WASHINGTON, D.C., JUNE 20, 2012 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops' Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America announced today the approval of more than $5.2 million in grant funding for 121 projects to aid the pastoral and reconstruction work of the Catholic Church in 20 countries throughout Latin America.

These projects are important in assisting the Church in Latin America continue the work of proclaiming the Gospel throughout the region, said Archbishop Jos Gomez of Los Angeles, chair of the subcommittee. Projects designed to implement the new evangelization are showing results among the faithful. Almost $2 million was awarded to pastoral projects.

As well, $3.3 million was granted to continue helping the Church in Haiti rebuild after the 2010 earthquake. Specifically two reconstruction projects received funding: the construction of a multi-purpose building in the Diocese of Jacmel, and the structural reinforcement of the co-cathedral of Miragoane. The base-isolation reinforcement of the co-cathedral in Miragoane is touted as a cutting-edge technology in Haiti, and will not only prevent deaths in a future earthquake but will also help save the historic cathedral, said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, a member of the subcommittee and chairman of the USCCBs Haiti Advisory Group. We are now seeing concrete fruits of our efforts to assist the Church in Haiti rebuild.

Funding to assist the formation of religious, seminarians and clergy totaled almost $650,000, or about 33.4% of the pastoral funds awarded. These grants will assist in the education of more than 1,100 women and men as they prepare for ministry.

Innovative Media, Inc.

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Church in US Supports 121 Latin American Projects With $5.2M

By Jeanne Millsap For The Herald-News June 20, 2012 10:36AM

Updated: June 20, 2012 4:08PM

CHANNAHON Temperaments in the Channahon Village Board room Monday evening were as hot as the weather outside as representatives from an area church once again asked trustees for more time to complete required construction.

The First Baptist Church of Channahon has built a new church and school on the villages northeast side, just north of Route 6, but the deadline for completing parking lot and landscaping work came and went on June 15 without the work being done.

You gave us a commitment you would have that in, Trustee Jerry Papesh said.

Pastor Randy Blan told trustees he did not agree to have the work completed by the deadline in the first place when the board granted the church a partial occupancy permit last November provided the remaining work would be completed by June 15.

I didnt have a choice, Blan said regarding the deadline. I feel like that commitment was forced on us.

This was not the first time church members have come before the board asking for more time or special allowances. Last August, the village board granted a temporary 90-day occupancy permit for the churchs school, Families of Faith Christian Academy, to allow the church time to complete its parking lot, lights, parking islands and landscaping.

The board gave the allowance so the church would be able to open the school at the beginning of the school year.

According to village staff, however, the required work was not completed within 90 days. Trustees then unanimously approved removing the 90-day limit and granting a partial occupancy permit provided the work was completed by June 15.

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Church’s request for building delay sparks Channahon Village Board

Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 5:06 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 5:06 p.m.

Swarmed by volunteers from nearly a dozen states, the campus of Clearview Baptist Church looked much like a construction site Wednesday.

Come Friday, thanks to Linden, Ala.-based Bethel Baptist Builders, members of Clearview Baptist Church will likely have a new fellowship hall. Volunteers from Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Oregon and Florida chipped in Wednesday as they were working to meet their goal of finishing the structure by the end of the week. The church is on Clearview Street off Interstate 85 Business Loop just outside Lexington.

"We really needed a building to eat, meet and greet in," said the Rev. Jeffrey Perdue, senior pastor of Clearview Baptist Church. "Every Baptist church needs a fellowship hall."

Clearview Baptist Church has no fellowship hall. Perdue said Clearview Baptist was built before World War II. With the new 2,100-square-foot fellowship hall, members will have access to two handicapped-accessible, four-stall bathrooms, a kitchen and an eating room. The church previously had no kitchen, and the restrooms were too small.

With no fellowship hall, members have held events under a tent. As expected, weather has caused several cancellations to events.

"It was just a nightmare if it rained on us," Perdue said. "We can plan now without worrying about the weather. With this, the teens are going to use it on Wednesday night to reach other teens. We are going to use it to possibly feed the homeless in the area."

The church, Perdue said, was responsible for the building materials while Bethel Baptist Builders is heading up the volunteer labor efforts. With the volunteer efforts, the pastor explained Clearview Baptist Church is gaining a fellowship hall while using $75,000 of its own money.

A member of Clearview Baptist Church learned of Bethel Baptist Builders through the nonprofit's efforts of building a fellowship hall in Troy. That's when Perdue reached out to Bethel Baptist Builders and after a trip to Lexington, officials with the nonprofit agreed to build the fellowship hall.

"They never met us," Perdue said of the volunteers. "They don't know us. To come here and willingly give a whole week of their time, their money and their effort, it's truly about what being a Christian is about."

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Nonprofit gives free labor; church receives fellowship hall

NEWPORT The group that built the SouthShore condominiums tower will begin construction on a new building with more than 90 upscale apartments.

A ground-breaking ceremony is set for 9 a.m. Thursday for the Vu 180 building, which will house 93 high-end rental apartments. The building will be located between the I-471 Big Mac bridge and the existing SouthShore tower on the riverfront in Newport, said David Bastos, a partner with the Capital Investment Group, Inc.

The building will be four stories of one- and two-bedroom apartments above a parking area. Rent for a one-bedrooms apartment will be about $800 per month and a unit with two bedrooms will be about $1,400 per month, Bastos said.

The construction of the building is estimated to take a year and will cost $15.8 million, he said.

Vu 180 is the second phase of the SouthShore development project, said Adam Caswell, president of the Campbell County Economic Progress Authority. Caswell said the expansion to SouthShore will benefit the demand for rentals in the area.

With the difficult economy, owning is not a viable option for everyone, and having the opportunity to rent high-end apartments is in demand, Caswell said.

The new building is the first major development to SouthShore since 2007. Capital Investment waited for the condos in the SouthShore tower to sell out before starting construction on the Vu 180 building, Bastos said.

The third phase of the project will be another condominium tower on the other side of the SouthShore tower, he said. Construction will begin on that tower after all of the apartments in Vu 180 are rented. Bastos estimates it will take five to six years to fill the building, adding that about 10 condos in the SouthShore tower are sold each year.

The project is part of a continuing demand for downtown living for people who want the close proximity of downtown Cincinnati, Newport and Bellevue, Bastos said.

For the past 10 years, he said, Capital Investment Group has been focusing on the niche market of young professionals taking part in Newports urban migration.

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Construction starting on Newport apartment building

A showdown over outdoor patios and parking spaces is brewing on Main Street Unionville and for safety reasons, Markham council could nix one or the other for good next week. The parking and patio are intertwined, Unionville Councillor Don Hamilton said. You cant have patios when cars are parked there. The problem of patios encroaching illegally onto interlocked parking spaces between the sidewalk and the road on the west side of Main Street Unionville has been around for a number of years, Mr. Hamilton said. He said there are typically only three businesses on the street that put patios out in the summer. Earlier this year, Markham discontinued boulevard patios for public safety reasons. On Monday, the towns general committee will vote on a staff recommendation to prohibit parking on the west side of the street at all times, except from 6 to 9 a.m. Monday to Friday. If passed, about 25 street parking spaces could be lost during peak business hours, Mr. Hamilton said, adding that many merchants on the street already feel there arent enough parking spaces on the east side of the street, behind the shops. If parking stays, Mr. Hamilton said there will be no point at Tuesdays council meeting in considering allowing outdoor patios during summer. According to a staff report, the parking prohibition is recommended to address safety concerns for pedestrians and patio users as well as concerns with obstructed sightlines for vehicles turning off and onto the street. The weekday morning parking allowance is to allow temporary parking during non-peak hours for customers attending the two existing coffee shops on the street. Markham council will also consider a proposed encroachment agreement to allow patios on the street over the summer and into the fall this year. Requirements proposed in the agreement include a $2-million liability insurance (naming the town as an additional insured party) and a submission of a detailed patio plan. Its proposed that smoking and amplified music not be permitted on the patios. Mr. Hamilton said he doesnt mind the patio or the parking either way. Im for safety and Im glad this has surfaced so we can address it, he said.

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Patio vs. parking debate in Unionville

ELLSWORTH Jaspers restaurant in Ellsworth is marking 55 years in business this Saturday, June 23, with live music from 2 p.m. till closing.

Troy Adams, the third generation of the family to own and operate the popular restaurant, observed that June 23 is, coincidentally, Jasper Tildens birthday.

Three live bands will perform outdoors and indoors on Saturday. The local rock group Whoopie Kat will play outdoors at 2. At the same time, Jaspers will put on a barbecue. The price for a single serving will be $10; all you can eat is $15.

The band Skyscaper will take over from 5:30-8 p.m. and then the party moves indoors for open mike and the music of the Fairmoans.

My grandfather ran this place from 1957 to 1980, then my mother ran it from 1980 to 2000 and Ive run it since 2000, Adams said. He started it on fried clams and here we are.

Among the many anniversary specials will be fried clams at $5.55 for a lunch portion and $19.57 dinner specials.

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Jasper’s Celebrates 55th Anniversary

Published on June 21, 2012

The so-called Green economy will intensify the plunder of the worlds remaining natural wealth and the privatization of critical services, technologies and products through Public-Private Partnerships and similar market-driven mechanisms. Frances Quimpo, Kaliakasan Partylist

By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com

MANILA Hundreds of environmental activists in the Philippines held a protest action in front of the United States Embassy to show solidarity with peoples from other countries during the June 20 Global Day of Action. The Global Day of Action coincided with the opening of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development. In Brazil, Filipino environmentalists, agrarian reform advocates, womens rights leaders and progressive economists also led parallel activities at the conference site in Rio de Janeiro.

The Rio+20 conference is the follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit also held in Rio de Janeiro that promoted the concept of Sustainable Development. The Agenda 21 was the summits resultant action plan, which was adopted by the 178 participating governments.

The groups led by the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS) and Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) challenged world leaders to reverse the prescribed natural resource and industry privatization and commercialization schemes packaged as the greening of key economic sectors, a business-as-usual approach that benefit top polluter nations led by the US.

Trying to save face after destroying global ecology

In a statement from Brazil where he is attending counterpart activities to Rio+20 Conference, Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan PNE, said the worlds advanced capitalist nations are trying to save face after 20 years of global ecological destruction and socio-economic crisis under the banner of sustainable development.

The green economy paradigm peddled in the United Nations has given nothing but public-private investments and other market-based mechanisms in reducing the ecological and carbon footprints of industries, he said. The transition to a Green Economy, according to its architects, calls for financing from international financial institutions, speculators, conditional loans and other market-driven forces. It is clear from our two decades of experience under the corporatization of such sectors as energy, water and mining that public development standards are never met when project implementers are profit-oriented, he said.

The activities are sponsored by Ibon International, Rights for Sustainability and Cupula dos Povos.

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‘Greening’ of economy, a business ploy

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 | 6:46 p.m. CDT; updated 6:56 p.m. CDT, Wednesday, June 20, 2012

COLUMBIA MU's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is looking at ways to prevent future accidents after a steer jumped a fence at an MU slaughterhouse Tuesday and injured one man.

John Brune, the father of the steer's owner, was in fair condition at 5:50 p.m. Wednesday at University Hospital after the runaway steer struck him at the Paquin Street side of the University Avenue Parking Garage. MU police later killed the steer.

Officials in the college of agriculture are still reviewing the incident but so far are considering adding to the physical structure of the slaughterhouse as well as adjusting some procedures to ensure better safety, MU spokesman Christian Basi said Wednesday afternoon.

"It should be noted, though, that our facility and the procedures that were being used at the time are in compliance," Basi said, "and everyone was carrying out their responsibilities in the proper manner when the steer escaped."

Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey.

Here's a map of the MU Abattoir, the official name of the MU slaughterhouse.

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MU agriculture college examining facility after steer escapes at slaughterhouse

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C., June 20, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The publishers of Electronic House Magazine recently awarded Avista, a local firm that specializes in custom design and installation of integrated electronic systems, with a bronze award as part of the 2012 Electronic House Home of the Year Awards. Avista's Old Cherokee Home Theater project placed third in the Home Theater Design, $75,000-$150,000 category.

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13378

"We are so pleased to be recognized for our work by one of the most respected publishers in our field," said Avista owner Matt Bridges. "It's an honor to be the only SC-based firm selected among entries received in 11 different categories. And just as important, we're glad we developed an end product that exceeded our clients' expectations."

Featured in the May-June 2012 issue of Electronic House, the Avista project was a redesign of a do-it-yourself home theater that had been installed by the client's previous homeowner. According to Bridges, the room required quite a bit of construction and design work to create a more attractive and functional space.

"The original screen wall had two windows that had been covered with construction paper. There was a faux wall on top of the sheetrock, and the speakers were sitting on top of homemade built-in cabinets. To make matters worse, the projector was hanging down from a huge telescopic pole nearly five feet from the ceiling," Bridges explained.

With the help of carpenter Chris Truett and interior designer Ashley Petty, Avista created a spectacular new space with custom cabinets, dramatic carpet, custom acoustic panels and window coverings to create a professional look. Bridges reworked the electronic equipment to incorporate a JVC projector, THX Ultra II Plus Klipsch speakers and subwoofers along with a URC MX-6000 remote control and MSC-400 processor to control the new system. Bridges said the results were a relaxed family space where the clients could enjoy an evening playing video games or watching their favorite movie and experience a much improved video and sound experience.

Avista offers comprehensive start-to-finish design services for integration of audio, video and security systems for residential and commercial customers. The Avista team works with an array of architects, builders, and interior designers to ensure seamless integration of the latest technologies for your home or business. For more information, visit http://www.goavista.com.

The Avista logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13377

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Photo Release -- Electronic House(TM) Awards Avista With Bronze Award for Custom Home Theater Redesign

Yeekai Lim started a coffee company in 2009 due to a slowdown in architectural work.

The recession and its aftermath have clearly taken a toll on the architecture profession. In May, during the AIAs annual convention, Kermit Baker, the institutes chief economist, reported that 60,000 payroll jobs had been lost at firms over the past four years, with 36,000 of them being designers and architects. Of that group, about a third have found work outside of architecture, according to surveys conducted by the AIA.

Roughly 6,000 of these architects will likely quit the profession for good, the surveys founda move that could have serious ramifications. This doesnt even account for recent graduates who, unable to find jobs at firms, may pursue work in entirely different fields. According to sources we interviewed, these new career paths vary widely, from culinary endeavors to digital game design.

I hung on to my desk as long as I could afford to, but I realized I wasnt going in nearly as much, says Yeekai Lim, 39, who ran his own practice while also holding down jobs at various firms over the years. In 2009, he decided to pursue his second passion: coffee.

For years, Lim had been experimenting with beans and brewing styles at his California home and had become obsessed with this notion of the perfect cup. This ultimately led him to found Cognoscenti Coffee, which began as a coffee cart. Today, Lim has six employees and two coffee shops: one in Los Angeles and another opening soon in Culver City. Moreover, his business is turning a profit, he says.

Lim hasnt abandoned architecture entirely. He designed his two stores, and hes working for a client on a restaurant in Los Angeles. He doesnt know if he will ever return to architecture full time, but if he does, his coffee company experience will be a boon. Pouring lattes has definitely provided a lot of insight on client-architect relationships, he says. I better understand the service side, which is what architects should be focusing on.

Also drawn to food service was Natasha Case, who, after graduating from UCLA in 2008, went on to design hotels for Disney. But after her six-month contract wasnt renewed due to the recession, Case started an ice cream company in 2009 with a friend. Coolhauswhose name is an amalgam of Koolhaas and Bauhausnow has 10 trucks, two carts, and an L.A. storefront, where customers can choose flavors such as Louis Pe-Kahn and Mint-alism. The companys ice cream sandwiches are also sold in certain Whole Foods Markets. Case says her architecture know-how has been helpful, particularly in regard to packaging design. Im obviously not working in CAD, she says, but theres a huge amount that has translated from my background.

Some architects determined to stick with the profession are expanding the services they offer. Robert Vecchione, of Sarasota, Florida, has run a private practice since 1997. Two years ago, he began advising nonprofit clients on how to drum up additional revenue in the face of declining public funding. He helped the Easter Seals of Southwest Florida, for instance, conceive a plan to sponsor design competitions for toys that can later be sold in stores.

Vecchione encourages clients to take a more studio-style approach to brainstorming sessions. I tell them, you cant just sit there with a pen and paper hunched over a table, he says. Better is to hash out ideas with brown paper, on a wall, and black markers. Like architecture, it should be a visual, creative process, he says.

For aspiring architects, finding a job is no easy feat. Those who recently completed undergraduate architecture programs have the highest rate of unemployment, at 14 percent, of any profession, according to a recent report from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. (In contrast, the rate for those working in law is 8 percent; for journalists, 7 percent.) These headwinds come against a national overall jobless rate of 8.2 percent.

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Battered by the Recession, Architects Pursue New Lines of Work