Metal Buildings and “Green” Construction
Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings (PEMB’s) are one of the most environmentally friendly forms of construction for large scale projects. Almost by definition, the PEMB is optimized to provide the required building function with the minimum of waste. Couple that with the fact that steel is a recyclable material and this adds to the green aspect of PEMB construction.
We recently received a letter from Butler Manufacturing Company (BMC) talking about the new EcoCalculator and how it applies to PEMB construction. The letter included the following quote: “Our type of construction customarily instills a level of predictability in terms of cost, erection time and quality,” said David E. Evers, PE, vice president of research and development for Butler Manufacturing and chairman of the Energy Committee for the Metal Building Manufacturers Association. “The growing interest in applying metal building structural, roof and wall assemblies to ‘green’ buildings has led to their inclusion in the development and acceptance of a tool known as the EcoCalculator for Assemblies developed by The Athena Institute, in association with the University of Minnesota and Morrison Hershfield Consulting Engineers (http://www.athenasmi.org/tools/ecoCalculator/indec/html). This remarkable software provides architects, engineers, contractors and others instant access to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for hundreds of common building sections, including a number of typical metal building assemblies.”
Metal Building construction is one of the “green” ideas that makes sense. Easterday Construction Co., Inc. has been a Butler Builder for over 30 years and has always been pleased by the quality of the BMC product. This is one of the construction ideas that was “green” long before green grew to its current popularity!
Francis Ellert in the General Assembly
Culver Citizen article announcing Francis Ellert's candidacy 12-10-09
I had lunch with Francis last Friday. I’ve been friends with Francis for more than a decade now. We met when we served on the Culver Chamber of Commerce Board together. He is someone I respect and we meet on occasion to attempt to solve the world’s problems… or at least to discuss how they’re currently affecting us.
Well, Francis has stepped up and is taking it to the next level. He has made the choice to get politically involved and actually do something about it. He has announced that he is running for the District 17 State Representative position. Not that he hasn’t been involved before now. He has served on many boards such as the Chamber Board where I met him. He’s well known in the community and I think he has an excellent shot at this.
I’m pretty stoked about the possibility of having someone of Francis’s quality representing us in the General Assembly. He has a good head on his shoulders and and he’s not afraid to take on a challenge. Plus, the main thing I like about Francis is that I know he will listen. I am constantly frustrated by politicians that make decisions for us without understanding the issues. How hard is it to ask those that it will affect? I trust Francis to make informed decisions. I also trust him to have the humility to accept it when I bust his chops if he slips up on this! Ha!
Best wishes for a successful campaign, Francis! I think we would all benefit from your success in this endeavor.
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Update: WTCA Radio has some good background information on Francis on a web page here.
Georgia Guidestones
Georgia Guidstones
Last week Becky and I took some time off and went south. The 5 degree temperatures this morning made us wonder why we came back!
We spent some time in Atlanta with friends and one of the things we did was visit the Georgia Guidestones. The Guidestones are in Elbert County, Georgia, east of Atlanta. They’re on a hilltop out in the country and a little difficult to find. I had read about them in a newspaper article a while back and we’re always looking for interesting things to do while we’re there. This was a nice drive and an interesting display.
The stones have a sort of manifesto inscribed on them, which appears to be a blueprint for a new civilization after some catastrophic event. It is carved into the stones in eight different languages. They read as follows:
- Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
- Guide reproduction wisely – improving fitness and diversity.
- Unite humanity with a living new language.
- Rule passion – faith – tradition – and all things with tempered reason.
- Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
- Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
- Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
- Balance personal rights with social duties.
- Prize truth – beauty – love – seeking harmony with the infinite.
- Be not a cancer on the earth – Leave room for nature – Leave room for nature.
They have several precise cuts in the stones that have astronomical significance, such as a hole through which the North Star can be seen and and an aperture in the capstone that allows a ray of sunlight to shine through at noon each day. One of the other interesting things is that there is a time capsule and some inscriptions that remain unfinished, even though, by all accounts, the work was completed per specifications.
It’s unfortunate that some individuals have taken it upon themselves to deface them. Whatever their intent, the Guidestones are an interesting feature on the landscape. It’s probably not something I would make another trip to see, but it was worth one visit.
Wikipedia has an entry on the Georgia Guidestones here. More of the story about how the Guidestones came to be can be found at the Wired Magazine site here.
Outtakes from yesterday’s hearing on Capital Hill
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R-S.C): Can you give me a case in United States history where a enemy combatant caught on a battlefield was tried in civilian court?
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: I don’t know. I’d have to look at that. I think that, you know, the determination I’ve made —
GRAHAM: We’re making history here, Mr. Attorney General. I’ll answer it for you. The answer is no.
HOLDER: Well, I think —
GRAHAM: The Ghailani case — he was indicted for the Cole bombing before 9/11. And I didn’t object to it going into federal court. But I’m telling you right now. We’re making history and we’re making bad history. And let me tell you why.
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GRAHAM: If bin Laden were caught tomorrow, would it be the position of this administration that he would be brought to justice?
HOLDER: He would certainly be brought to justice, absolutely.
GRAHAM: Where would you try him?
HOLDER: Well, we’d go through our protocol. And we’d make the determination about where he should appropriately be tried. […]
GRAHAM: If we captured bin Laden tomorrow, would he be entitled to Miranda warnings at the moment of capture?
HOLDER: Again I’m not — that all depends. I mean, the notion that we —
GRAHAM: Well, it does not depend. If you’re going to prosecute anybody in civilian court, our law is clear that the moment custodial interrogation occurs the defendant, the criminal defendant, is entitled to a lawyer and to be informed of their right to remain silent.
The big problem I have is that you’re criminalizing the war, that if we caught bin Laden tomorrow, we’d have mixed theories and we couldn’t turn him over — to the CIA, the FBI or military intelligence — for an interrogation on the battlefield, because now we’re saying that he is subject to criminal court in the United States. And you’re confusing the people fighting this war.
Watch the an extended clip of this exchange on YouTube here.
Pulaski County Public Library Grand Re-Opening
Grand Re-Opening Brochure
On Sunday, November 15, 2009, I attended the Grand Re-Opening of the Pulaski County Public Library. They went through a remodeling and addition project over the last couple of years. While we were unsuccessful in our bid to do the initial project, due to our past relationship with previous head librarian, Katherine Scott, we have been asked to consult on some issues that have developed. This has led to some miscellaneous small projects. From this we have developed a relationship with the new head librarian, MacKenzie Ledley. I was pleased to be invited to their Grand Re-Opening. I enjoyed hearing the presentations and talking to some of the patrons in attendance.
The Grand Re-Opening was fairly well attended with approximately 40+ people in attendance. The Library Dedication was conducted by Roberta Brooker, Indiana State Librarian. She made a nice presentation. Board President Paul C. Baker presided over the ceremonies and Ms. Ledley unveiled several sculptures that had been donated to the library by a former resident.
This is the second major renovation to the Pulaski County Public Library. The original Carnegie Library is still the prominent portion of the building visible from the street. The Carnegie portion of the building is still in use, though mainly as offices and administrative facilities at this point. A previous 1987 addition houses the library’s geneology section while the new addition houses a new computer lab, children’s section, community room and a several reading rooms. There is some history written by past librarians here.
Raffle tickets were distributed for chances at door prizes. They had several gift baskets as well as library logo items that were given away.
There were refreshments and door prizes (I didn’t win…) and tours of the library. Overall the event was interesting and worth attending. We wish Ms. Ledley, the library staff and the library board all the best as they move into this next era for the Pulaski County Public Library.
