Your Guide To Apartment Living: Pre-Furnished Or Unfurnished?

Not sure whether a furnished or unfurnished apartment is right for you? Fireside Suites offers both. Read on for tips on how to decide!

“When you are searching for an apartment that fits your needs, you are presented with a number of different choices, that each have their ups and downs. One choice that you will have to make, is between moving into a pre-furnished apartment, or an empty apartment that you will have to furnish yourself. Read further as I evaluate the pros and cons of each option.

Pre-Furnished Apartments

Pros:

In pre-furnished apartments, you are provided with the standard furniture necessary for living. A bed, several tables, a few chairs, and a possible desk will be included in the apartment; it'll essentially be equipped as a hotel room would be (a big plus for short-term tenants).

• The provided furniture is usually of the same brand and follows a uniform style. This means you will be able to rearrange the items throughout your apartment without running into an unattractive design conflict.
• If you are not already in the possession of furniture, you will be saved both the time and expenses of shopping for new furniture.
• If you are planning to stay for a short period of time, do not spend much time at home, or do not wish to have guests over, you will not have a problem sticking with the included furniture; to you, a home is for sleeping and eating in, and nothing more.

Cons:

• The most obvious downside to this option, is that it will have a higher monthly rate than an unfurnished equivalent.
• If you already have your own furniture, you may run out of space quickly when it is combined with the included items.
• If you break an included item, you will have to pay to replace it. Costs such as this are often unexpected, and therefore dangerous to a low income household. If you were to make specific calculations, you'd find that the amount of money you've spent in both replacement costs and monthly rental fees, will be higher than if you had just bought the exact same item to own for yourself.

Unfurnished Apartments

Pros:

• In unfurnished apartments, you have complete creative freedom over the décor that you bring into the household. You do not have to fit in with a pre-selected color palette or material selection; it's completely up to you to bring out your inner artist through home decoration.
• The monthly rental fees are much cheaper than the equivalent apartments that are pre-furnished.
• If you already own essential furniture (i.e. a bed, table, and couple of chairs), then you will be able to live comfortably until you can afford more furniture (if you even need any more)

Cons:

• If you don't have your own furniture, you'll be greeted by an absolutely empty apartment. Unless you can afford a bed, or comforter at the very least, you'll have to get used to sleeping on the floor.
• You must take the time to shop for furniture and decorate your apartment. If you are artistically-challenged, an unfurnished apartment is not for you.”

Read more: http://www.infobarrel.com/Your_Guide_To_Apartment_Living%3A_Pre-Furnished_Or_Unfurnished%3F#ixzz1ZMDMxwDJ

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Car thefts on the rise in the Springs

Attention Fireside residents! The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report shows that car thefts are becoming more frequent in the Springs area. Read on to make sure you are being as safe as possible.

“According to the report thefts are down around 7.2 percent nationwide, but Colorado Auto Theft Investigators are reporting a nearly 23 percent increase in auto thefts in Colorado Springs since 2009.

A lot of newer cars are equipped with multiple anti-theft devices such as alarms and smart-keys, but experts said there are things drivers can do to make their cars look less enticing that won't cost a dime.

"First and foremost, so many of us might forget to lock our vehicle, and I think if we can just remember to always make sure our windows are all up and the vehicle is locked," Allstate Agency Owner Cally O'Donnell said.

O'Donnell said she hasn't noticed an increase in thefts in her customers, but she's not surprised by the statistics.

"The economy can have a play in increased instances. There's also just some other interesting factors that you'll see. Geography can play a role, you can see proximity when you look at some of the reasons behind theft. I mean, some of them they are purely just theft for economics, they're stealing it to take it to a chop shop and break it down, or you know what's it being used for? In certain border states you might see an increase in it as well with certain vehicle types so geography definitely plays a role," O'Donnell said.

She recommended parking cars in well-lit areas and close to entrances.

"Keep it as close to the entrance as possible or as close to an area where you have traffic, people moving to and from the apartment building, through the parking lot. Those that are parked you know furthest away from the buildings in the darkest spots they're gonna be a bigger target because people can move in and out without being detected," O'Donnell said.

Experts said those with some extra cash should consider VIN etching or installing after market alarms.

"Anything that you can do to help cause attention, draw attention, that create a loud noise is certainly not gonna hurt," O'Donnell said.

Those in the market for a new car should look for one that offers anti-theft devices such as smart-keys.

"Basically what Ford has done is they have key systems that don't allow the vehicle to be started unless the key is present. There's a computer chip in there that talks to the computer on board that doesn't allow that vehicle to be hot wired or stolen in any way," Brent Hall, General Sales Manager with Phil Long Ford of Chapel Hills, said.

O'Donnell said drivers should never underestimate what a thief will do, and cars should never be left running with the keys inside, even if it's just for a second.

Read more: http://www.coloradoconnection.com/news/story.aspx?id=665611

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World Trade Center Beam Unveiled in Colorado Springs

World Trade Center Beam Unveiled in Colorado Springs

The Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station will serve as the new home for a September 11 artifact, as a beam from the World Trade Center was put on display after a ceremony Monday morning.

The World Trade Center beam will be a part of a display at CMAFS paying tribute to the men and women who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. Members of the 21st Space Wing unveiled the artifact in front of a crowd of supporters. High-ranking members of the Air Force gave emotional speeches on how important the display would be to Colorado Springs.

"This is not just for Cheyenne Mountain...a lasting remembrance," Colonel Joseph Turk said.

According to Air Force officials, the beam is one of eight artifacts from 9/11 displayed in Colorado Springs. The beam was donated by the National Homeland Defense Foundation (NHDF). University of Colorado at Colorado Springs students built the display. Pleased with the work UCCS students did, NHDF says the university will soon receive another 9/11 artifact to transform into a future tribute display.

http://www.kktv.com/military/headlines/World_Trade_Center_Beam_To_Be_Unveiled__129641598.html

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Faces of Freedom Event at the World Arena

 

How are you honoring September 11th?  Why not come down to the World Arena for a very special event:

LifeQuest transitions will host a 9-11 Faces of Freedom event at the World Arena in Colorado Springs to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attack on the United States. World renowned musicians, entertainers and public figures will be among those who gather to remember the fateful day and salute those who have answered the call to serve and those who continue to pay the price for Freedom. This tribute honors our men and women returning home from military service and heightens awareness of the physical and invisible wounds suffered along with the far-reaching effects on the individuals, families and society for generations to come. The event challenges our communities to develop and facilitate community blue prints that will effectively re-integrate the hundreds of thousands of military personnel and families back to meaningful civilian lives.

Program Agenda – The Faces of Freedom event will include:

Video Documentary – Special video footage of our wounded warriors sharing personal experiences through music, facilitated by professional singers/song writers.

Additional footage will include:

   - Personal stories of veterans from this generation
    - Faces of Freedom Guidon Ceremony
   -  A look at our communities and some of the programs that have evolved to provide transitional support, education, and awareness campaigns for our service members.
    - A matter-of-fact look at the effects of invisible wounds; this will act as the launch for a national awareness campaign called Mission7.

Music – Featured Performers
    - Josh Gracin - American Idol Star, singer, songwriter

    - Tyler Ward - Singer, songwriter and over 180 million YouTube views
   -  Wounded Warrior Music-songs composed by professional song writers and soldiers
   - Darden Smith – acclaimed musician, founder of The Be An Artist Program, Soldier Songwriter Project
    - Radney Foster (Angel fight Video) – multi award winning artist

     - Jay Clementi - Singer, Songwriter and producer

For more program information or to purchase tickets, check out the World Arena Website. 

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What Is Labor Day?

 

Labor Day is this Monday, September 5th.  But do you know why we celebrate it?  Check out this historical tidbit:

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Check out the full story here.

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