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THE MASONRY MONTHLY
2005 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | 626-296-7700 | www.bostonbrick.com | July 2018
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT
E very American knows that the Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 — it’s also called Independence Day, after all. The story behind the document, however, gets less attention than it deserves. It’s a fascinating tale, culminating with the birth of the United States of America as we know it. The Road to Declaration Even after the early battles of the American Revolution, which began in earnest during April of 1775, it was unclear what shape the rebellion would take. At that point, independence was still far from certain. As the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in May of that year, two groups formed around polar opinions. “The fundamental issue between them was were they fighting for their rights as Englishmen within the British Empire, or were they going to fight for independence?” says historian Richard Slotkin. It was not an easy choice, and both sides held passionate opinions. As the calendar changed to 1776, those in favor of breaking from King George III began to gain momentum. The growth of the revolutionary movement had a number of causes, but two in particular stand out. In late 1775, King George III spoke to Parliament with the goal of enlarging the Royal Army and Navy to quash the rebellion. He went so far as to solicit help from foreign mercenaries. Word of this decision reached the colonies in January 1776, making reconciliation seem less likely than ever before. During the same month, Thomas Paine published his famous pamphlet “Common Sense,” which advocated for outright independence. “The custom of all Courts is against us, and will be so, until by an independence we take rank with other nations,” Paine wrote. “Common Sense” was wildly popular, selling more than 150,000 copies in its first weeks of publication, and created a groundswell of colonist support for independence. Drafting the Document Once a route forward was agreed upon, Congress set about drafting a formal document to dissolve all ties with Great Britain. They assigned a group of five congressmen, now known as the Committee of Five, to begin work on what would become the Declaration of Independence. That group comprised John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Most people believed that Adams, one of the earliest supporters of revolution, should be the man to pen the document. Adams, on the other hand, was insistent that Jefferson was the man for the job.
Not much is known about how Jefferson wrote the document, but we are certain that he presented it to Congress on June 28, 1776. The original draft was heavily revised over the next few days with input from all Congress members. This revision process coincided with convincing the final holdout states to move toward independence. By July 2, independence had been decided, with 12 states voting in favor, one absenting, and zero against. Jefferson thought that July 2 would become a national holiday as a result of this vote. Turns out he was two days off. That’s because two days later, the final text of the Declaration was approved and sent to the printer, and this event became the moment synonymous with the birth of our nation. The Power of the Prose “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” While this remarkable passage is the one everyone remembers, it’s only a small portion of the Declaration. Structurally, the text proceeds like a classic example of a rhetorical argument. It begins by proposing that if a government is oppressive and unjust, it should be overthrown. Then, it lists the ways the British government has been unjust to its colonial citizens. Finally, it concludes that because of these grievances, it is time for the U.S. to establish a government of its own. It’s also a literary achievement, full of timeless sentences that are as compelling to read today as when they were written. Somehow, the text achieves both clarity of argument and an overflow of emotion. It was so powerful that it stirred revolutionary emotions across the world, most notably in France. This Fourth of July, why not take the time to read the Declaration of Independence? It’s something few U.S. citizens do, and you’ll likely find it about as awe-inspiring as the biggest display of fireworks you can imagine. –The Declaration of Independence
-Dave Laverdiere
www.bostonbrick.com |
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How to Promote Your Greatest Assets Give Employees Opportunities for Growth
It’s no secret that employees want to work where they feel valued and nurtured. You also know that turnover is costly — Glassdoor estimates that businesses spend as much as 21 percent of an employee’s pay to find their replacement. So how do you get good employees to stay? Glassdoor’s study points out the importance of employee development. According to Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor, “Even after controlling for pay, industry, job title, and many other factors, we find that workers who stay longer in the same job without a title change are significantly more likely to leave for another company for the next step in their career.” Glassdoor’s findings corroborate the experiences of many business leaders. Chief Revenue Officer and longtime business leader Christian Valiulis emphasizes that employee development is essential to any company’s growth. Here are a few methods he’s identified to promote it within his company. Meet at least every month, without fail. Meetings are an opportunity for you to share where you’re at as a company, where you’re headed, and where your employees fit into that plan. Consider how your employees can be involved in such meetings. For example, at each monthly meeting, Valiulis has a different team member give part of the presentation.
“My wife and I just wanted to drop you a note to say how happy we were with your work in replacing our chimney. From first contact online, to the estimate meeting, to the final cleanup, your employees were nothing but professional and top-quality. When questions arose, they were answered. When problems arose, they were fixed quickly, courteously, and without conflict. And more than anything, you were able to complete the job ahead of schedule. Wow. One of the city inspectors even asked about your company because he thought the work looked outstanding. Needless to say, we are very pleased. It's rare to find a company in the construction arena with so much professionalism. Feel free to use us as a reference at any time.” –B.L.S. This builds their investment in the meeting, gives recognition to that employee, develops skills, and gives that employee an opportunity to try out a new role. Express yourself. You know how much your employees mean to you, but do they ? It might be as simple as saying, “You are doing a great job.” When your employee tells you about their goal of writing a book, find ways to support it, even if it’s just checking in now and then to see how many pages they’ve written. If your employees feel that you’re interested not only in their professional development but also their personal development, they’ll feel more satisfied in their work. You’ll improve morale and retention. Give clear opportunities for internal development. If your employees feel like they can’t achieve their career goals at your company, they’ll begin to look elsewhere to reach them. In addition to highlighting how your company fosters employee development during the hiring process, make good on that advertisement by offering workshops, trainings, and opportunities for promotion. Valiulis suggests encouraging job shadowing between departments. It can help strengthen teamwork and show employees new opportunities within the company. The source of training doesn’t have to come from a faraway conference — look for internal opportunities where coworkers can learn from each other. Rock-Solid Reviews
CHIMNEY
•Inspection •Restoration and repair •Construction •Sweeping
FIREPLACE
•Inspection, restoration, or repair of an existing structure •Installation or reconstruction of new structures
HARDSCAPE
•Backyard patios •Outdoor kitchens and barbecues •Outdoor steps, walkways, and paths •Retaining walls •Outdoor fireplaces •Driveways
HISTORICAL RESTORATION Our previous restoration work includes the following:
•Restoration of the main lobby chimney system of the El Tovar Hotel on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim •Repair and restoration of chimneys in 56 original historic cabins on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim •Historical chimney restoration for the lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park •Faithful restoration of the chimneys on the Nottingham and Arden properties in Beverly Hills
BRICK RESTORATION AND CONSTRUCTION DRIVEWAY CONSTRUCTION
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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A PROPERT Y APPRAISAL
Here’s What Appraisers Look For
Homeowners often get nervous when they know the home appraiser is on the way. They may wonder what they missed and what the appraiser will find. What many people don’t realize is the appraiser already has a solid idea of what the property is worth before they ever see the home in person. At the same time, many people aren’t fully aware of what appraisers are looking for when they determine the value of the property. Homeowners often assume the value of the home is calculated after the appraiser has done a thorough walk-through and inspection of the property. But there is no need to worry. If a home isn’t perfect or there is clutter, the appraiser generally isn’t concerned with these details. Here’s what the appraiser is really looking at.
Size: What’s the square-footage of the home and each room?
Neighborhood: Is the property conforming to the neighborhood?
Functional Utility: Is the property functional as built? Do features, such as the fireplace, work?
Parking: Driveways, garages, carports, and shops — usable?
Other: Curb appeal, lot size, neighborhood fit, and general curbside details.
When the appraiser walks around the interior of a home, they look at the overall design, condition, finish work, upgrades, defining features, functional utility, square footage, number of rooms, and health and safety items — including making sure carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are in working order. They check the fireplaces and chimneys — two elements that can greatly influence the value of a home, positively or negatively, depending on their condition. An important point to remember is that an appraisal will provide half the weight in any credit determination involving the security of real estate. As such, any appraisal should be done by a qualified appraiser who is familiar with neighborhood, as well as the type of home that is being sold, purchased, or refinanced.
Site: Location, view, topography, lot size, utilities, zoning, external factors, highest and best use of the space, and landscaping features.
Design: Quality of construction, finish work, fixed appliances, and any defining features.
Condition: Age, deterioration, renovations, upgrades, and added features.
Health and Safety: Structural integrity and code compliance.
MEME CORNER
Blue Cheese Buffalo Dogs and Celery Slaw
Ingredients
For Hot Dogs: • 1 package of your favorite hot dogs • 1 package hot dog buns • 1 bottle Frank’s RedHot sauce • 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
For Celery Slaw: • 4 celery stalks, very thinly sliced • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon olive oil • Celery salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown. 3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. 4. Toss wings in butter mixture. Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro.
Inspired by Bon Appetit magazine
3 www.bostonbrick.com |
SERVING THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
2005 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103 | 626-296-7700 | www.bostonbrick.com
INSIDE
page 1
The Founding Document of America
page 2
How Employee Development Can Improve Your Bottom Line
page 2
Rock-Solid Reviews
page 3
Buy or Selling a Home? What Appraisers Look For
page 3
Blue Cheese Buffalo Dogs and Celery Slaw
page 4
The History of Hot Dogs and Burgers
This American Grub How Hot Dogs and Hamburgers Became National Treasures
If your plans for this Independence Day involve firing up the barbecue, you’ll probably be cooking two American classics: hot dogs and hamburgers. Come the Fourth of July, families will be grilling up burgers and dogs from sea to shining sea, but it wasn’t always this way. The story of how beef patties and sausages became culinary symbols of our nation will give you plenty of food for thought. The Hot Dog It was German immigrants who brought the “frankfurter” and the “wienerwurst” to American soil in the 1800s. There is much debate over who first decided to place one of these franks in a bun, but by the opening of the 20th century, hot dog stands had popped up all over the Eastern Seaboard. We do know the identity of the man who took the hot dog’s popularity to a national level: Nathan Handwerker. A Jewish immigrant from Poland, Nathan sliced buns for a hot dog stand on Coney Island. After scraping together enough money, he quit his job and opened a stand of his own, undercutting his former employer’s prices by half. Not only did Nathan’s hot dogs outsell the competition, the Great Depression
made them the perfect food for a nation suddenly living on a tight budget. By the 1930s, hot dogs had become so unquestionably American that Franklin Roosevelt famously served them to King George VI during his royal visit in 1939. The Burger Like the hot dog, the exact origin of the beef patty’s eventual “sandwiching” is lost to history. Once again, it was German immigrants who brought their recipes for “Hamburg steak” with them across the Atlantic, but reports vary as to who first sold the meat patty inside a bun. Multiple diners and fairgrounds across America claim to be the home of the first hamburger. All of these claims date to the turn of the 20th century, a time when our nation was faced with feeding a growing working class quickly and cheaply. By the 1950s, the burger had become a symbol of the American everyman. Both the hot dog and hamburger embody the history of our nation. Immigrant traditions merged with blue-collar needs to create two uniquely American foods. It’s fitting that we celebrate America’s birthday with the grub that has grown along with it.
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