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3/03/20

The Annapolis Maryland Historic District

The capital of the State of Maryland is an example of an attempt to create a European style urban environment in a North American setting by use of a modified baroque plan. Departing from the grid pattern characteristic of many American towns, the planners adopted a modified baroque plan, first applied by French baroque designers in garden layout, as at Versailles. This influence soon spread to England and was adapted by Christopher Wren and John Evelyn for the rebuilding of London after the 1666 fire. In the accepted planning practice of this style, the highest and most commanding locations were reserved for the State House and church.
Annapolis developed in harmony with the original plan of 1695 to emerge in the mid-eighteenth century as the focal point of Maryland government, politics, commerce and as a center of wealth and culture.
The basic features of that early city have survived to the present and provide the boundaries for the historic district. Some streets within Old Town have been widened and a few street names have been altered, but the original plan is little changed. In addition to the many outstanding individual examples of high Georgian design, scores of two and three-story buildings line streets such as Cornhill, Market, and Conduit. None are distinguished in design or detail, but all are harmonious in scale and materials.
the planners separated residential and official areas from artisan commercial, and port activities
Location in 1695, under the direction of Royal Governor Sir Francis Nicholson, the capital of the colony of Maryland was transferred from its original location, St. Mary's, to a more central and accessible spot on a peninsula between the present Spa and College Creeks at the mouth of the Severn River. The site of the new capital, then denominated Anne Arundel Town, had been sparsely settled since the mid-seventeenth century. Befitting the seat of royal power in absentia the colonial government determined to plan and survey a new town of about 100 acres, which was soon enlarged to over 140 acres. The town, renamed Annapolis to honor Princess - later Queen - Anne, was incorporated in 1696.
The District is home to many notable 18th century structures. Among them are the William Reynolds Tavern at Church Circle, McDowell Hall and the Charles Carroll-Barrister Birthplace on the Saint John's College Campus, the John Rideout House on Duke of Gloucester Street, the Peggy Stewart House on Hanover Street. The area between Franklin, Northwest, Calvert, Larkin and Shaw Streets contains twenty-five 18th century buildings. Commercial fronts hide the antiquity of 16 early Annapolis buildings along West Street between Church Circle and the intersection of West, Calvert, and Cathedral Streets. To the west of this is Acton, a Palladian mansion completed in 1762 for Philip Hammond, slightly outside the original town limits. This house is noteworthy for its unusual design, the facade facing Acton Place being composed of two pavilion motifs flanking a slightly recessed single center bay, the reverse of the usual arrangement.
The State House on State Circle is a National Historic Landmark. Begun in 1772 and completed in 1784, it was the meeting place of the Continental Congress, 1783-84. It was here that George Washington resigned his commission as commander of the American armies, December 23, 1783, and Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War on January 14, 1784. This Georgian public building is capped by a 150-foot wooden dome which was completed in 1793 and is the prototype of many subsequent state house domes.

2/26/20

Saving Energy on Main Street



Energy Service Companies Savings Performance Contracts Payments and Guarantees

Energy Services Agreements - ESAs - are pay-for-performance, off-balance sheet financing solutions that allows customers to implement energy efficiency projects with zero upfront capital expenditure. As in the case of power purchase agreements – PPAs - equipment is installed, owned and operated by the vendor who sells the saved power to the customer.

ESAs are the Energy Efficiency Equivalent of a Power Purchase Agreement
Energy Service Companies – ESCos - provide designs and implementation solutions for energy savings projects, retrofitting, energy conservation, outsourcing, power generation and supply.
Energy Savings Performance Contracts - ESPCs - accelerate investment in cost effective energy conservation measures without up-front capital costs. ESPCs are partnerships between a property owner/operator and an ESCo which conducts a comprehensive energy audit to identify improvements to save energy, designs and constructs the project as well as arranges the necessary financing. 


An ESCO Guarantees the Improvements that Generate Energy Cost Savings
Energy Savings result from lighting upgrades, building automation system and controls. A Flexible Contractual Tool for retailers looking to stabilize utility costs as well as achieve longer term benefits by buying out the contract and take ownership of installed equipment.

Energy Savings on Main Street and in Historic Districts


ESA Payments are operating expenses designed to be off-balance sheet financing solutions with regular payments similar-to a utility bill.
Outputs Quality and Achievements of Specific Measurable Performance Standards and Requirements
Benefits resulting from the application of ESAs include energy efficiency, water conservation, emissions reduction and streamlined contract funding for energy management projects, through access to private-sector expertise, built-in incentives to provide high-quality equipment, and project commissioning infrastructure improvements. Project management ensures building efficiency and new equipment without upfront capital costs as well as energy and related operation and maintenance cost saving guarantees.

2/24/20

Projects and Transactions


with Pay per Use On-Demand Services
Arezza develops projects utilizing Pay x Use transactions that are implemented via BOT Projects specific to your community; local businesses participate as partners and/or suppliers. Our focus is in the areas of travel, transportation, energy efficiency, conservation and manufacturing. Small and medium sized businesses, especially those located in rural and smaller urban communities, can increase their sales and capabilities with local and regional collaborations and partnerships.
Shared Mobility and Travel Related Services
Consumers increasingly prefer usership to ownership by utilizing pay-per-use and other on-demand services, as scalable and resilient value-driven outcomes such as pay-per-mile become available.
Corriera is a shared mobility service that connects larger cities with air and rail service to smaller towns to benefit time-sensitive business travelers, vacationing families and groups as well as long distance commuters. Transit Logistics specializes in intercity and regional cargo and other logistics management services in support of manufacturing and energy projects. 
Reduce Transit Times and Travel Costs with Pay-per-Use
Communities that rely on connections and collaborations within and among regions have access to technologies to transition from a sale to a service culture that features pay-by-outcome in travel service and destination management. Knowledge Tourism is an all-inclusive per diem travel service for vacations and business trips; it brings together local customs, values and traditions with expertise in a variety of disciplines to learn, experience and expand knowledge of the territory. Prices are a function of group and family size; the terms of service spell out what is included with your daily rate.
knowledge tourism in the knowledge economy
Energy and Manufacturing and Services
The Traditional make, use and dispose economy is supplanted by a circular one in which resources have a longer useful life, with product and materials recovery at the end of life cycle. End to end providers are replaced by multiple product and service offerors with unique expertise in the provision of customer-centric rather than asset-centric services.
Manufacturing life cycle programs increase competitive edge, equipment and components resiliency at a reduced cost-per-use to benefit clients and suppliers alike; objectives are achieved with proactive marketing and sales efforts as well as after sales and maintenance services programs.
Volt Logistics integrates transaction-based energy services and controls with Energy Fees designed around a pay per kWh program, long-term equipment and maintenance leases of CHP and demand-energy-response DER systems. Suppliers provide long-term maintenance and parts replacement programs with equipment re-use, re-manufacturing and redeployment.
collaborative systems that deliver seamless customer experiences
Tell us About Your Business and Community

2/11/20

Mid America Destinations



Illinois River Towns Quad Cities North Shore and South Dakota
Illinois and Iowa
Champaign County is nearly equidistant from Chicago, St Louis and Indianapolis; a thriving micro-urban oasis supported by local agriculture, technology and research and home to the University of Illinois.
The College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Science is a leader in crop science, bio-energy and animal science. Farmer-owned Grain Cooperatives in America’s heartland and the Illinois grain belt; rich soils and modern farm practices produce record yields of quality grains. Ethanol and distiller’s grain production. Research in soybeans, from production to consumption, by the National Soybeans Research Laboratory. The National Center for Super Computing Applications, whose Blue Waters Supercomputer is the largest and most powerful on a university campus and among the largest in the world.
The River Towns of Illinois along the banks and bluffs of the Mississippi River hug the western border of Illinois for 550 miles. Experience an Illinois winery, brewery, farm, u-pick, or local farm to table restaurant. Four Centuries of history and heritage and thousands of stories that recount America's evolution while experiencing breathtaking views, majestic landscapes and species that travel thousands of miles for a visit or to make themselves a home.

The Quad Cities area consists of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The region has the excitement of a big city and the hospitality of a small town with award-winning museums and cultural centers, internationally-recognized festivals, beautiful riverfronts and a vibrant nightlife.
Davenport has beautiful riverfront vistas and an active downtown area with the Figge Art and Putnam History Museums and great shopping at the North Park Mall.
 
Bettendorf the Library and adjacent Family Museum provide exciting programs and storytelling. The numerous outdoor activities include the Splash Landing water park, Wallace's Garden Center and Duck Creek Recreational Trail.

Rock Island downtown is known for its festivals and nightlife with Cajun food and zydeco music; Jamaican food and reggae music; and a fall Irish folk festival. Family activities include the country's largest go-kart street race. 



Experience a Downtown Architectural Tour and the Broadway Historic District
 
Moline is one of the agricultural capitals of the world, home of John Deere and steeped in history. The modern downtown area features great riverfront views and evening entertainment with musicals performed by local actors.
East Moline is home to many great events and festivities. Empire Park is right on the Mississippi River, walk along the riverfront trails of The Quarter or visit to the John Deere Harvester Works, one of the world's largest combine factories.
The North Shore Communities along Lake Michigan are minutes from Chicago’s city center: Evanston, Glenview, Northbrook, Prospect Heights, Skokie, Wheeling and Winnekta.
South Dakota
Aberdeen South Dakota Before the arrival of European settlers, the area was inhabited by the Sioux Indians. The first group of Euro-American settlers to reach the area in the 1820s was a party of four people, three horses, two mules, fifteen cattle, and two wagons. This group of settlers was later joined by another group the following spring, and eventually more settlers migrated toward this general area. Like many towns of the Midwest, Aberdeen was built around the newly developing railroads. Officially plotted as a town site on January 3, 1881 by the Milwaukee Road which was presided over by Alexander Mitchell, who was born in Scotland, hence the name Aberdeen. The town was officially founded on July 6, 1881, the date of the first arrival of a Milwaukee Railroad train.
Aberdeen the perfect family and business destination
The Dacotah Prairie Museum The idea for a community museum in Aberdeen dates back almost 70 years. In 1938, John Murphy, a Northern State College professor, and Marc Cleworth, a salesman, created the Northern South Dakota History Museum which was housed in the Central building on Northern's campus. The collection of this first museum grew rapidly through loans and donations until by 1941, it had amassed a collection of over 500 items.
Rapid City is centrally located to visit the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park and the Badlands. Western and Native American Heritage throughout the city you will find Native American history exhibits, fine arts display, and interactive museums like the Journey Museum that takes you from the formation of the Black Hills over 2.5 billion years-ago to the continuing saga of the Western frontier.