| Senate OKs legislation to require carbon monoxide detectors
RICHMOND -- The Virginia Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would require some college dormitories and assisted living facilities to install carbon monoxide detectors. On a 40-0 vote, the Senate mandated installation of the devices by 2010. The legislation affects dorms and assisted living facilities served by fuel-burning appliances that might leak the dangerous gas. In an effort to protect residents from carbon monoxide from nearby vehicles, the bill also applies to the designated buildings that have an attached carport or garage or are adjacent to a parking space. Although a similar bill failed to win the endorsement of the Virginia Housing Commission, advocates cited an incident last summer in which one person died and dozens fell ill from a carbon monoxide leak in a Roanoke College dormitory.
News reports exaggerate Menorah Park ‘quarantine’
Local television and radio news programs broadcast reports on the evening of Thurs., Feb. 1, and the morning of Fri., Feb. 2, warning that a virus had broken out at Menorah Park Center for Senior Living and that the nursing home was under quarantine.
The reports greatly inflated and exaggerated what is a standard and common practice at the home to stem the spread of common flu viruses, says Menorah Park staff. On Feb. 1, 18 out of 66 residents on Menorah Park's Fairmount Pavilion were exhibiting symptoms of a gastrointestinal virus, so the home quarantined that pavilion.The virus "lasts maximum 24-48 hours," reports Menorah Park administrator and chief operating officer Richard Schwalberg. "Our population is elderly, so it's hard on them, but they're recuperating fast. We like to take a proactive stance.
GOVERNMENT: A review of elected leaders' salaries in Niagara County
The debate over just how much elected officials should earn recently raised some eyebrows in Niagara County's largest municipality.The Niagara Falls City Council last month boosted the mayor's salary starting in 2008 from $30,000 to $78,000.But according to an analysis by the Niagara Gazette, the raise still leaves the Cataract City's chief executive as the lowest-paid municipal leader based on population size.Sean Kelly, associate professor of political science at Niagara University, chaired the city's Charter Commission, which had recommended the mayor's salary be increased.Municipalities will determine the applicant pool when deciding how much the job pays, because some potential candidates won't stick their hat in the ring if they can't make do with the salary offered, according to Kelly.Another item of consideration when setting a mayor or supervisor's salary should be the salaries of department heads, Kelly said."The boss shouldn't get paid less than the employees," he said.A low salary essentially limits applicants to either a retired person or someone who's independently wealthy.And while a raise should help, it's not a guarantee and other reforms should still be considered to improve government, Kelly said.Peter Lombardi, a policy analyst with the U.B.
Work on Hebrew SeniorLife begins
DEDHAM - Construction has begun on Hebrew SeniorLife's sprawling 256-unit senior housing and care facility and Jewish day school campus on a wooded spot near the banks of the Charles River. Since December, workers from Turner Construction of Boston have been removing trees at the 160-acre Common Street site in preparation for the construction of NewBridge on the Charles, a more than $300 million multigenerational community that will include a long-term care facility and assisted-living and supportive housing units for seniors. After the workers clear a more than 60-acre swath, construction of the campus will begin in late summer or early fall, with an eye toward a fall 2009 completion, said Ruth Stark, director of marketing for HSL, and Michael Crowley, vice president of project management for the Boston area nonprofit health-care provider.
Waverly council approves Wartburg rezoning request
WAVERLY --- Wartburg College's controversial rezoning request received the blessing of most City Council members Monday. Assurances from administrators and city officials, however, failed to quiet some neighboring residents' concerns.Council members voted 5-1 to rezone property along 12th Street Northwest east of 20th Street Northwest. The 70 acres, owned by Wartburg, will change from agricultural to multifamily residential. The move aligns zoning designations throughout Wartburg's properties and makes way for future development.Prior to the vote, several people who own adjacent property said without project details on the table, rezoning seemed premature. The long list of allowed uses in a multifamily residential district leaves too much to the imagination, they alleged."We've all read it and we're scared to death of what it could be," resident Dave Reznicek said.
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