Wednesday, October 25, 2006

A Sunshine State icon takes flight There is only one true plastic lawn flamingo and that is the Don Featherstone-Union Products lawn flamingo.  So Americans - and particularly Floridians - should take a moment for sad reflection now that Union Products prepares to shutter the Leominster, Mass., plant that has hatched some 20 million of these iconic birds. The company has announced it will close the plant Nov. 1 and already has completed its last batch of polypropylene flamingos. 11:20:18 AM

FL: Stratford residents just getting back to normal The Stratford in Pelican Bay was one of the Naples condominiums hit hardest by Hurricane Wilma, which sheared off six and a half floors on Oct. 24, 2005. 11:06:45 AM

CA: Local woman creates new concept for multi-family housing These units are considered single-family detached homes that West said are easy to construct, financially viable and in line with most builders' business models. According to West, these units are designed in 10-pack or eight-pack cluster configurations, allowing for 15 to 17 units per acre. These variations can be either single story or two stories. 11:00:30 AM

IL: New condos built with eye on nature Hudson Place condo buyers who pick a home with a view of the complex’s drainage basin will be getting a bonus. They’ll see wildflowers blooming from spring through fall. Even in winter, the yard outside their sunrooms will be a popular feeding spot for birds. 10:44:29 AM

MD: Repairs made to Pikesville building The residents of a Pikesville condominium complex that was evacuated Monday were allowed to return to their homes last night, after additional steel supports were installed to prevent the 43-year-old building from collapsing. 10:21:12 AM

FL: Residents vent over new zones for floods Mary Fossum, president of the Huntington Homeowner's Association, said about half of the homes there have been placed in a flood zone. She said the county in some way failed the process and should pay some of the relief to seek a map change from FEMA. 10:17:06 AM

AZ: POA Troubles: Ventana Lakes soldiers on, Board preps for new year The Ventana Lakes property owner’s association has been fodder for several Speak Outs and letters to the editor in the Peoria Independent for years, but the POA board trudges on in keeping up the community despite public criticism. 10:13:01 AM

New Rules Barely Budge Furnace-Efficiency Level: The U.S. Department of Energy has decided to keep the home fires burning at about the same level as they are now, even in the face of lobbying by both energy- conservation groups and some manufacturers. 10:06:09 AM