interior Services. The Company has operations in the California, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina markets through its four subsidiaries, Cornerstone Building and Remodeling, Southern Exposure, P.W. Stephens and Fiber Seal Systems. Cornerstone is a leading supplier and installer of granite materials for kitchens and baths to national home centers, as well as national builders and remodeling companies, in the southeastern United States. Southern Exposure and related companies is a provider of cabinet and countertop installation services in the Florida marketplace. P.W. Stephens provides mold and asbestos remediation services, and fire and water restoration services in California and Florida, and Fiber Seal Systems is a national franchise of cleaning and fabric protection businesses.

Posted by huligar at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2005

Construction Industry To Recover Under 9th Plan - Mustapa

The construction industry is expected to recover under the Ninth Malaysia Plan which starts next year, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said Sunday September 25, 2005.

He said the sector had slowed down of late as there were not many mega projects implemented by the government such as the construction of the KL International Airport.

"However, it is expected to recover when projects under the ninth plan are implemented," he told reporters after opening the Granite Dimension Stone Quarry.

Saying the construction industry's slowdown was only temporary, Mustapa, who is also Jeli MP, said the pinch was also felt by companies dealing with marble and granite stones which are related to the construction industry.

The Dimensi Timal Sdn Berhad-owned quarry could produce more than 7,200 cubic metres of marble and granite stones a year by 2009. It can produce 2,500 cubic metres of the stones in the initial stage.

Reading the exchange of ideas on the pre-Ninth Malaysia Plan here, I get the feeling that many Malaysians want us to edge away from the present state of high-tech mediocrity. Recent issues radiate similar vibes, abundantly showing how showcase infrastructure and ambitious programmers are co-existing with a host of under-achievements.

Among other things, the decline in education standards, deficient sporting achievements and poor quality of the civil service. But before we proceed to plan the next five years, I believe we should consider if a more fundamental change is necessary.

Although the Malaysia Plan can go to significant lengths in fostering development and executing programmers, it continues to reflect a paternalistic government and subservient society that stifles the creative potential that we have increasingly depend on to continue developing.

Terrible habits need to change. The income distribution problem provides an illustration. It’s not as though this issue is new; we should be more appalled at our ignorance than stunned by the revelation by malaysiakini.
The rich-poor gap grew from 1990 until 1997 when the financial crisis interrupted the forward march of the ultra-rich and reduced inequality. But the order of things resumed from 1999 till present, until income distribution here is now the region’s most uneven.

This outcome is surprising, because the 8th Malaysia Plan refocused development programmers on poverty reduction and indicated that income inequality would be a priority. But we’re now back to square one.

The 8thMalaysia Plan laid out many smooth ideals, but stopped short of the most important element – commitment to changing the way government operates and interacts with people. If developing a people who can contribute creatively to our economic and social betterment is a priority, why have we not considered how government should change to keep in line with these developments?

It is ironic that leaders expect so much change of people but so little of themselves. Malaysia’s leaders still desire to govern with a master-servant mindset. This mindset was vividly shown by Hishamuddin Hussein, our education minister, who once suggested, apparently in all seriousness, that physical education could be made an examination subject to stem the decline in sports.

‘In order to show we are serious’ – how often have we heard that uttered to parade a leader’s heart, when it actually reveals his rashness and self-serving mentality? Education needs more than better programmers and computer facilities; schools need better teachers. And to attract better teachers, they need to be paid more sufficiently. This involves increasing the operating budget for teachers’ salaries – not one-off or short-term development expenditures.

Will discussion on the 9th Malaysia Plan address the vital re-balancing between developments and operating expenditures such as this? (One difference, of course, is that ‘development’ projects offer nice contracts)

As for curt reception and slow service in government departments (ah, that enduring problem) there is now a new proposal that department heads dial up their offices pretending to be a member of the public to catch staff slacking on the job.

But in this Information Technology age, why not install computers to compile more complete information (such as the average waiting period to get service). But eventually, staff needs incentives as well.

Perhaps solutions lie in setting out clear targets (such as reducing the average waiting period) and re-examining civil service appraisals (the PTK) and reconsidering the ongoing fetish for ‘motivational courses’. And surely there must be more relevant and effective scheme of employee incentives worth considering.

A bit of realistic perspective perhaps should be injected into our deliberations on the 9th Malaysia Plan. Recent five-year plans have demonstrated, more than anything, that we know how to say the right things. The issue is not the gulf between rhetoric and practice - which can never be fully bridged - but about the tendency to say all the right things minus the most important thing.

We maintain focus on equity distribution targets without due attention to the growing inequality between the rich and poor. Our leaders show their toughness in taking abrupt and sometimes stern action, but this only reinforces their position and hardly inspires those below them.

Barisan Nasional leaders have articulated some sensible thoughts about what’s important – especially in human capital development – but refuse to loosen the grip on a paternalistic government.
I fully concur with the writer on his or her observations on the subject of income inequality “Malaysia has the distinction of being the country with the worst income disparity in Southeast Asia, according to a United Nations report.” I wish to point out however, that in a capitalistic market driven economy like ours, it is inevitable that there will always be a pool of the rich and the super rich who act as the prime movers of our economy.

The issue really is really about excessive inequality and how many are really below the poverty line and how destitute they are.

The seeds of excessive inequality were actually sowed in the early 1990s with the adoption of the so-called Mahathir-Daim ‘winning’ formula for accelerated economic development. Under this programmed corruption- cum-
cronyism was re-engineered to turbo charge infrastructure development in the country.

Indeed, a careful analysis of the Malaysian economy from 1985 to 1997 would clearly indicate that the main impetus of economic growth came mainly from pump- priming the economy through infrastructure development expenditure.

I am not making any issue here against the development of our infrastructure, but the high cost that we have paid for it due to corrupt practices and cronyism. Most of the tycoons that we have today made there pile during this period and initially through infrastructure projects. Some of them were even given further privatized projects to bail themselves out from losses incurred during a recession then.

For this reason the 9th Malaysia plan needs to be drawn on a clean slate. It has to be done on a ‘zero-based’ basis to reflect a complete change of our economic development philosophy and priorities and to reflect a new standard of financial hygiene.

We need to reflect the true aspirations of our present Malaysian society in embracing the new economic order and addressing the multi-faceted challenges of globalization.

Posted by huligar at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2005

Great Hunger Remembered.

By CHRISTINA JENG

ORANGEBURG — A group of small children sat yesterday on shiny benches made of green granite. The words "In loving memory of our ancestors" and other dedications were etched atop each bench.
Towering above them on the grounds of the Gaelic Athletic Association was a 9-foot bell-shaped sculpture made of green marble with a Celtic cross at its center, which the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians dedicated yesterday morning to honor the victims of Ireland's Great Hunger.

The Great Hunger, also known as the Irish Potato Famine, refers to the years 1845 to 1849 when about 1.5 million people died of starvation and about 2 million others were forced to leave their homeland as a result of a potato blight.
"This so-called famine should never have happened," said George Leahy, president of the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians.
He said it was not a famine because there was enough food in Ireland to feed 20 million people, but the British were exporting it. Many left Ireland for America but died before they reached their destination, he said.
After singing both the Irish and the American national anthems, Gerry Walsh, chairman of AOH's Great Hunger Memorial Committee, thanked the sculptor of the memorial, Robert Sindorf of Croton.
His design was chosen from 23 submissions. Sindorf said he fashioned the memorial after a small, decorated box that houses a bell believed to have been used by St. Patrick.
"We felt it reflected the quiet dignity of the Irish people," Walsh said.
Beneath the cross are the words "The Great Hunger" inscribed in English and in the Gaelic equivalent, "An Gorta Mor." Also inscribed are the names of Ireland's four provinces and 32 counties. At the top of the memorial is the Celtic symbol for the "Tree of Life."
Inscribed on the back are the verses of the old Irish ballad "Old Skibereen."
It took eight years to complete the memorial with the help of many, Walsh said.
Cyril Hughes, financial secretary for the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians, different AOH divisions and the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick donated the four stone benches surrounding the memorial, which each had cost about $3,000. The memorial itself cost $25,000,which was funded by the County Legislature.
"If I'm never remembered for anything else, I'd like to be remembered for this," said Legislator Pat Maroney, R-Pearl River, who endorsed the funding bill submitted by Legislator John Murphy, R-Orangeburg.
The memorial was placed on the Gaelic Athletic Association's field so that generations of Irish children would remember their history, Walsh said.
The field, which hosts tournaments for Irish sports such as Gaelic football and hurling, was the perfect spot for the memorial, said Eileen O'Connell of Pearl River.
"I think it's great for youth to see that kind of history," she said.

Posted by huligar at 07:45 AM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2005

Era Of Million-dollar Digs Has Arrived.

By ROBIN PALMER

Opulent houses far beyond the reach of most Vermonters are cropping up off long private drives on mountainsides and in former farm fields.More homes are cresting the $1 million mark. The upward trend is not just the result of high-end new construction, though – real estate inflation is also pushing existing home values up.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, Vermont had 48 homes worth $1 million or more in 2000, and that number grew more than 20 times to 1,030 in 2003. Still, Vermont ranks only 23rd in the nation for its percentage of $1 million homes. In 2003, California was at the top of the list, followed Connecticut, the District of Columbia and Massachusetts.Shelburne tops the list of towns with the most homes valued above $1 million in 2004 at 69 according to Vermont Tax Department data. Close behind are Woodstock with 61 and Dorset with 60.Those numbers aren't static. Dorset shows an increase for 2005. Sixty-nine homes have surpassed the $1 million mark so far this year, Dorset Board of Listers Chairwoman Kris O'Leary said.Stowe, at fourth place with 37, has likely leapt to first this year. The town conducted a reappraisal this spring and about 200 properties fell into the over $1 million category, and even more homes in this range are under construction at Stowe Mountain Resort.The most expensive residential property in the state according to that 2004 Tax Department data is in Landgrove and valued by the town at $6,805,000. A $6,262,100 property in Woodstock places sec-ond and a $5,985,000 property in Shelburne takes third place.Real estate listings are even more astronomical. A home under construction in Barnard is listed at $8.2 million.That's a larger residential loan than Northfield Savings Bank has ever written, but if a buyer wanted to mortgage that amount, he or she would need to make a 20 percent down payment of $1.64 million and borrow $6.56 million said Peter Goodell, the bank's senior manager of retail lending.A 30-year mortgage for that amount at 6 percent plus estimated property taxes and insurance would cost about $42,250 a month. The borrower would have to earn $151,000 a month or $1.8 million a year to be approved for such a loan.That, said Goodell, is "not your average Vermonter." In fact, an average Vermont worker earned $33,276 in 2004 – less than a single monthly payment on that home, according to a Department of Labor employer survey. The payment's just below the $46,000 median Vermont annual household income.But expensive homes are finding buyers – they're just not often Vermonters.Real estate agents who have million-dollar homes in their inventories say high-priced houses can linger on the market up to a year, but the sellers, mostly second-homeowners, don't mind waiting for the right buyer to come along.Manchester Realtor Carol O'Connor of Kimball/Martin Inc. describes how values can skyrocket quickly. A development in her area with houses that had been priced at $600,000, when one went on the market for $1.2 million and sold, and then a second seller listed a home in the development for $2.2 million and sold it for $2 million. Suddenly, it's a $2 million neighborhood.A lack of available land and soaring new construction costs are also pushing up prices of existing homes, Realtors say."I think people have been thinking there's gold in them thar hills," said Laird Bradley, a broker with Williamson Group Sotheby's International Realty in Woodstock."A lot of people, I think, are testing the market," O'Connor said. "Maybe somebody will pay it, and if they will, hey."· The owners of the $8.2-million Barnard home illustrate this trend. The owners, Hall and Letty McAdams, live out of state, and their Vermont property is a third or fourth home. They live in Dallas now and also have a home in Arkansas. He's Hungarian, she's from Montana, and the Vermont home is closer to their children in Montreal and New York City, said Bradley, who represents the couple.Hall McAdams is a businessman who rebuilds and invests in companies. The couple's Vermont property, a 292-acre former farm off the North Road, is an investment. So far, they've restored a barn, built a three-car garage and a small sugarhouse, expanded a pond, added an impressive bridge and gazebo complete with sitting area, shower and fireplace, and constructed a 2,000-square-foot stone home they're calling "the cider barn," which is built of New Hampshire granite blocks. The two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath structure has cathedral ceilings and state-of-the-art amenities.Once their larger 5,000-square-foot home is complete, the cider barn will become a guest house and the asking price for the property will jump to $10 million.Builder Craig Hervey of Housewright Construction Inc. in Newbury tears up when asked what the project means to him. He says eight to 10 people are working on it at any given time."This is the job of a lifetime. This is an honor extraordinaire," he said, as he held oversized sheets of rolled up plans tucked under his arm. "You're going to make me cry. It's really just super. They're just so wonderful to work with."The plans show a circular driveway that stretches more than a mile, a deep basement with a wine cellar and a 12-sided living room with high ceilings and exposed beams. Electrical panels throughout the house will control everything from lighting to fireplaces to Roman shades. A professional designer will decorate the interior.While the McAdams have selected imported Italian marble floors in the walk-in shower and a heated mirror to prevent steaming, they have purposely avoided other amenities that might be associated with trophy houses: an in-ground pool, spectacular plantings and an outdoor hot tub."These guys are not coming here to make it like what they come from," Hervey said. Instead, he said, they're trying to create something that lasts."Some of the fit and finish in this is just some of the finest that you'll ever find anywhere," Bradley said. But he acknowledged it might not sell right away. "You're asking someone to buy into someone else's vision."· Other million-dollar houses vary widely and are no longer what many would consider trophy homes.Virginia Roth, owner of Roth Real Estate in Warren, has a 1790s traditional Vermont home listed for $1.03 million and a 1970s contemporary for $1.1 million in the Mad River Valley.Featuring spectacular views, a pond, stone walls and 14 acres on a private, quiet road, the 1790s home in Warren owned by a Massachusetts couple is really two old cape-style homes torn apart by professionals and meticulously rebuilt on the Warren land. The result is a throwback with exposed old beams, original wide floor boards, a slate roof and period furniture combined with a modern kitchen and a downstairs master bedroom with a walkout to a stone patio. What could serve as a small guest home, office or studio has been built nearby to match the capes."It's very tasteful, very understated, very classy," Roth said. "It (a buyer) has to be a certain person who has more traditional values."By contrast, Jane and Al Hobart's larger 1970 home is contemporary with sharp angles rising in different directions, an in-ground pool and an expansive downstairs living space with cherry and red birch floors heated with radiant technology and lit with sophisticated low-voltage recessed lights."We liked it, and this was the style that was being built in 1970," said Jane Hobart, who raised her two children in the home, but is now ready to downsize. "We have four bedrooms. We each have an office. Our kids are gone."The Hobarts are full-time Vermont residents. He is one of the founders of the Green Mountain Valley School, an alternative high school that combines traditional learning with intensive ski instruction and was its first headmaster. Now the couple runs a small video company.She hopes a family buys her beloved home, but she knows it is likely to become a vacation house."Mostly they're second homes now," said Roth of the pricey properties in her region. "They are people who have substantial wealth."· If the homes are owned by full-time residents, those people likely work out of state or have personal wealth, Roth said."The international flexibility of people is just unbelievable. People can work where they are. It's what they know, not where they are," added Bradley.Williamson Group advertises in some metropolitan areas and relies on the Sotheby's name to reach international buyers, but overwhelmingly, say Realtors, buyers are first choosing Vermont and then finding local real estate listings on the Internet.Still, Realtors like Roth never really thought they'd be selling $1 million homes."Values have increased considerably. Supply and demand kind of drives the market and there's quite a bit of demand now. It's such a beautiful place to live," Roth said.About 15 percent of the homes Williamson Group has listed have asking prices that exceed $1 million. That's new."Up until the late '90s, a million was a hard ceiling. I had only made three sales beyond $1 million," said Bradley, who has been selling real estate since 1984.So far this year, 18 homes in Vermont have sold for more than $1 million, according to a Vermont Housing Finance Agency analysis of property transfer tax receipts through about mid-August.Those numbers, said Burlington policy analyst Doug Hoffer, are just further evidence of the rich getting richer in this country.Following World War II in the 1950s, '60s and even early '70s, the new wealth that flooded the country was evenly distributed among income classes, Hoffer said. "People today, I'm not sure they understand that model has completely changed."In the last 25 years, the upper 40 percent of income-earners, and particularly the top 5 percent, have absorbed wealth through what Hoffer described as generous tax policy, including federal income tax cuts to the wealthy.Those cuts have left the rich with more money to spend on things like Vermont property, while the bottom 60 percent of earners have either lost ground or are experiencing stagnant buying power as they pay a greater percentage of their income in taxes, he said."My interest and my intention is not to demonize rich people. They're playing a game with set rules," said Hoffer. "People work every single day and can't pay their bills and yet we have this opulence right around the corner, and if we believe in equal opportunity, something's gone awry."Property tax analyst Deb Brighton of Salisbury said one benefit to expensive homes in the state is increased property tax payments to towns and the state education fund without demanding more services.The trade-off, however, is that everyone's property values are likely to jump. And when the Tax Department sees property values rise without town assessments keeping pace, that's going to push school taxes up across the board through the state's common level of appraisal process, Brighton noted.That hurts average Vermonters searching for an affordable place to live, said John Fairbanks, Vermont Housing Finance Agency public affairs manager."It's been clear for some time that a fairly significant portion of new home construction … has been going on at the upper end of the market," he said.The trend ties up land, material and labor resources, and pushes up property values statewide, argued Fairbanks, an affordable housing advocate."When money moves into any kind of market, that market starts to rise. When all this money comes into the real estate market, I'm willing to bet that pushes up prices all the way across the market," said Fairbanks. "I don't begrudge their million-dollar homes per se, but we also have to build enough homes for ordinary people to live in."

Posted by huligar at 08:33 AM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2005

The Wyntree model balances

FORT MYERS — Built by A.R.B.C. Corp./Arthur Rutenberg Homes, The Wyntree custom single-family home in the Mossy Glen neighborhood in Shadow Wood Preserve always seems to be looking into the next space, whether it's inside or outside spaces.
Radius butt-joint mitered windows in the great room and morning room, an arched opening accented with metal scrollwork between foyer and dining room and a great room floor plan add to the airiness of the home.

The Wyntree has three bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 3,253 square feet of air-conditioned living area and 4,741 total square feet, including entry, a 605-square-foot covered lanai and a three-car garage. Additional features include an extra-large utility room that also functions as a hobby room and artist studio with a built-in desk and extra storage, and a guest suite that rivals the master suite in size and scope.
The openness of the model is contrasted with private spaces — bedrooms and the den that offer intimate settings for work and rest.
The Wyntree is elevated several feet above the street, adding to its curbside appeal and creating a dramatic entry into the home up five paver-lined steps. The home's architecture features stone banding, arched windows, rope columns and metal scrollwork, used both as accents and in the grand double arched metal-and-glass entry doors.
A curved wall in the great room accommodates five window panels that have been fused together to provide a full view to the pool and raised spa and beyond to the 16th hole of the Arthur Hills-designed Preserve golf course. Niches in the adjoining wall create compartments for television and electronics with wood-framed glass shelves and built-in cabinetry with woven fronts.
Ceilings throughout the home have subtle detailing and are accented with crown molding. The foyer ceiling has a faint pyramid. The ceiling above the dining room has four trays, each with crown molding; the great room ceiling resembles textured stone and has three levels.
The dining room looks through arched metal-mullion windows to the front gardens and has picture frame molding accenting a wall niche.
Art niches and floors provide artistic expressions in key areas of the home, appearing in the foyer's marble-and-tile border and medallion, as well as in both a niche and the floor of a vestibule separating dining room and kitchen. The dining room floor is inset with a border of blue mosaic tiles that are repeated as intersecting lines.
The centrally located kitchen serves the dining room and morning room. It has a center work island with black granite countertops that complements the black surfaces of the appliances including the side-by-side refrigerator-freezer; oven tower with microwave, oven and warming drawers; and the dishwasher. The rest of the kitchen, including the pass-through area which offers a bar sink and divides the space between the kitchen and great room, has lighter granite countertops. The breakfast bar separates the kitchen from the morning room.
Custom cabinetry offers cupboards and drawers as well as decorative open spaces and glass mullion doors on each side of the stucco-and-wood stove hood. The tiled backsplash resembles slate and is embellished above the cooktop with mosaic chicklet tiles. The cabinetry and granite are repeated in the desk in the morning room; and the backsplash material is repeated in the summer kitchen.
The morning room looks to the fireplace and offers two doors on either side of the three-paneled mitered window.
The stucco fireplace is pushed to the outer corner of the covered area to expand seating options. The covered area extends from the master suite to the summer kitchen, which has a decorative precast stone hood, a GE Monogram stainless steel grill and a refrigerator.
The raised spa is elevated, allowing for a middle tier between it and the pool below. As a result, water splashes from a single sheer descent in the spa to the middle level before continuing over three descents into the pool. A bubbler in the spa and three in the middle level add to the visual impact.
A powder room serves the great room and also doubles as the pool bath. It features black granite countertops, a fluted white sink and black cabinetry. Carved tile is used as chair rail, separating the tile below from wallpaper above.
Transom windows above solid doors bring light into private areas like the master suite and den.
The den has a wood floor, a transom above its door and light-stained wood accents, including baseboards and chair rail. The chair rail separates two wall coverings — a leather look above and a map print below. The ceiling has a beadboard insert with wooden millwork accents and a single wall of built-ins is also a lighter wood, offering bookcases and a peninsula-style partners' desk.
The master suite has a padded headboard that is incorporated into a wooden grid on the bed wall that extends from the ceiling. Two levels set off a tray ceiling that is accented by crinkled paper, and bay windows create a sitting area with views to the spa. Transoms top each of the three windows in the bay area and reappear above a French door.
The hallway to the bathroom offers his-and-her closets on each side and a linen closet. The jetted tub is positioned in the center of the bathroom, in front of the double-entry shower. Three openings at the head of the tub look into the shower and are lined with tile and frame arched windows. The center section has a partial window in an arched opening; glass doors into the shower flank this feature. The tiled shower offers dual controls. The bath also has a private water closet and dual vanities, each with granite countertops and sink, and one with a lower dressing table.
The two guest rooms are located through an archway off the morning room and kitchen. A vestibule leads to both and its wall is accented with a niche inset with a woven fabric.
The guest suite toward the rear of the home is a second master suite, offering a sitting area in a bay window, a door to the lanai, a walk-in closet and bathroom with dual sinks and a glass-enclosed shower. The home's elevation becomes apparent in this room, where it seems to almost tower above the landscaped wooded area behind the pool.
The second guest suite has floating crown molding that becomes a shelf on the bed wall above the window. The shelf, in turn, is supported by wall-mounted corbels that match up with millwork on the bed wall. The millwork frames burlap inserts.
The Wyntree offers a central vacuum system, with floor vents conveniently positioned in the kitchen.
The model features interior design by Arthur Rutenberg's design studio. It was priced at $1.2 million and sold on leaseback through December 2006.

With all of this money been spent on the homes, we can only hope they are using the proper natural stone and getting the proper education regarding natural stone and its maintain.

Posted by huligar at 06:29 AM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2005

Elegant

They all have spectacular views of the sky and trees; three-car garages; upscale amenities including kitchens with stainless steel appliances, granite and cherry cabinets; four full bathrooms, one or two half baths; hand-crafted details and molding - even the same price. But each of the three Boudrot-built homes in Skyview Estates is distinctly unique.

All listed at $1.75 million with Robin Gilman of ReMax Executive Realty, Holliston, the homes are among nine in the Skyview Estates cul-de-sac community in Doeskin Estates, at the end of Carter Drive.

Each has 11 rooms, between 6,100 and 6,300 square feet of living space, acre lots, two gas fireplaces, interior sprinkler systems, central air, central vac, Buderus heating systems, finished, walk-out basements, security systems, power winch chandeliers in the foyers, professional landscaping with custom stone walls, irrigation systems and speakers systems with room-by-room controls.

But those are just the basics. Add to that the intricate, hand-wrought raised detailing, marble fireplace surrounds, furniture vanities in the half baths, wet bars, fluted columns, thick, crown moldings and architectural windows that bring in natural light that reflects everywhere, depending on the time of day, and you have some of the most high-tech, luxury-filled homes being built anywhere.

The brick and cedar home at 70 Carter Drive, ready for occupancy in 30 days, showcases the hand-craftsmanship and trim work that are part of the overall packages in these homes.

The raised carved decorative detailing over the gas fireplace with its marble surround in the living room, the elegant brackets under the granite-topped breakfast bar in the gourmet-cook-style kitchen and the cherry wet bar with its wine fridge and sink - in what is usually called a basement - exhibit that attention to detail in every part of the brick house.

This home has four full baths and a half bath, French doors to a library with crown molding and in-ceiling speakers, three preparation spaces, including a granite-topped buffet, in the kitchen with its Thermador five-burner cooktop, Miele stainless steel dishwasher, stainless steel sink with a Grohe faucet, cherry-paneled refrigerator and under-cabinet lighting. It is separated by architectural columns to the step-down, two-story great room with coffered ceilings, a large, gas fireplace with a detailed mantel and marble surround and flat-screen television set above. Sunlight streams in through those over-sized architectural-quality doors and windows that open to the mahogany deck.

There is a mudroom, complete with beadboard walls, separate cubbies with benches and storage. The dining room has built-out wainscoting, a chair rail and ceiling medallion for the light fixture. Even the staircase to the so-called basement is comprised of oak treads, leading one to a ground-level wet bar, game/media/guest room, complete with a full bath, and a separate exercise room. Sliders open to a paver patio under the deck and out to the stone-walled yard.

Up the turned staircase from the foyer are three bedrooms, one with a walk-in closet and private bath with a tiled tub and cherry vanity with a granite counter, two others with double closets sharing a tiled bath with a double-sink, granite-topped cherry vanity and the master bedroom.

This room features a tray ceiling, sitting area, double walk-in closets - all closets have California Closet shelving systems - and to make life very easy, a private laundry room with a cherry vanity with a granite counter and a double linen closet.

The master bath beyond the laundry room has a whirlpool tub and imported, Italian tile surround with decorative inlays, a marble shower with a frameless glass door, double cherry vanities with granite counters and a seamless double mirror.

A second home, framed in stone and stucco, has a double, bridal staircase with the two-story great room opening behind it, a first-floor master bedroom, three other bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, cherry cabinets with a walnut finish in the kitchen and a first-floor laundry, along with other luxury amenities.

this home and the third home, a multi-roofed colonial with a front porch and secondary entry, four bedrooms, four full and two half baths, a kitchen with cherry cabinets with a pecan finish, a master bedroom on the second floor with panoramic views and a wing with two of the three other bedrooms, can be ready in 60 days, according to Gilman.

With all of this money been spent on the homes, we can only hope they are using the proper natural stone and getting the proper education regarding natural stone and its maintain.

Posted by huligar at 07:23 AM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2005

Top contenders for home 'deals'

By Ken Maguire

By the time you hear about the hot new place to buy a home, it's usually too late. Prices have soared and someone else is making money on it.

Remember Lowell? Not so long ago, high-ceilinged lofts in converted textile mills there were selling for under $100,000. Skeptics scoffed at the idea of investing in a city whose heyday came during the Industrial Revolution.

Today, Lowell is home to a thriving community of artists and professionals and the same lofts are selling for two and three times what smart buyers paid five years ago.

Record numbers of single family homes and condominiums sold in 2004, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Most communities are unlikely to match those numbers this year, but there are still hot markets out there. Good deals are hard to come by, but not impossible, especially for those willing to put up with a commute and to gamble on a community that's still a few steps short of fashionable. Here are some of the top contenders. It is by no means intended as a comprehensive list; and, remember, there are never any guarantees.

EVERETT -- Juan Cano wanted better schools. Newlyweds Becca and Brian Iskric were priced out of Cambridge and Somerville. They all ended up in Everett.

On a recent Sunday, the Iskrics toured open houses here and liked what they saw."It looks like it's up and coming," said Becca, a 29-year-old preschool teacher. "If we get in on the ground, we could make out." She and Brian visited a two-bedroom, 1,300-square-foot condo on High Street listed at $287,500. Comparable units in Cambridge or Somerville are selling for $400,000 or more. Blue-collar Everett has no direct subway access, but it is a five-mile drive to downtown Boston and the MBTA's Wellington Orange Line stop is just over the Medford line. Parking there is $2. In April, Boston Magazine named it runner-up among the best places for first-time homebuyers.

Cano, 27, moved here from Chelsea with his wife and three children. "It's nice and quiet -- that's why I like it," Cano said outside his Francis Street triple-decker. "For the kids, (Chelsea) is bad right now -- a lot of gangs and drugs." Overall sales in Everett are on pace to beat 2004 numbers, which is rare statewide, according to statistics compiled by The Warren Group, which tracks real estate transactions.

Condo sales are leading the way. The median condo price was $215,000 last year. It's up to $237,000 through the first half of this year, but that is still way under the state median of $279,000.
In mid-August, there were 26 single-family Everett homes available for under $350,000, compared with seven in Somerville and none in Cambridge.

AMESBURY -- The North Shore has stunning coastal landscapes and quaint towns. It also has some outrageous real estate prices. The region's popularity has sent prices soaring in previously affordable enclaves like Gloucester and Newburyport. Seeing the potential in their town's historic red-brick mill buildings, Amesbury's town leaders spiffed up their downtown, which boasts trendy restaurants, children's boutiques and a walking path along the rushing Powwow River. With their family of four outgrowing their Cape in Lynn, Annette and Vincent Manganello began looking for a bigger house. Prices in Danvers and Saugus drove them further north. They stopped in Amesbury, just shy of the New Hampshire border. They paid $399,000 two years ago for a 2,000-square-foot home in a brand-new subdivision. "It seemed to be a nice school system with houses we could afford," Annette said. "The kids love it here." The 45-mile, one-way commute to Boston is no picnic, but there is easy access to Interstate 95 and the commuter rail runs to neighboring Newburyport. Annette and Vincent Manganello both teach in Lynn and their commute is about 35 minutes. Best of all, says Martha Dastous, owner of ERA American Dream Realty in downtown Amesbury, the pace of sales has slowed and properties are staying on the market longer. "It's starting to turn into a buyer's market," she said.

In mid-August, 24 single-family homes were on the market for under $350,000, compared with five in Newburyport. The median price for a single-family home was $341,750 in May -- well under the state median of $359,000. The median price for a condo was $203,000. Jo Ann Goldsmith, owner of Paws Pet Boutique, moved here from Newburyport six years ago. "I came over the bridge kicking and screaming," she said. "It was the best move I ever made."

WORCESTER -- Scott Cheney lived in Baltimore and Washington for a decade before moving back to his native Worcester this year. For $227,000, he bought a two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,315-square-foot condominium in the new Freemont Lofts development in Webster Square.
"This place in Boston is probably $750,000 or $800,000," said Cheney, a 30-year-old real estate agent.

The drawback: the neighborhood is still a little gritty. "It's an up-and-coming area," Cheney said. "I think it has a really strong future." Leaders of the state's second-largest city have been talking renaissance for years. With the recent conversion of several old factory buildings into loft-style condos, some buyers are gambling that Worcester's time has finally come. About two-thirds of Freemont Lofts' 97 units are under agreement, said developer Jeffrey Brooks. Like most lofts, the former shoe factory boasts high ceilings, exposed brick and ductwork, and huge windows. "It's a formula that's worked and I think will continue to work," Mayor Timothy Murray said.

Vital to Worcester's progress, the mayor said, was the arrival of a new commuter rail stop at Union Station. There are now 10 roundtrips daily to Boston. "We need 20 roundtrip trains," he said. "The Worcester-Framingham line is exploding." Worcester's median condo price was $147,000 in June; $239,000 for a single family home. Condo sales are on pace to surpass last year's total of 524. city officials say a $563 million redevelopment of the area around Union Station will add hundreds more condos, along with retail shops.

ATTLEBORO -- No one denies Attleboro's downtown could use a lift, but folks here say it's coming. Several new condo developments are in the works, as is a parking garage, and money is being spent to spruce up sidewalks and storefronts. "The plan is to make it the town what it was 30 years ago, when everybody did their business in the city," said Tim Pouliot, broker and owner of Park Place Realty. "Right now, we're on that upswing." The housing market has also been on the upswing in recent years. One of the best things going for Attleboro, a city of 40,000 about 35 miles south of Boston, is its easy access to major highways, including I-95, and its two commuter rail stops. It is also 10 minutes from the shops and restaurants of Providence, R.I., and about 25 minutes from T.F. Green Airport.

Brand-new downtown townhomes -- 2,000 square feet with central air and three bedrooms each -- sold for $300,000 to $310,000 earlier this year. They are one block from the commuter rail. The median single-family home price in June was $310,000; $200,000 for condos, according to the Warren Group. Both numbers are well below the statewide averages. There were 106 single-family homes on the market for under $350,000 in mid-August. "It seems to be growing every week," Pouliot said of his client base. "They're coming from the Boston area."

ELSEWHERE -- "The central part of the state has the biggest boom going on," said Maggie Tomkowitz, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. That includes places like Athol, where the median price of a single-family home is just $167,000. "Anybody who has any brains would be investing there," said Leominster broker Donna Brooks. Amesbury broker Martha Dastous said Salisbury is also up and coming. The disheveled resort town has one huge thing going for it: miles and miles of sandy beaches. "That's where you can still make a buck," Dastous said.

With all of this money been spent on the homes, we can only hope they are using natural stone and getting the proper education regarding natural stone.

Posted by huligar at 07:00 AM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2005

The Largest Dimensional-Block Producer And Natural-Stone Processor In The African Continent.

International company Finstone has become one of the largest international stone-pro-ducing and trading groups and its South African subsidiaries, Marlin and Minaco, have respectively grown into the largest dimensional-block producer and natural-stone processor in the African continent. Marlin Rustenburg division GM Ian Ashmole tells Mining Weekly that the group scaled down production early last year – a result of prolonged rand strength and its effect on the local industry – but that the company is starting to bear the fruits of a three-year-long drive to improve efficiency.

“A focus on a series of small but continuous improvements in every aspect of the block-extraction process has seen us increase produc-tivity by 15% to 20% over the last three years,” he says, but adds that the company is on the brink of a major productivity improvement through a radical change in its mining methods. This involves the introduction of ‘slab-mining’, a method widely used in marble quarries and some granite quarries overseas, but which was, until recently, not very successful in the Rustenburg granites, which make up the bulk of Marlin’s production in South Africa. “The lack of success was primarily the result of a poor understanding of the implications of the Rustenburg geology when applying the overseas techniques and equipment,” Ashmole says. While the standard width of the slabs mined by overseas quarries is between 1,7 m and 1,9 m, application of these dimensions in Rustenburgresults in an imbalance in the proportion oflarge blocks produced for the constructionindustry to small blocks for the monumentalindustry. The construction industry is the main consumer of granite blocks, using nearly 85% of total production while, reportedly, the geology of the Rustenburg deposits only allows forproduction of between 60% and 70% in therequired sizes (2,4 m to 3,3 m in length and 1,2 mto 1,9 m in width).

“Injudicious application of slab-mining in some quarries has led to a decline in the proportion of large blocks to under 40% of total production with disastrous results in the marketing,” reports Ashmole.

In order to avoid this pitfall, it is necessary to be able to mine large slabs of at least 3 m in width. He says that it has not been possibleto do it safely and reliably with the existingequipment. Marlin has, however, developed new equipment in its own workshops which enables the safe tipping of such large slabs. The new mining techniques have also produced an 80-t granite block, recently recovered at the company’s new Wonderkop quarry. The block is 10 m in length and 1,7 5 1,4 m in width, and was ordered for a statue in Italy. “In terms of the length of the granite block, it is the longest and heaviest ever recovered from the Rustenburg quarries,” claims Ashmole.

“It took us a week to take it out, but what was remarkable is that it was taken out on the firstattempt,” he points out. Another reason for the company’s success is its zero-tolerance approach towards safety, says Ashmole. In October 2003, the Rustenburg division reached the milestone of one-thousand fatality-free shifts worked, and it is well on the way to reaching one-million fatality-free production shifts during 2006.

“In the last six to seven years we have had no serious injuries at our mining operations, with the last fatality being a freak lightning strike,” he says. Marlin has a longstanding presence in South Africa. Its first quarries were opened in the Belfast area in 1961, producing the Belfast Black (Nero Assoluto) granite and, soon after, it extended into the Rustenburg region to produce Rustenburg granite (Nero Impala). The company has eight operations in the Rustenburg area of which the Wonderkop quarry is the latest addition to local operations, as well as several operations in Mpumulanga, Limpopo, the Northern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Namibiaand Zimbabwe. Ashmole highlights that Marlin also boasts the largest quarryin the Southern Hemisphere, called the Springbok quarry, near Rustenburg. He says that Marlin was the first quarrying company to introduce the successful blind-cutting technology and it is also in the process of introducing new technology atits Springbok quarry. “We are in the pilot phase of testing technology to square blocks using stationary diamond-wire saws, which would reduce the weight and lead to better recovery,” Ashmole reports, adding that it will be expanded to full scale should it prove to be successful. Marlin is one of the leadingproducers of both Rustenburggranite and Belfast Black granite and, together with other colours quarried in South Africa and neighbouring countries, it is capable of offering more than 100 000 m3 a year of dimensional blocks to the inter-national market. Ashmole reports that around 85% of the company’s products, com-prising about 70% of Rustenburg granite, is exported to countries such as Italy, Spain, Belgium, Eastern Europe and China.

The other 15% of Marlin’s dimensional block production is channel-led through Finstone’s processing group of companies housed in Minaco.

Minaco comprises four separate processing facilities, being Natural Stone Processors (NSP), Impala Granite, Minaco Contracts and Wanli Stone. NSP produces up to 500 000 m2 a year of construction slabs for the domestic and export market. Impala Granite produces 75 000 m2 a year of thicker slabs for monumental application. Minaco Contracts specialises in design, cutting and detailing of construction slabs and granite panel wall cladding, as well as flooring and decorative detailing and the installation of natural stone products, while Wanli Stone, a joint-venture with Chinese partners, produces finished natural stone products and monumental components for the local and international market. “The company’s Marikana and Garankuwa factories are the biggest beneficiators of granite,” he says. Ashmole reports that, in recent years, the Marikana factory has started making use of second- and third-grade blocks, which would previously have been regarded as waste material. “Often the final product is notsecond- or third-grade, but first-grade, as the slab can be cut outbetween the flaws,” he ecplains. Finstone has also opened Stone Connection outlets in South Africa, the US, Europe and Australia, which go hand-in-hand with the group’s beneficiation programme. These international outlets are established to trade natural stone slabs and are drawing resourcesof construction materials fromdifferent parts of the world, like the South African-based NSP.

Posted by huligar at 02:03 AM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2005

Truth And Consequences Of Crystallizer / Vitrification

There several important reasons why one should supply informative papers to a client, here is one that I hope you will enjoy.

Truth or Consequences

Michael

Truth or Consequences
Crystallizer / Vitrification

Michael of Stonehenge

When purchased your natural stone investment exclusively possessed a highly polished natural mineral luster......A genuine stone luster will always last longer as compared to an artificial chemical compensator.

Some of the attributes of natural stone are as follows :

1) A pH on average of 7.5
2) 100% Vapor Transmission rating, perhaps 98% if an installation contractor utilized a correct sealer also referred to as an impregnator.
3) Unique mineral configurations which contain geological properties dissimilar to the main matrix of your natural product.
4) Localized fissures or geodesic voids which may have been filled with epoxy or cementious materials.

What is the big deal with applying a crystallizer solution to your natural stone.....plenty.

Around 40 years ago chemist formulated a chemical to aid untrained hotel staff maintain their hotel lobbies, chemical manufacturers have incorporated a planned obsolescence system so that you will indeed have to purchase their exact chemical once again.

Chemical Concoction
The following is the list of common chemicals found in crystallizer solutions and there effect.

1) Phosphoric Acid In liquid form actually penetrates deep into mineral configurations, an uncontrolled acidic fluid reacts negatively upon Calcitic materials e.g Marble, Limestone, Travertine and Onyx.. Certain mineral structures whether they have gone through partial or full coalescence may receive permanent damage with even a single dosage.

2) Carnauba Wax The ritual of weekend car waxing was your first introduction to Carnauba wax. Crystallizer solutions contain this wax and this is material that generates the short term artificial luster enhancement. Waxes, acrylics, and other artificial materials tend to block vapor transmission, which is crucial due to the fact when internal vapor pressures develop there is the influence of micro then macro mineral breakdown. A second application of some artificial substances may in fact conceal initial damage, however this will indeed exacerbate a negative state.

3) Magnesium Flurosilicate If the name of this chemical does not scare you it should... or how about Silicone Tetrafluoride which is the oxidized form of Magnesium Flurosilicate . The chemical concept behind this material is that it supposedly transforms the inherent mineral strength. If there were a simple substance that could harden natural stone the original processing plants and your local fabricator would incorporate this liquid to further their reputation, they however never use this material. Magnesium Flurosilicate is never found upon natural stone until a lesser skilled individual decides to blindly follow a chemist or salesmans' suggestion and follow through with its application.

In the spring of 1999 a double blind case study revealed that even a single crystallizer application was found to generate irreparable damage.

"I have always believed in stone"

Take Care.......Michael

Posted by huligar at 01:17 PM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2005

A Real-life Recipe A Fabulous Kitchen.

People who do a lot of cooking often dream of what it would be like to have a fabulous kitchen. Well, Noble Visiting Nurse and Hospice Services are offering these dreamers a real-life recipe to feed their fantasies.

Their "Kitchen Tour" of Westfield homes will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The tour begins in the main lobby of Noble Hospital, where participants can pick up a map and brochure to guide them to a half-dozen homes with mouth-watering kitchens.

Tickets are $20 at the Noble Hospital gift shop, and all proceeds benefit the Noble VNA and Hospice.
Among the kitchens on view will be that of Linda and Phillip Pohlmeyer of Court Street. Linda is a former professional cook and caterer who studied at the Dover, N.H., campus of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
Tucked into a large Victorian house, the Pohlmeyer kitchen is a model of efficiency. "It's unbelievable," Linda said of the plentiful storage space, which includes two glass cabinets for her decorative teacups and other mementos.
The heart of the kitchen is a massive center island with a 7-foot, blue-flecked granite counter that is curved on one side. Linda said she uses that surface for everything: "Preparation, cooking, serving, eating. This piece is marvelous."
It's especially good for making pastries; she said, because of its hard, marble-like coolness. She spreads the flour right on the polished stone.
The curved side of the island is bordered by high black stools that face a series windows over the sink.
The color scheme of the room is mostly black and ivory, trimmed with a Victorian-style damask wallpaper in dark blue. The wood door on the refrigerator matches the ivory-colored wood cabinets with gold knobs. Many of the appliances are black.

True to modern fashion, the stove is supplemented by multiple ovens: convection, standard and microwave.
Among the clever storage solutions in this kitchen are a tall, narrow cabinet for small appliances, a wine rack under the counter, and a dog-food drawer for the family's two dogs. There's even a TV built into the wall of cabinets.
The Pohlmeyers have two sons. Linda, whose grandfather was a baker, hints that there will be a delicious aroma coming from her oven on the day of the tour.

Also on the tour will be the dazzling kitchen of Donald and Jan Carignan. Donald designed the whole house himself, inspired by trips to Spain and the American Southwest.
As tour-goers drive up, they may wonder if they have stepped into another world - or at least another time zone. The stucco structure looks just like a Spanish hacienda, down to the orange tiles on the roof.
Inside, the spacious rooms are all decorated in red and black. On the way to the kitchen, visitors will get a glimpse of some of the pottery and other souvenirs Donald and Jan brought back from the Southwest.
The design of the house is open, with the kitchen flowing into the dining area. "I don't like little boxy rooms," said Donald, who sketched out his floor plans while sailing in the family boat.
Imagine a kitchen so large that it has 23 drawers, 12 cabinets, Oriental rugs on its white tiles, a breakfast nook with octagonal black granite table, and three parallel counters to work on, all topped with black granite.
Overhead, a massive hanging beam holds not only red pots and pans, but decorative clusters of gourds and red chili peppers. Even the jelly beans on the kitchen counter are red and black.
"It's not a typical New England kitchen," said Jan, with tongue in cheek.
A mother of four, she said the size comes in handy for family get-togethers. "When children move out," she quips, "they don't subtract. They multiply!"
Also on the Westfield Kitchen Tour will be the kitchen of John and Jeanne Beltrandi, with its hand-painted Tuscan mural and its 9-foot-high ceiling, and the kitchen of Todd and Vonnie Marcyoniak, with its cherry cabinets and antiqued cream surfaces.
Two kitchens in the Ridgecrest section of Westfield will also be on view. Angelo Della Ripa's kitchen has Blue Pearl granite countertops and maple cabinets stained with vanilla glaze, while the kitchen of Steve and Gayle Whitley includes such splendors as an L-shaped island, a see-through fireplace, and a walk-in pantry with leaded glass doors.
Tickets for the tour can be purchased at the Noble Hospital gift shop weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A few tickets will also be available on the day of the tour. Participants are asked to forsake their high-heeled shoes in favor of comfortable footwear that will be easy on homeowners' floors.

Noble Hospital
Is affiliated with UMassMemorial Healthcare and is a member of Noble Health Systems. Noble Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Location:
They are located at 115 West Silver Street, Westfield, MA 01085. See the Noble Health Systems page for location of other NHS affiliates.

There Mission:
The mission of Noble Hospital is to be the hospital of choice for the people of Westfield, Southwick, Southampton, Montgomery, Tolland, Granville, Blandford, Russell, Huntington, Woronoco, Chester, Agawam, West Springfield and Northern Connecticut.

There Commitment:
The hospital is committed to the delivery of total quality health care services based on market needs consistent with accepted cost containment practices. The hospital recognizes that appropriate hospital care should be available to all regardless of financial status, race or religion.
The Trustees, Management, Medical, Nursing and Support Staff shall combine their best efforts to insure that health care is given with respect and with sensitivity to the personal dignity of the patient and family.

There Vision:
Noble Hospital, in conjunction with its physicians, employees and the community will accept the stewardship role of identifying healthcare concerns and needs within its region, and developing programs and services that will enhance the overall health and well being of everyone within its service area.
Noble Hospital will be a modern, well-equipped, consumer oriented, non-profit community hospital - recognized, accepted and promoted by the public as a caring, high quality institution providing outstanding medical and surgical care in a warm and always friendly environment.
Noble Hospital will be a progressive and innovative institution always staying current with the developments in high tech, cost-effective medical and surgical care.
Noble Hospital will take advantage of modern communication technologies to keep abreast of medical advances and will constantly use this data to assist our patients and educate our public.

Posted by huligar at 07:35 AM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2005

Toys For The Concrete Guys

With so much interest lately in concrete floors and countertops, of course, the Diamond manufacturers are going to allocate research and development into this growing area. One interest in this field for Diamond Manufacturers is resurfacing concrete floors. One issue when preparing a floor for resurfacing/repair is the removal of thick coatings of paint, lacquer, epoxy, acrylic, and other adhesive residues. This can cause many pain stacking hours of manual labor that may in fact leave you with a mess!

Standard methods to remove adhesive include using a razor/scrapper, which can be very time demanding and cause a few blisters. Also, a popular method is using some type of solvent-based remover, which can often leave you with a big gooey mess. Now more and more people are looking for quicker and more efficient ways to remove these sticky nuisances.

Diamond Grinding Cup Wheels are somewhat possible but not necessarily the best way to remove the glue without grinding away the concrete. Also typical grinding cup wheels fit on a hand help grinder with a 5” diameter, still not exactly a comfortable setting for someone trying to remove the adhesive.
If there was a way to use a diamond tool to remove the adhesive, but not on your hands and knees & not removing (grinding) the floor then if would be the perfect tool
Well, now there is a setup for “stripping” adhesives off of floors rapidly, without damaging the floor, and is rather user friendly. Involves using the Diamond still but the diamonds are specially place and the actual diamonds are rather large. These special grinding cup wheels have three basic machines that they can go onto. Also, these cup wheels actually cut away adhesive or other topical nuisances not grinding. You have your standard handheld grinder, a modified handheld grinder with an extended handle so you can stand up, or machines similar current floor machine to cover more area in a quicker time while standing.

These new cup wheels will be a new standard on the market. You’ll see them in every retail stone store nationwide soon. Concrete Preparation is one of the major areas in dealing with concrete polishing and/or repair. Just like regular cup wheels these concrete surface preparation cup wheels have a single, double, or turbo styles to choose from.

Posted by huligar at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2005

US Will Continue Assisting Pakistan Develop Its Stone Industry

Today Ryan C Crocker, US ambassador to Pakistan, pledged to continue assisting Pakistan in developing public-private partnerships as an essential component of an overall $1.5 billion assistance package for the country.

This amount is to be spent in five years whereas the total assistance for other than gem and jewellery, marble and granite and dairy development industries is double this amount, Crocker said at a press conference with officials from the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) and non-government organisations (NGOs).

Crocker said the assistance was mainly for education, health, economic development and governance including reforms in the national and provincial assemblies. He said that political parties would be trained to organise themselves at the grass-root level.

The US envoy said the aim of the project was to identify the needs of the gem and jewellery, dairy development and marble and granite industries and to transform them into more economically viable and competitive businesses at the world level. He said that Pakistani stone was of good quality, but needed improvement in cutting and polishing.

The marble and granite strategy working group is in dialogue with the public sector to develop a policy framework to increase investment in technology and infrastructure in ornamental stone quarrying.

Lisa Chiles, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) director, said the agency would help Pakistani industrialists visit the world market and evolve a strategy for their economic development. She said that industrialists must know why Pakistani marble was not getting the price Indian or Italian marble was, in the world market.

Lisa said that the working groups would help cut the wastage and improve the quality of products. She said that a support fund had been created with $10 million each from the USAID and the government of Pakistan as the industry couldn’t invest in these projects individually.

SMEDA chief Sultan Tiwana said that working groups in their respective industries had identified certain needs and projects that would be funded from the support fund on a long-term basis.

Giving details of the assistance package, the US consul general said that $200 million of $1.5 billion assistance package would go to the government of Pakistan for health, education and training etc, while the remaining sum would be spent on other projects to be identified by the government.

Bacckground:
Ryan Crocker was confirmed as Ambassador to Pakistan in October 2004. He served previously as the International Affairs Advisor at the National War College, where he joined the faculty in 2003. From May to August 2003, he was in Baghdad as the first Director of Governance for the Coalition Provisional Authority.
He was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from August 2001 to May 2003, and served previously as Ambassador to Syria (1998-2001), Ambassador to Kuwait (1994-1997) and Ambassador to Lebanon (1990-1993). Since joining the Foreign Service in 1971, he also has had assignments in Iran, Qatar, Iraq and Egypt, as well as Washington. He was assigned to the American Embassy in Beirut during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the bombings of the embassy and the Marine barracks in 1983.
He grew up in an Air Force family, attending schools in Morocco, Canada and Turkey, as well as the U.S. He received a B.A. in English in 1971 and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2001 from Whitman College (Washington). He is married to Christine Barnes, a retired Foreign Service secretary. They met in Baghdad in 1979.
Ambassador Crocker received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award in 1994, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service in 1997 and the Presidential Meritorious Service Award in 1999 and 2003. He also holds the State Department Distinguished Honor Award, Award for Valor, three Superior Honor Awards and the American Foreign Service Association Rivkin Award. In January 2002, he was sent to Afghanistan to reopen the American Embassy in Kabul. He subsequently received the Robert C. Frasure Memorial Award for "exceptional courage and leadership" in Afghanistan. In September 2004, President Bush conferred on him the personal rank of Career Ambassador, the highest in the Foreign Service.

Posted by huligar at 08:59 AM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2005

New Exhibit Of Original Sculptures By Attilio Piccirilli

New Exhibit of Original Sculptures by Attilio Piccirilli, Plus Photos and Memorabilia of all the Piccirilli brothers will be on view at the Italian American Museum, October 19 through December 15, 2005.

The Italian American Museum will present Freeing the Angel from the Stone, an exhibition of original sculptures, photos and memorabilia of the six Piccirilli brothers, skilled stone carvers and the sons of Giuseppe Piccirilli a famous sculptor from Massa-Carrara. The brothers designed their own works and also sculpted for other artists, including Daniel Chester French, creator of the Lincoln statue in The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Attilio Piccirilli created all of the original sculptures on view in this exhibition. One is a marble bust of Mrs. Josephine Louise Newcomb (affectionately called "Mother") from 1900 on loan from the Bronx Historical Society. A bronze bust of Thomas Jefferson owned by Queens College is included - the original marble sculpture of Thomas Jefferson was created for the rotunda of the State Capitol Building in Virginia in 1931. The bronze bust of Jefferson was cast sometime afterwards. The Conner-Rosenkranz Gallery located in New York City lends two earlier bronze sculptures one from 1889 "Head of a Boy," and "Head of a Woman," 1900. In addition, the Gallery has lent an original plaster model for the National Maine Memorial Monument called "Atlantic," 1910. Dr. Michael Nieland of Pittsburgh, Penn provided one of Attilio’s major works called "Spring Dream," bronze, 1918. Tiro A Segno of New York, Inc. lent a bronze bust of Leonardo daVinci. The family of Attilio’s biographer, Josef Vincent Lombardo, a former Queens College Professor, offered a first edition book "Attilio Piccirilli, Life of an American Sculptor" for this exhibition as well as a bronze entitled, "Young Virgin."

The Piccirilli exhibit will be on view from October 19 through December 15, 2005 at the Italian American Museum, currently located at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute/Queens College, at 28 West 44th Street (17th floor) in Manhattan.

The Piccirilli family migrated from Italy to New York’s South Bronx in 1888. Attilio Piccirilli, the brother best known for his original sculpture including those on view in this exhibition, designed and created many prominent works throughout Manhattan. They include the Fireman’s Memorial on Riverside Drive West; the door of Riverside Church; the Policeman’s Memorial at One New York Plaza; "The Joy of Life" bas-relief at Rockefeller Center; the pediments of the Frick Reference Library; and the National Maine Memorial at Columbus Circle.

Among the public works designed by other sculptors, though carved by the Piccirillis, are: Sanford White’s Memorial Arch in Washington Square Park; Patience and Fortitude, the lions in front of the New York Public Library at 42nd Street; the pediment sculpture of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street by John Quincy Adams Ward; “The Four Continents” of the Custom House; the allegorical figures of Brooklyn and Manhattan and the pediment figures on the Brooklyn Museum--all by Daniel Chester French; and the pediment statuary of the New York Public Library by Paul Wayland Bartlett. Photographs of these will be included in this exhibition.

Various sculptors of the early 1900’s gave their models to the Piccirillis to fashion into monumental works. For example, the Lincoln Memorial sculpture was created by the Piccirillis in 28 sections of marble blocks weighing 175 tons in their Bronx studio. In 1919, the blocks were transported by train from New York to Washington, D.C., and assembled at the site.

The Piccirillis owned two brownstone houses in the South Bronx. One became their home and the other became one of the most productive sculpture studios of its time, active from 1890 through 1945.

Curated by the museum’s Curator of Collections, Maria Cocchiarelli with Jerry and Eleanor Koffler - Freeing the Angel from the Stone began with the Kofflers’ research. This, presented in a guidebook of the Piccirilli brothers’ public sculpture in New York City is soon to be published by the Italian American Museum and is similarly titled. An educational brochure will accompany the exhibition and include essays by Dr. Henry Adams, Historian of American art at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and by Jonathan Kuhn, Director of Art & Antiquities of the New York City Parks and Monuments Department.

Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa, President of the Italian American Museum said of the exhibition, "It is with great pride and humility that we present a sampling of the body of work of the Piccirilli Brothers.

They made an enormous contribution by their own hands to the beautification of America’s monuments and sacred places. They must be remembered."

The exhibition’s opening reception is scheduled for October 19, 6-8 pm. The museum also plans to host three public programs, including a lecture on the Piccirilli brothers with the Kofflers (October 26, 6-8 pm); a slide lecture on the 1930’s and 1980’s restorations of the national Maine Memorial with Kate Burns Ottavino, director of the A. Ottavino Corporation (November 2, 6-8 pm) and a screening of a recent documentary on the Piccirilli brothers by filmmaker Robert DiMaio (December 7, 6-8 pm.)

The Italian American Museum is the first museum dedicated to preserving and presenting the cultural and social contributions of Italian Americans to the American way of life. The Piccirilli exhibit will be open to the public from Monday to Friday, 10 am – 4 pm or by appointment (212-642-2020).

Contact: Maria Fosco (212) 642-2048

History:
Piccirilli , family of Italian-American marble cutters and sculptors. In 1888, the father and six sons, all sculptors, migrated from Italy and established a highly successful workshop in New York City. Specializing in cutting large works in stone from smaller models, they enlarged and cut figures for such leading American sculptors as MacMonnies, Saint-Gaudens, and D. C. French. French's figure of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C., is the most notable of these.
Of the sons, Attilio and Furio achieved individual fame as sculptors. Attilio Piccirilli,. 1866–1945, executed allegorical figures for the Maine monument in Columbus Circle, New York City, and for the north pediment of the Wisconsin state capitol building, Madison. Other works include numerous fauns and nymphs. Furio Piccirilli,. 1868–1949, is best known for his groups for the Court of the Seasons for the San Francisco Panama-Pacific Exposition, and for his execution of the entire sculptural decoration of the house of the provincial legislature in Winnipeg, Man., Canada.

Posted by huligar at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2005

$2500 Contributed To The American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Efforts

The Grand Opening of Talmadge Villas at 4250 51st Street in San Diego on Saturday, September 17 from 5-8 p.m., is allowing the financial strength of Gabhart Investments to shine brightly both on potential purchasers—and, in a directly beneficial way--on those impacted by the recent enormous natural disaster in the Southeastern USA. Condominium purchasers that night will see $2500 contributed to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Efforts.

September 14, 2005 -- The Grand Opening of Talmadge Villas at 4250 51st Street in San Diego on Saturday, September 17 from 5-8 PM, is allowing the financial strength of Gabhart Investments, Inc. to shine brightly both on potential purchasers—and, in a directly beneficial way--on those impacted by the recent enormous natural disaster in the Southeastern USA.

Curtis Gabhart, CEO of Gabhart Investments, Inc. sees purchases of the new properties as a win-win for the community. “We’ve all been touched by what has occurred in the Southeast. We’ve decided to package a winning Condominium conversion with winning benefits for buyers—and---offer a chance to contribute to relief efforts through the American Red Cross. To me, that’s a winning combination for everyone,” he said in a recent interview. The beautifully decorated and renovated Condominium units in Central San Diego are available for viewing at any time—and especially during the catered Grand Opening opportunity which includes valet parking, on Saturday, September 17 from 5-8 p.m.

Featuring Plasma TV, stone-faced fireplaces, washer-dryer & stainless steel Appliance Package, High-End mocha Glaze Cabinetry, granite counter tops— with some units including skylights and garages, the needs of discriminating homebuyers will be met and exceeded. Many of the amenities offered are those found in Multi-Million Dollar homes and Condos--including walnut flooring and tumbled marble decorator touches.

“We’ve decided that for the Grand Opening, from 5-8 PM, on September 17, we’ll offer not only amazing benefits for our Condominium purchasers and their agents, but for each Condominium sold, we’ll make a $2500 donation to the American Red Cross,” said Cynthia Petersen, the Presentation Broker. “Each new home owner that purchases during the Grand Opening will receive $6000 total toward closing costs, their Agent will receive a 3% sales commission, and a $2500 donation will be made to the American Red Cross, earmarked to Katrina Hurricane Relief.”

Gabhart, President and CEO of Gabhart Investments, Inc. currently has 25 projects in process in San Diego County, and in the next 12-18 months, will transact over $80 Million in business, and over $8MM in construction business, alone.

“We’re enthusiastic about our project, and believe that Red Cross Relief is the right thing at the right time,” said Gabhart. “We believe that the community will agree and help us embrace this new project.”

You must love Curtis Garb-A-Hart. He can spot opportunity miles away. It would be real nice if they can develop some temporary homes on the property instead.

Posted by huligar at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2005

Stone Restoration Guys Leaving Money On The Floor.

Sept. 13, 2005--Manufacturing CEOs and facility executives are taking a shine to the hottest new facility flooring phenomenon sweeping North America producing cost-savings averaging 47.4 percent over a 12-year period.

Brad Padgett, president, CEO and founder of Concrete Polishing Technologies, Inc. (CPT), the parent organization of Perfect Polish, Inc., said, "The dry technique of using diamonds for grinding and polishing concrete floors provides our customers with various sparkling and harder finishes according to individual desired specifications with built-in respective cost-savings."
Padgett, the first person to introduce the dry polish system commonly known as "polished concrete" more than seven years ago, said, "Perfect Polish is changing the way companies view their facility floors. Many clients - including one of the 'big three' U.S. automotive companies as well as several tier-one auto supplier companies - are experiencing significant floor maintenance cost savings in addition to having cleaner and more resilient floors than ever before imagined."
Padgett furthermore explained that by aggressively diamond grinding, followed by finer diamond polishing passes, it is even possible to transform unsightly concrete floors to floors that have a beautiful terrazzo or marble look, or have a highly polished appearance of a mirror or lake. Appearance is only one of the incredible improvements which include greater coefficient of friction, ease of cleaning, increased floor strength, no airborne volatile organic compounds, no required plant shutdowns, improved lighting, decreased forklift tire wear and tear, decreased drag on cleaning equipment, fewer man-hours, and more.
Perfect Polish, Inc., is a service company that markets and implements the Natural Wonder(TM) floor systems. Information on Perfect Polish is available on the web at www.perfectpolishinc.com.
Concrete Polishing Technologies, Inc., is the international leader in dry diamond concrete polishing, founded by the first individual to develop this revolutionary Natural Wonder(TM) floor system. CPT, and its subsidiary, Perfect Polish, Inc., will continue to be dedicated to the total polishing process by providing the industry with cutting-edge research on the polishing process, utilizing state-of-the-art diamond grinding and polishing equipment, and developing the industry's most highly skilled craftsmen.
Editor's Note: For more information on Concrete Polishing Technologies, Inc., Perfect Polish, Inc., and the dry diamond concrete polishing system.

As a stone restoration guy I never took the time to look at concrete floors. It is so close to what we do from day to day it will become very hard for me not to offer this service.

Click on the picture below.

Posted by huligar at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2005

Marmomacc 2003

Now in it's 38th edition the international fair entirely dedicated to marble, natural stone and stone processing machinery.

Now in its 38th edition Marmomacc, one of the most important international trade fair for the marble and natural stone industry .From 2nd to 5th October 2003 architects, visitator in the stone trade, will gather in Verona ,Italy, to attend the event which has become a point of referenceall’evento divenuto punto di riferimento per tutti i produttori e gli operatori del settore.

Il primato di questa fiera è evidenziato dai dati che confermano i risultati raggiunti negli ultimi anni. Lat year's edition attracted 2002 over 1,300 exhibitors and over 57,500 trade visitors. There was an increase of over 33% in the number of international visitors compared to the last edition.

Once again this year Marmomacc has confirmed record numbers, with over 60,000 sq. metres of exhibition space available . There will be over 1,300 exhibitors from over fifty countries.

As well as showcasing the latest in stone technology and new stone products, Marmomacc will also host an event entitled Marmo Arte Cultura ( Marble Art & Culture), which puts companies in contact with some of the most important architects and project planners in the world, who use natural stone in their projects.

Posted by huligar at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)

September 11, 2005

Buyers want some pretty classy bang for their buck,

You're driving down a street in a working-class neighborhood in, say, Dorchester, or Malden, or Brockton, and you see a sign advertising ''Luxury Condominiums" hanging from a rehabbed three-decker. Wait. Isn't that the same sales pitch you seen in an ad for multimillion-dollar condos in downtown Boston?

In a real estate market where a starter condo is selling for $400,000, and, judging by for-sale signs and real estate ads, there is nothing but luxury housing for sale, what then, is the real meaning of luxury living?

In multimillion-dollar, custom suburban houses that sprawl for thousands of square feet, it means a home theater with a cineplex-size screen and stadium-style seating,

A wine cellar with tasting room,

A gourmet family kitchen,

A pool

A fully equipped gym,

A indoor putting green

Indoor basketball court,

A master bath with heated marble floor

Fueling the appetite for the unnecessary-but-nice are increasingly savvy consumers who are not ready to acquiesce to unprecedented real estate prices without getting some pretty classy bang for their buck.
''Expectation is rising," says real estate brokers who are marketing several condominium projects in and around Boston including Parris Landing at the Navy Yard in Charlestown and Residences at The Intercontinental, a new hotel and condominium complex near the Federal Reserve building. ''Now at $350,000 and $400,000, people expect to see luxury -- high-end appliances, stone counters, hardwood floors -- whereas in the past that expectation was at $500,000-plus."
The market has responded. Luxury might be the most overused word in a broker's lexicon, but today it is rarely a euphemism for exaggeration. In the last three to five years, real estate agents and developers say, consumer demand for more and higher-quality amenities has raised standards at all price points.
''This is definitely the result of market demand," says a nother Realty Group in Roslindale, listing broker for Glenwood Avenue Townhouses, a newly built 19-unit condominium project in an industrial area of Hyde Park.
The three-bedroom, 1,850-square-foot condominiums are selling for $379,000 and attracting first-time buyers -- often single professionals or young families -- and empty nesters. One builder says there was no question as to the standard features he would include.
Each unit has hardwood flooring; a center-island kitchen with solid maple cabinetry, granite countertops, and GE Professional Series stainless steel appliances; a sleek gas fireplace in the living room; a private third-floor master suite with walk-in closet; and, on the second floor, along with two bedrooms and a bath, a 6-by-6-foot laundry room. Less visual amenities include a central alarm system, three-zone high-efficiency heating and air conditioning -- on separate systems for better performance -- central vacuum, and wiring for cable and broadband in every room.

Three years ago, similar town houses, without the extras, just down the street. At the time, they were considered top-of-the-line among the same types of buyers Glenwood is attracting. The builder says, ''I couldn't do that today." To outpace the competition, ''I needed to give the buyers back some value." That same principle applied when the owner of Boston Realty Development, decided to renovate a three-decker at 425 East 6th St. in South Boston. Located near Dorchester Heights and Thomas Park, the highest point in Southie, the building, which had been owned by the same family for 90 years, has a commanding view of Dorchester Bay. Remake the once working-class apartments into open floor plan condos with lots of amenities -- including gourmet kitchens, steam baths, and garage parking -- Walsh reasoned, and at $839,000 to $899,000 they would be stiff competition for condos in the South End, Charlestown, or Back Bay. ''Quality of craftsmanship is the key element," he said, pointing to the floor-to-ceiling mahogany wall (designed to complement the mahogany cabinets in the kitchen) that frames the granite-trimmed fireplace in the top-floor living room. Consumers, he says, notice details. But at the next level of the condo market, luxury has come to mean more than top-of-the-line appointments and finishes. At the Mandarin Oriental, a hotel with 50 condos to be built on Boylston Street, the 2,000- to 6,000-square-foot units start at $2 million and come with lots of personalized service as well as great views of the Charles River. It is the hotel-style valet parking, health spa, and full-service concierge that set such homes apart. And all of that comes with a substantial price above the cost of the real estate. While annual condo fees for the Mandarin Oriental have not been set, comparable full-service hotel-residence complexes have said they expect to charge as much as $10 per square foot. For many city dwellers, luxury is something even less tangible than the services of a doorman, however. It's a cool factor that the 1920s Art Deco building redesigned in the 1980s by architect Frank Gehry. Now anchored by Virgin Megastore, the rest of the building is being converted from office space into 54 condos ranging in size from 800 to 3,300 square feet, and in price from $500,000 to $3 million. The building alone has the architectural panache and vanguard location to qualify as cool, but the loft-style units with 12-foot-high ceilings add to the mystique. Gary Tulman, 33, a real estate broker with Back Bay Residential Properties, bought a fifth-floor, one-bedroom as soon as preconstruction units were offered. ''There is an edge to this building," he says. ''And this end of Back Bay is considered up-and-coming." He and fellow buyers like that views to the west take in Fenway Park and the Massachusetts Turnpike, and, to the north, the Charles River and a brick garage. It's the urban vibe, if not the noise level, that gives them pleasure and comfort.

Posted by huligar at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2005

Four Huge Faces Carved By Gutzon Borglum Was An Inspiration This Summer For Stone Carvers

Four huge faces carved by Gutzon Borglum into a South Dakota mountain in the 1920s and 30s

are serving as an inspiration this summer for stone carvers working on a much smaller scale.

Audio

As she gently taps a hammer along the surface of her sculpture, 62-year-old artist Priscilla Schmidt explains why she's being so careful.

"At this point I don't want to knock a big chunk out, like I did yesterday, at the end of the day and have to file it down. So, I'm just having to take it really slow and careful; and use a lot of these rasps . . . at least to smooth it, if not help form it."
Ms. Schmidt has worked in many media, but never stone. So, when she read in the local paper that Mount Rushmore National Monument was offering classes in stone carving, she jumped at the opportunity. "I worked here at Mount Rushmore when I was in college one summer," she says, adding that she's loved the place since then. "It is inspiring. The site is inspiring. The beauty is just wonderful... it's awesome. So, that's part of the mystique of being here and doing this."

The idea for the stone-carving class originated with sculptor DJ Garrity,

who works for the National Park Service at Mount Rushmore. "What we're trying to do," he explains, "is create faces emerging from the stone. Whatever they see in that stone, we try to encourage that, and just give them some guidance... some direction to bring out their vision."

Classes are open to all ages and all levels of experience. After selecting a chunk of limestone - softer than the granite above them - the students are given a hammer, chisel and rasp. Then it's five days of hard work, patience, and letting your imagination go...at the same time learning to respect the stone. As DJ Garrity points out, what the artist has in mind and what the stone gives back may be two completely different images. He points to the face emerging from Ms. Schmidt's sculpture as an example.

"She went from it being a man - a very masculine face - to a woman's face, back to a man's face. Now she's narrowing it down again. So, all these developments, all these stages of the stone carving are new to her, so she's getting to feel what it really is to be able to work in this fashion, where you can't put it back if you knock a nose off. And our record here for one afternoon is 6 noses!"
But even professionals encounter problems that force them to change their original design. DJ Garrity notes that sculptor Gutzon Borglum planned to have Thomas Jefferson to the left of George Washington, not in his present location on Washington's right. However, after working on Jefferson's face for a year, he encountered a vein of softer stone and a big vertical crack. "So he blew it off the mountain, brought it back around to where we see Thomas Jefferson today." Mr. Garrity says his students can relate his dilemma to their efforts. "They can look up and say, 'You know, Gutzon Borglum... I can really understand what he's going through up there, in a way. It was a colossal work up there, but still, he had these same frustrations and these same issues... on a colossal scale.' The stone is goanna dictate what we're goanna do up here. Not what I want it to do, but rather what the stone's going to allow me to do."
Not everyone in class is daunted by the great stone faces above them.
Eight year-old London Kahler

is focused on carving a horse. "First I kind of just chipped away the rock, til I get some kind of shape, and then as three days went by, it's really making progress," she says, smoothing its side with her rasp. She picks up her hammer and chisel again. " I think we're goanna gloss it or something before we take it home. I think it'll be a perfect thing for my room."
Whether his students are 6 or 60, DJ Garrity says they all have fun. "It's actually a lot of fun. And I feel lucky to be able to do it. And it's been very rewarding for us... for me, as an individual, to work with these students of different age brackets and to see their successes and, at times, their setbacks. But their willingness to continue, and the focus that they've brought to it." It was that same dedication and focus that Gutzon Borglum brought to this mountain more than half a century ago.
DJ Garrity hopes that his stone-carving classes will draw even more students next year, to sit in the shadow of the great granite monument and be inspired.

Posted by huligar at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2005

When You Hear The Word Yemen, Do You Think Dimension Stone?

SANA’A – The Minister of Oil and Minerals Rashid Baraba has called for greater investment in the mineral sector, describing it as a key sector in the development of the country.

Speaking at a symposium on the dimension stone industry in Yemen, Baraba said that the Geological Survey Authority has achieved notable successes in recent times with foreign investment in this sector.

Greater investment in the sector would, he said, create job opportunities and provide significant funds for the state treasury.

Chairman of the Geological Survey Authority in the Ministry of Oil & Minerals, Ismail Al-Jand, said that the authority had completed all studies related to mineral resources in the country, determining nationwide mineral sites and identifying technical and scientific requirements.

Al-Jand said that a geological survey of the country had been completed, revealing reserves of gold and sliver. “If this wealth of resources was properly utilized, Yemen would be one of the richest countries in the region,” he said.

He said that Yemen had received many offers from around the world to purchase rocks, but the poor infrastructure of Yemeni ports impedes marketing and exporting rocks to those countries.
The symposium discussed a study by German experts on the exploitation and marketing of natural stone products used in building construction. The study analyzes opportunities for developing existing technologies to produce stronger industrialization and improve the position of this sector in the international market.

The Germans said the study should form the framework and the decision basis for a development program spanning several years, which will then be continued by Yemen itself. Such a program would be a suitable instrument to enable Yemen to drive forward and develop its natural stone sector in a proactive and systematic way.

They said the target group in Yemen was the construction sector and manufacturers of building materials. Based on the attractiveness of the rock types found in Yemen and their anticipated market acceptance in other countries as well, a strong trade in natural stone will develop as a result.

In addition, they continued, residual material that is produced when making natural cut stone has also to be analyzed for its suitability and marketability for other areas, e.g. foundation materials such as quarry stone, natural stone paving, broken stone and chippings. The marketability can only be assessed in comparison with the competing products (bulk material production from granite, limestone or gravel extraction.)

The analysis of the extraction methods used there is limited to their relevance with regard to determining their position in the market.
With appropriate guidance, advice and administrative support, the Germans said, in the interest of resource sparing and an environmentally compatible downstream production, it will be possible to sell stone products on different markets.

This would correspond with the UNIDO requirement for the comprehensive use of natural stone deposits. If this support is missing, there will be considerable risks: e.g. concerning a successful development of the market, depleting the country’s natural resources and avoidable environmental damage.

From 2002 to 2004, the German Mining Museum Bochum (DBM) carried out a GTZ project under the AP-2015 program entitled “Informal Vocational Training in the Building Trade” in the Sirwah, governorate of Marib.

The German Mining Museum, which was founded in the year 1930, offers a deep insight into the world of the galleries and shafts. The 68 metres high winding tower nearby the Municipal Park, which rises to the sky, belongs to the emblems of the town.
The German Mining Museum: This name represents a specialized museum which is worldwide the most important one in this area.

The project included giving tradesmen vocational training in traditional and locally adapted building methods. Within this project DBM found Yemeni people excellent partners for cooperation and decided to continue work in Yemen.
The intensive use of dimension stones is an identification characteristic of typical Yemeni buildings. Germany also has a long tradition in stone quarrying and processing, and it was decided to seek further cooperation in the field.

In Yemen the use of dimension and ornamental stone is widespread and has a long and distinguished tradition. Dimension stone products currently use a wide range of rock types, including some extraordinarily attractive and very rare rocks. These include, for example, blue marble, limestone with distinctive fossils and several multi-colored granites.

Excellent stone deposits even with international market opportunities are available to a large extent. At present, however, necessary development potential remains unused: an immense disadvantage, because other resources are limited in availability (oil, gas) or still have not been recovered sufficiently (metallic ores).

However, the experts pointed out, the country has not acquired the technology to keep up with international standards. This concerns all areas of the process: exploration, extraction, processing and trading.
Building work that at present is encountered everywhere in Yemen forms the basis of a local market for building materials. This market is however rarely supplied by the local industry: even basic materials like high quality cement and plaster are imported.

A particular problem is the lack of access to modern production and quality assurance processes and the skill levels on the available labor market.
At the same time, the traditional method of using natural stone products is still prevalent.

Quarry owners and natural stone producers are prepared, in principle, to invest in new technologies.
However, the German experts concluded, investment is not occurring, as associated commercial success has not yet been realized.

Posted by huligar at 09:06 AM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2005

Spree Of Destruction" Inside The Granite Industries

Two unnamed males, 13 and 15, confessed to breaking in to the South Front Street plant, where the vandals allegedly tore apart offices, emptied filing cabinets, broke glass, personal property, art work and photographs. They punched holes in walls, hammered open vending machines and emptied fire extinguishers, police said.