Achievement Awards winners also announced at Evening of Excellence.

Des Plaines, Ill., April 24, 2012?The 2012 Evening of Excellence® capped a nearly week-long event for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) that also included its Spring Business Meeting, held at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.

The Evening of Excellence® is the premier remodeling industry event that celebrates NARI's Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards winners. Held Sat., April 21, 2012, the event was attended by more than 200 of the industry's elite and was sponsored by the following NARI national member companies:  Platinum Sponsors - Lowe's Commercial Services and Pella Corp.; Silver Sponsor ? Ferguson; Pewter Sponsor - Moen; Bronze Sponsor - Hanley-Wood Remodeling Magazine.  

Contractors from seven regions nationwide vie for the awards on an annual basis. All projects submitted for judging were an improvement or an addition to an existing structure, with the exception of one category, "Residential Exterior Specialty." Otherwise, new construction projects were not eligible.

In addition, the projects entered were completed between July 1, 2010, and November 30, 2011, and were not submitted in prior NARI National contests. An impartial panel of judges, who are experts within the industry and associated fields, selected winners based on each entrant's binders, which include "before and after" photography and project descriptions. Judging focused on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty and entry presentation.

Twenty-five national CotY winners were named at this year's ceremony. Preliminary judging took place in Des Plaines, Ill., in early January, where regional winners were announced in each of the categories. These regional winners advanced as a finalist at the national level. Four projects were honored under the Universal Design Project Recognition program and six projects were honored under the Green Project Recognition program.

To be considered for a CotY Award, a company must be a NARI member in good standing. The entries in this year's competition totaled $90 million worth of remodeling projects. NARI members represent an elite group of the approximately 800,000 companies and individuals in the U.S. identifying themselves as remodelers.

The complete list of national CotY award winners for 2012 is as follows (click here to see the online version of the list):

Residential Kitchen Under $40,000

DeRhodes Construction

Charlotte, NC

Residential Kitchen $40,000 to $80,000

Neil Kelly Design/Build Remodeling

Portland, OR

Residential Kitchen $80,001 to $120,000

TriplePoint Design Build

Saint Petersburg, FL

Residential Kitchen Over $120,000

Airoom Architects & Builders

Lincolnwood, IL

Residential Bath under $30,000

DeRhodes Construction

Charlotte, NC

Residential Bath $30,000 to $60,000

Revolution Design and Build

Wayzata, MN

Residential Bath Over $60,000

Lifestyles Design with team member Innovative Kitchens & Baths, LLC

Pottstown, PA

Residential Interior Under $100,000

WrightWorks, LLC

Indianapolis, IN

Residential Interior $100,000 and Over

Craft & Design Collaborative

Portland, OR

Residential Interior Specialty

Nar Fine Carpentry

Carmichael, CA

Residential Addition Under $100,000

S. D. Lohr, Inc.

Waldorf, MD

Residential Addition $100,000 to $250,000

Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.

Burke, VA

Residential Addition Over $250,000

Metropolitan Builders & Supply Co.

Charlotte, NC

Residential Exterior Under $100,000

Sicora, Inc.

St Louis Park, MN

Residential Exterior $100,000 and Over

Allen Associates

Santa Barbara, CA

Residential Exterior Specialty

Paulson's Construction, Inc.

Howell, MI

Entire House Under $250,000

Texas Construction Company

Austin, TX

Entire House $250,000 to $500,000

Albrecht Wood Interiors, Inc.

Centerville, OH

Entire House $500,001 to $1,000,000

BETZ Homes

Jenkintown, PA

Entire House Over $1,000,000

McCutcheon Construction, Inc.

Berkeley, CA

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration

Provenance Builders

Dallas, TX

Commercial Interior

Irwin Contracting Inc.

Hauppauge, NY

Commercial Exterior

Irwin Contracting Inc.

Hauppauge, NY

Commercial Specialty

Stevermer Company

Shawnee, KS

Home Theater & Media Rooms Under $150,000

Watermark & Company

Austin, TX

EDITOR'S NOTE:  HIGH-RES BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS OF WINNING REMODELING PROJECTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE.  Contact Nikki Golden at 630-204-7651 or e-mail info@nari.org.

NARI will be providing special Contractor of the Year Award digital showcase in late April, which will highlight not only the national winners but feature photos of regional winners as well. The digital edition can be found on the www.NARI.org Web site, under Awards.

In addition to the CotY Awards, there were 11 categories of Achievement Awards handed out in Dallas. The Achievement Awards are bestowed on an annual basis, and in most cases, the recipient must be nominated. The categories are designed to recognize outstanding achievement by an individual, company or chapter that serves to promote and enhance the professional remodeling industry.

The complete list of national Achievement Award winners for 2012 is as follows:

Chapter President Award

Presented to a local chapter president who has demonstrated outstanding leadership capability in the broad range of service to his or her chapter during his or her term of service.

Diane Krueger, CR, Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Council

Chapter Community Project Award

Presented to a chapter for a community project to enhance the community and increase the awareness of NARI in the community, both locally and nationally.

Kansas City NARI

Chapter Excellence Award

Presented to a chapter for work (other than a specific community project) which impacted the chapter's local area or state in a positive manner, gave the association higher visibility within the community and enhanced the image and awareness of NARI through local activities, membership campaigns, awards programs, community service, etc.

NARI of Central Ohio

2012 Distributor of the Year

Recognizes distributors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to NARI, the professional remodeling industry and the community or communities in which they do business.

Siewers Lumber and Millwork, Richmond, Va.

Peter H. Johnson Image Award

Named for Peter H. Johnson, founder of the CotY Awards Program, this award is open to all who contribute to the enhancement of the remodeling industry's image.

Superior Home Services, Washington, D.C.

Professionalism Award

Presented to a non-paid NARI member who has show exceptional leadership, devotion, dedication and accomplishment through his or her efforts to promote NARI as a professional organization at the local level.

Jim Pitzen, CR, Brookfield, Wis.

Harold Hammerman Spirit of Education Award

Established in 1978 by the late Harold Hammerman, this prestigious award recognizes excellence in training and education in the construction industry.

Kevin Anundson, CR, CKBR, Elm Grove, Wis.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Recognizes accomplishments, awards, local community involvement and NARI National involvement in both appointed and elected offices.

Paul Zuch, CR, McKinney, Texas

Henry Fenderbosch Leadership Award
Created in 1986 in honor of the late Henry "Hank" Fenderbosch who served as NARI President from 1984-1985 and Chairman of the Board from 1985-1986, the Henry Fenderbosch Award honors an individual who has shown exceptional leadership, devotion, dedication and accomplishments on behalf of NARI at the national level.

Dale Benjamin, Madison, Wis.

Government Affairs Award
The NARI Government Affairs Award is presented to a NARI member or members who have demonstrated active involvement in pursuing the legislative interests of the professional remodeling industry.

David C. Merrick, MCR, UDCP, Kensington, Md.

The President's Awards

Bestowed upon individuals who, in the opinion of the president, have done the most to assist in reaching goals.

David Feldner, CAE, Milwaukee, Wis.

George W. Edwards, CRA, CKBR, GCP, Chester, Pa.

Mary Busey Harris, CAE, Des Plaines, Ill.

Homeowners are estimated to spend a total of $113.6 billion on home improvements in the U.S. through the third quarter of 2012.

NARI is a professional association whose members voluntarily subscribe to a strict code of ethics.  Consumers may wish to search www.NARIremodelers.com to find a qualified professional who is a member of NARI.

Consumers can also call NARI National at (847) 298-9200 and request a free copy of NARI's brochure, "How to Select a Remodeling Professional," or visit www.nari.org and click on the homeowner's guide for more information. For information on green remodeling, visit www.greenremodeling.org.

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Click here to find an online version of this press release.

EDITORS NOTE:  HIGH-RES BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS OF WINNING REMODELING PROJECTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE.  Contact Nikki Golden at 630-2204-7651 or e-mail info@nari.org.

What is the No. 1 regret of hospice patients in their dying days?

"They wished they would have lived life the way they wanted to, not the way others wanted them to," says Kathie Truitt, author of The Hillbilly Debutante Café (www.hillbillydebutante.blogspot.com), quoting an article by former palliative care worker Bronnie Ware.

Truitt changed her life by necessity after a devastating series of events led to the loss of her home and career. Like many Americans who lost it all in the recent recession, Truitt decided to go about things differently the second time around.

"I got rid of the socialite sweater sets, the business suits and pumps, which were not me, and went to what is me - vintage dresses and cowboy boots," she says. "I live in the Washington, D.C., area because I have too. But I don't have to conform to how other people look, dress and behave here. I surround myself with the things I like; I have a country-style house, I drive a pickup, and, once a month, I take a ride out to one of the places featured in Southern Living magazine."

You don't have to have a lot of money to live a life truer to your spirit. Truitt offers some suggestions:

• Make location a state of mind. Does your heart yearn to be somewhere else? You're in Kansas, but you long to live on the beach, or you're in the city but you're a country person, like Truitt. If you can't follow your heart, bring that place to you. If you love all things Paris, for instance, decorate a room or your whole home Parisian style. Instead of going to the grocery store once a week, find a market and stop in every day for fresh food, the way the French do. Ride a bicycle; put a picture of the Eiffel Tower on your desk at work; eat lunch al fresco. Take a French class and maybe you'll meet some like-minded friends.

• Turn your passion into a career. You don't have to give up your day job to pursue a career doing what gratifies and satisfies you. If you love playing music, set aside time to practice and write songs. Pursue opportunities to play at local events; create video recordings and upload them to YouTube (it worked for Justin Bieber!); offer to perform at your place of worship. Whether you dream of writing a novel, designing jewelry or being a race car driver, working at it even part-time will help you feel fulfilled.

• Take the plunge and start your own business. In 2011, entrepreneurs started 543,000 new businesses each month, on average, among the highest startup rates in 16 years, according to the most recent Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. With all the tax breaks and incentives being offered to small businesses now, it's a good time to open that restaurant you always wanted, or launch that graphics design studio. You'll never know until you try!

As for Truitt, she would love to be back home in El Dorado Springs, Mo. Since she can't be there, she wrote a novel set in the small, southern town, which is struggling financially. She hopes to fan interest in tourists visiting the town to meet the business owners described in her book, and see the sights. To that end, she's also organizing an Antique & Book Festival there on April 14, preceded by a Hillbilly Debutante ball - featuring vintage prom dresses and plaid tuxes - the night before.

"There are many ways to live your dreams," Truitt says. "You're limited only by your imagination. I don't want to be that person looking back on my life and regretting that I lived it by someone else's rules."

About Kathie Truitt

Kathie Truitt is a former radio personality and speaker in the South, where she was crowned Mrs. Missouri America. She's the author of False Victim, a memoir about the nightmare of events that forced her from her home. She sells vintage-style clothing, accessories and jewelry at www.hillbillydebutante.blogspot.com.

Sen. Chuck Grassley has been investigating the state of Minnesota's receipt of a $30 million payment from a Medicaid contractor, a health care plan called UCare.  State officials repeatedly characterized the payment as a "donation" and according to internal emails, took pains to avoid repaying any of the $30 million to the federal taxpayers.  Since Medicaid is a state-federal program, any refund must be divided between the state and federal governments.  Today, state officials notified the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that the state of Minnesota has agreed to return the federal government's share of the $30 million payment.  A U.S. House hearing on Wednesday will explore the situation, and Grassley is scheduled to testify.  Grassley made the following comment on today's development.

"Key state officials portrayed the UCare payment as a bona fide donation unrelated to Medicaid payments and schemed to keep 100 percent of the money.  These officials failed to disclose to my office all correspondence with CMS, including CMS' concern about the donation characterization in a July 2011 letter.  State officials have suggested that CMS knew about the payment and did nothing.  Now, the state officials are giving back the federal share of the $30 million payment, even though they continue to say the payment was a donation.  If the payment was a donation, why return the money?  This isn't the end of my investigation.  Minnesota needs to answer for its actions on the UCare payment.  And the state clearly has structural problems with its Medicaid payments that need examination.  If a state is gaming the federal government to get more out of Medicaid, the state is gaming taxpayers nationwide and ultimately hurting the people who need Medicaid.  Congress needs to make sure this situation isn't duplicated elsewhere."

ROCK ISLAND, IL (04/23/2012)(readMedia)-- During the next two weekends, Augustana students will present the cult classic, Bat Boy: The Musical, described by The New York Times as "a jaggedly imaginative mix of skewering humor and energetic glee." The unusual storyline is based on a 1992 Weekly World News article about a half-boy, half-bat named Bat Boy.

Augustana's theatre arts department and Opera@Augustana have joined together to deliver six performances of Bat Boy: The Musical in Potter Theatre, inside Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts (3701 7th Ave.) between April 27 and May 6.

Among those involved in the performance:

Samantha Kammerman, a first year from Milan, Ill., majoring in liberal studies, plays the role of Ron Taylor/Maggie/Clem Kammerman.

Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming wrote the story and book on which Bat Boy: The Musical is based, and Laurence O'Keefe wrote the music and lyrics. It was premiered at Actors Gang Theatre in 1997 and has become a cult classic. Off-Broadway productions around the world have increased its popularity.

Dramaturg Jacqui Schmidt, an Augustana senior English and theatre arts major from Algonquin, Ill., will give a pre-performance talk on Sunday, April 29, at 12:30 p.m., and Friday, May 4, at 6:30 p.m., in Larson Hall, inside Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts. A dramaturg typically explores the context of the story and assists with adapting it to the stage.

Bat Boy: The Musical often is seen as a fluff musical, without any academic context. The pre-performance talk will use William Shakespeare's play The Tempest as one way to bring academic context to the production. In addition to the similarities between characters, the talk will present the blurring distinctions between human and beast.

This musical contains offbeat, adult content and is recommended for high school students and older.

Showtimes and ticket information

Fri., April 27 & Sat., April 28 - 7:30 p.m.

Sun., April 28 - 1:30 p.m.

Fri., May 4 & Sat., May 5 - 7:30 p.m.

Sun., May 6 - 1:30 p.m.

General Admission - $14

Students & Seniors (60+) - $12

Purchase tickets online at augustana.edu/tickets or call (309) 794-7306

On the web: http://readabout.me/achievements/Samantha-Kammerman-Performs-in-Augustanas-Bat-Boy-Production/3824912.