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CORUNNA, Mich. -- Standing beside a lavish staircase in the Shiawassee County Courthouse, Phil Heavilin reflected on the building's strength and character.
"These materials far excel anything you'd use in a current building," he said, referring to the stone, cast iron, brick and solid wood used in the days before plywood and cinder blocks became commonplace. "It's the same materials used in the Old World, and those buildings have lasted 700 or 800 years -- this building was built to last just as long, if taken care of."
Heavilin, as the county superintendent of buildings and grounds, is responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the building. The structure was completed in 1906 after about two years of work and houses the circuit court, the county clerk's office, register of deeds and other vital county offices.
STOCKS FALL ON FED REPORT: Wall Street fell sharply Thursday after the Philadelphia Federal Reserve surprised investors by announcing that its broadest measure of manufacturing activity fell to a negative reading for the first time since April 2003, renewing investor fears that the economy could be cooling too quickly. The Philadelphia Fed said its index of current activity fell from 18.5 in August to negative 0.4 this month. The regional bank said indicators for general activity, new orders and shipments fell substantially from August and suggested no growth for September. The pullback after Wednesday's big stock rally illustrates how sensitive Wall Street remains to any news that might squelch hopes of a gradual economic slowdown. Investors are concerned the Federal Reserve has perhaps slowed the economy too quickly as it sought to contain inflation.
Demolition of the old LBJ Tire and Auto Repair at the Heart of Huntsville/Market Square mall doesn't mean construction on a new project is about to happen, the property owner said last week. Scott McLain, Heart of Huntsville's owner, said the building was unsafe and had become a place for homeless people to camp. "It's not really motivated by imminent development," McLain said. "We are demolishing LBJ because it ultimately will be demolished, because it was an old building that was falling down. It has become a nuisance." McLain, who has been working on plans for the downtown site, off Clinton Avenue and South Memorial Parkway, for several years, said he and the city have reached an agreement on the configuration of Heart of Huntsville Drive.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$30M loan to Panama for a rural electrification programme, which will encourage investment in renewable energy projects such as small hydro power. The programme will promote public and private investment to provide service for 30,000 rural households, increasing rural electricity coverage by 10%. It includes a system of subsidies for new investments that will motivate private enterprise to invest in rural electrification, through either grid extension or renewable energy projects in isolated areas. In line with the new IDB initiative 'Building Opportunity for the Majority', the programme includes government incentives for the private sector to expand and supply electricity to the poorest communities in rural areas.
ROB RUSCONI: Mr Rusconi is watching where things take him actually. He put his money where his mouth is about a year ago, and it's been an extraordinary adventure. I describe it as perspective. The world really does look very different when youre not employed and it's been a tremendous adventure. Some progress on the international front. So Im hoping to be able to bridge the gap to contribute to international research and bring it back here. But, other than that, apart from, as I mentioned, my desire when I get the time and Ive already sent out the data request to update I call it Rusconi 2004 to see if we can show that costs are coming down. Apart from that, there are so many different things to think about and Im enjoying the breadth and the opportunities. Thank you. MONEYWEB: And getting the facts.
The National Fire Academy will pilot two new courses for its curricula in 2007. The two courses, Fire and Life Safety Plans Review (P 132) and Fire Protection for the Built Environment (P135), will be offered Aug. 26-31, 2007, and Sept. 16-21, 2007, respectively. .
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