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The Boni Tunnel in Mandaluyong is now brighter and more energy-efficient as result of an innovative solar powered LED lighting system from Philips.

According to Philips Electronics, the Boni Tunnel Efficient Lighting System marks the first time in the country that LEDs and solar panels have been integrated into one system that will enhance driver safety when using the 280-meter tunnel.

Mayor Abalos praised the lighting initiative, saying that the new solar LEDs are noticeably brighter than the previous lights. “I have seen the lights, and anyone who passes by, can experience the difference very clearly. Whether it’s daytime or nighttime, the tunnel is well-lit, from the entrance up to the end of the tunnel, making it much safer for motorists,” he remarks. The Boni Tunnel now adheres to national lighting standards for roadways and expressways with the new system. The mayor also emphasized the project’s impact on electricity cost savings compared to the costs of the previous lighting.

“Philips Lighting has always been a strong advocate for the switch to energy-efficient LED lighting solutions that is not only sustainable in the long run, but also in this instance, has the ability to enhance visibility and road safety,” said Rico Gonzales, Country Manager of Philips Electronics and Lighting for the Philippines. “Together with the Department of Energy, we are able to provide safer roads with our LED lighting solutions for the drivers in Metro Manila.”

51% energy savings -- The lighting system consists of Philips tubular LED lighting systems that are solar-powered by day and is powered by the Meralco power grid at night via a grid-interactive photovoltaic system. The photovoltaic system is made up of the solar panels along with the power converter, and is hooked up to the Meralco grid. With the system in place, the City of Mandaluyong is poised to save up to 51% in electricity expenses every year.

The project is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the PNOC Renewables Corporation (PNOC-RC), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Mandaluyong City Government, and Philips.

Latchis Arts recently received two grant awards to support the organization’s Campaign for the Heavens and the Earth, a $550,000 effort to restore the zodiac ceiling (the Heavens) and replace the auditorium seating (the Earth) in the Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro.

The Windham Foundation, famous for Grafton cheddar and dedicated to promoting Vermont’s rural communities, awarded $10,000 to the campaign.

The Thomas Thompson Trust presented a challenge grant in the amount of $50,000, as long as the campaign meets the goal balance of $500,000.

“We are immensely grateful to Thompson Trust and Windham Foundation, especially at this time in the campaign,” said Gail Nunziata, Latchis Arts managing director.

The Campaign for the Heavens and the Earth was about to get off the ground last year, when Tropical Storm Irene brought Latchis activity to a halt.

“We couldn’t in good conscience continue with the campaign while flood recovery was going on in the town,” said Nunziata.

But as time passed, the effort resumed.

“We are keeping to the pre-flood timetable, so time is of the essence,” she said. “We plan to close the main theater for construction in January 2013.”

The Latchis Theatre is the region’s largest auditorium for live events, and is the town’s only movie theater, with four screens. The Campaign for the Heavens and the Earth aims to replace the original seats and restore the ceiling in the main auditorium.

The seats, nearly 75 years old, are showing their age. The ceiling was damaged by a leaky roof in years past and, although the roof has been replaced, the altered ceiling fabric and zodiac designs remain.

The repairs and replacements are being done with historic preservation in mind. “The art deco aisle ends will remain,” Nunziata said. “These pieces are important to the history of the room,” and, she points out, they will be refurbished to their original luster.

Along with restoring the ceiling, Latchis Arts hopes to return a starry night effect to the heavens, using LED lighting instead of the ancient light bulbs that originally lit the “sky.”

Bringing the theater up to code for ADA accessibility upgrades is another major goal of the project.

Since being transformed into a nightclub from a coffeehouse, the tan building on the corner of 22nd and Champa Street has been known by many names over the years: Club Evolution, the Loft, Club Ra, Gallery 22 and, most recently, 2200. This Saturday, May 19, the club will be rechristened once again as NORAD Dance Bar, with a completely new concept.

Preston Douglas, co-owner and founder of Awesome Factory, will host the soft opening of NORAD at an industry-only event featuring Tony Rohr and Drumcell, two veterans of the techno scene. The club's official grand opening is slated for Saturday, June 30, and when it opens to the public, the new spot will feature a completely new sound system from Paradigm on both floors, as well as state-of-the-art LED and lighting from Nexus Productions.

According to Douglas, the main room will be open Thursday through Saturday, while the upstairs lounge and patio will be open seven days a week. The lounge upstairs will rotate styles on a daily basis, says Douglas, with Fridays being geared toward indie dance music and Saturdays more focused on techno, progressive and tech-house styles of music. "Thursdays in the main room will have more indie dance music," he explains, "and Fridays will be open to local crews and anyone who is interested in bringing talent."

With over twelve years in the scene, Douglas is no stranger to dance music and the electronic world. After wearing multiple hats at Beta Nightclub -- working in the marketing department, in artist relations and booking talent -- Douglas decided it was time to branch out on his own and bring music that he wanted to hear and that he knew Denver would want to hear, as well.

The idea behind NORAD, says Douglas, is to bring solid dance music back to Denver for mature adults. So when the doors do finally open, the 21-plus venue will remain open on special occasions for after-after-parties that can start as early as 7 a.m. Last weekend, the Sub.Mission Dubstep and Recon DnB began throwing their Re.Mission Sundays parties, slated for the first Sunday of the month, on the outdoor patio, and those parties will continue, says Douglas.

THE finishing touches have been applied to a Dorset entry for this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Top scenic artist Jonathan Holbrook worked his magic on the entry by Piddlehinton hutmakers Plankbridge.

The firm has built a shepherd’s hut, which will act as a writer’s retreat in its Dorset wild flower garden.

Mr Holbrook – who has worked in film and television on the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean, The Golden Compass and Lark Rise to Candleford – was asked to make the new hand-built hut look as though it had been used for three years.

Mr Holbrook said: ‘I have lots of secret recipes that I keep in my head, and whole menus that I’ve built up.

“With this hut, all my training over the years has come together, lots of knowledge and use of waxes and stains and colours and fixatives.”

He added: “There’s a light area on the floor where the writer would have paced up and down thinking about what to write.

“There are chair scrapes and bashes from over the years where the chair has rubbed against the wall.

“The leather writing surface on the desk is slightly dented and waxed.

“There’s a good build up of mist on the windows, there’s smoke from the stove and dust on the lamp, the metalwork has faded and the paint’s gone matt… I’ve gone round everything!”

During the show best-selling author Tracy Chevalier, who has a home in the Piddle Valley, will spend a day in the hut as writer-in-residence and helped influence the design of the hut.

Plankbridge’s show garden has been designed by triple Chelsea Gold Medal winners Jonathan Smith and Adam Woolcott and will form the setting for the first shepherd’s hut to feature in a show garden at Chelsea.

Mr Holbrook said: “I hope people will see it as a warm and lovely place to escape to, the ideal thing to have at the bottom of your garden.”

Just before the Morris Minor, there's a small shop with produce on shelves in front of the window and a large advertising board on the wall, next to which is painted the word "Cafe". I wonder if anyone can recall this shop?

To the left of the gas lamp standard, you can just see a thick concrete roofed, brick building, a bit like an air raid shelter.

This might well be the position of the wartime Auxiliary Fire Service station that was based on Church Gate.

Beyond the tower of St Margaret's Church, just framed by the lamp standard, we see the attractive gabled building, also featured on this page not so long ago, which became – yes, you guessed it – another victim of the bulldozer.

Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. (SEPCO) showcased its newest home entertainment products, including TV and AV products that are more intuitive, more connected and more adaptable to the industry’s rapid pace of innovation, at the 2012 Samsung AV Roadshow held recently at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

“The Filipino consumers have been quick to adopt mobile technologies, like smartphones and tablets, that allow them to make their content accessible wherever they go,” said Ariel Arias, Samsung AV Business Unit head.

“They expect not only greater accessibility, but greater, more compelling content — all of which are needs met through Samsung’s vision for the future of Smart TV,” he added.

Heading into its seventh consecutive year as the global TV market leader, Samsung described at the roadshow how its 2012 product and content strategies promise continued innovation and excellence across the TV and AV categories, which will help the company maintain its strong market lead and premium brand identity both here and globally.

Samsung ended 2011 as the market leader for 3D Smart TV in the Philippines with 58 percent market share and market leader for LED Smart TV in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Samsung’s TV and AV strategy is built on three pillars — new market-revolutionizing features available in 2012: Smart Interaction, Smart Content, and Smart Evolution.

As demonstrated at the Samsung AV Roadshow, Samsung’s Smart Interaction technology provides Smart TV users with a new, more natural and intuitive option for controlling and interacting with the TV — breaking the physical boundaries between the consumer and screen.

Samsung’s new Motion Control, Voice Control, and Face Recognition commands advance user experience in a competitive TV market that values ease, convenience and choice.

Users can turn the TV on or off, activate selected apps or search for and select content in the Web browser — all without touching the remote.

Smart Interaction is available on the company’s 2012 flagship Smart TVs, including the LED ES8000 series, the LED ES7500 series and the Plasma E8000 series, and features a built-in camera that recognizes movement in the foreground, as well as two microphones to recognize voice.

In the area of Smart Content, as the Smart TV platform of choice, Samsung provides consumers with access to the widest variety of premium content available, with over 1,500 apps offered worldwide.

This year, Samsung is taking content one step further and evolving the way consumers discover and access apps — through a new Smart Hub that features a simpler, more personable UI in Full HD. Samsung’s Smart TVs also provide a much faster Smart TV experience powered by a new dual-core processor.