After neighbors organized strong opposition to a plan by Fairfield Grace United Methodist Church to lease a portion of its property to AT&T to erect a wireless communications tower -- including a placard-waving protest in front of the church during last Sunday's services -- the church has decided to pull the plug on the deal.

The decision is a reversal of a vote by the church council, taken Sunday, to proceed with lease negotiations with AT&T despite the controversy.

However, in a statement posted Wednesday on the Fairfield Grace website, church leaders said they have changed their mind and suspended lease negotiations.

The church's cell tower task force, the statement reads, "has come to believe that an unfair burden that should reside with the town, the cell carrier and the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC) has been placed on the church. Further, they have come to believe that another alternative cell site would be recommended and chosen. The task force recommended that lease negotiations with the cell carrier company be suspended. The council chair accepted the task force's recommendation."

The statement also says when the church "was first approached by the cell carrier company for this proposed land lease, the church's understanding was that the cell carrier company had the support of the Town of Fairfield for placing the cell site on its property. The church felt that if a cell site was going to be placed, then maybe the lease might be a blessing to help in its mission work here in Fairfield, as well as around the globe."

The church "entered into negotiations with the cell carrier company with very good intentions," the Rev. Kun Sam Cho, the pastor, says in the statement. "The money from the lease would have helped us to do so much more. We are saddened at all the strife this has caused. We are people of peace."

He indicated some of the lease money was earmarked to hire a youth minister, something the congregation has wanted to do for many years but cannot afford.

Calls by the Fairfield Citizen to the church on Thursday for additional comment were not returned.

On Sunday morning, dozens of people turned out to protest the proposed cell phone tower proposed behind the church on its property at 1089 Fairfield Woods Road.

Nonetheless, the church's council later Sunday voted to enter into a lease with AT&T so the wireless carrier can move ahead with plans to erect the tower.

Read more from the original source:
After protests, Fairfield Grace church pulls plug on plan for cell tower

The online retailer of womens church suits is expanding with a big new shopping cart website.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) -UpTo34.com is a major online ladies clothing store that specializes inwomens church suitsand bridal outfits, formal dresses and festive ensembles for all special occasions. Today UpTo34.com announced that it has contracted with TRIXMEDIA, an online marketing firm and Web developer, to build an extensive new shopping cart website to accommodate UpTo34s growing inventory.

UpTo34s catalog features womens church suits and other festive outfits and formalwear by designers like Annabelle, Nubiano, Susanna, Terramina and Donna Vinci, to name a few. According to James L, UpTo34s founder and owner, Our inventory is growing by leaps and bounds, and we need a more sophisticated shopping cart website to accommodate that. The people at TRIXMEDIA demonstrated a new shopping cart platform that they developed called Goozga, and we were very impressed.

TRIXMEDIAs proprietary shopping cart platform (touted as Goozga, the shopping cart with a brain), was developed by TRIXMEDIA founder and CEO, Hirbod Human. The advantages of Goozga over other shopping cart platforms are too numerous to list here, says Human. But he did list a few for us: Its dynamic, strong and reliable with multiple layers of functionality to manage any imaginable online shopping scenario. As a licensed service, it comes with a team of coders and Web design specialists to provide all needed maintenance and security updates, as well as training and support for administrators. It has advanced pricing that gives the client the ability to set up multiple pricing rules for different shoppers, locales and products. And, Goozgas special relationship with Google Analytics, supplies Goozga businesses more sophisticated data than an ordinary shopping cart website.

We cant wait to unveil our new Goozga website, says Mr. L, It should be up and functioning in a week or two. Well keep you posted.

Read this article:
UpTo34.com Announces Construction Of New Website

EANM #39;14 - Teaser
Within this teaser you will gain impressions on EANM #39;14 and its venue GOTHENBURG. To be seen: Oscar Fredrik Church: This neo-Gothic church was drawn by Helgo...

By: officialEANM

Read the original post:
EANM'14 - Teaser - Video

An eight month construction project complete, parishioners of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church will, through Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock formally dedicate their new 5000-square foot sanctuary at Sixth and Cherry streets at 6 p.m. Friday night.

The new building became necessary due to structural issues created by age but also due to the size of the church. A building that comfortably seated about 80, as seeing 120 or more for a Sunday mass.

It was desperately needed, said Father Ravi Gudipalli

The new structure should alleviate that the former building would fit inside the new building, roof and all, with plenty of room to spare. Gudipalli said the new building will hold 175 to 200.

The new church replaces one dedicated on July 25, 1956, which was about three years following masses beginning in the city, according to church history. Initially, mass was held in a National Guard Armory, and later in a courtroom in the courthouse.

The church started coming down on Aug. 15, following the Feast of the Assumption mass. But not everything has been discarded.

All of the stained glass in the previous church was saved and has been reinstalled in the new church. Earlier this week a new section of stained glass was due to arrive for the front of the church, as were new pews and an alter.

During the construction of the new church by Circle M Construction, parishioners have met in a fellowship hall dedicated in February 1983 next door to the sanctuary. That has necessitated a constant state of set-up-and-tear-down to accommodate the buildings multiple purpose use.

In addition to Circle M, various parishioners have contributed expertise, financially, fundraising, and or spiritually to the project in what Gudipalli said has been a group effort.

A community of everybody of the parish did hard work, their support, their sacrifice, their cooperation. Everything, said Gudipalli.

Link:
Parish To Dedicate Church Friday

The Sangre de Cristo Church plans a new church for a lot at 2095 Galisteo Street, south of St. Michael's Drive. (EDDIE MOORE/JOURNAL)

........................................................................................................................................................................................

A Santa Fe church that has been operating out of the Genoveva Chavez Community Center for more than a decade may have found a new home.

The citys Board of Adjustment on Tuesday unanimously approved a special use permit that would allow the Sangre de Cristo Bible Church to build a 9,306 square foot structure at 2095 Galisteo Street, north of Siringo Road and east of St. Francis Drive. The 4.23 acres of property is currently zoned for residential use.

Pastor John Romero said Sangre de Cristo Bible Church is an independent, non-denominational church founded in 2001 and now with a congregation of about 120 people. It has been holding services in the community room at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center almost its entire existence.

The new church would be a metal building with a stucco facade with seating for 244 people. A parking lot capable of accommodating 76 cars would also be built on the property.

Under questioning from board members Romero said ideally the parking lot would be paved, but putting in an asphalt lot initially would be dependent on funding.

Romero said getting approval to build the church was just a first step. The next step is for the church to buy the property, owned by Playschool of the Arts located across Galisteo from the proposed site.

A 9,306 sq. ft. building for the Sangre de Cristo Church is planned for a lot at 2095 Galisteo Street, (EDDIE MOORE/JOURNAL)

The church didnt get all it wanted from the Board of Adjustment. It originally planned to construct a 25-foot sign facing St. Francis, but Daniel Esquibel, a senior land use planner for the city, said the height of the sign didnt meet the citys code for signage in a residential area.

See the original post:
Santa Fe church may have found a home

April 01, 2014

The interior of O'Neills pub in a former Presbyterian church in Muswell Hill, north London. Thanks to a steady decline in religion and the high costs of maintaining these historic buildings, a rising number of churches are being given new lives that may have horrified their founders. AFP pic, April 1, 2014.At one church, the only thing being worshipped is beer at another, gleaming cars are on sale. Increasingly, it seems, a different kind of conversion is taking place at some of Britain's churches.

Thanks to a steady decline in religion and the high costs of maintaining these historic buildings, a rising number of churches are being given new lives that may have horrified their founders.

Behind the imposing red-brick facade of one Presbyterian church in north London's upmarket Muswell Hill district, throbbing pop music and barrels of Guinness are the first clues that there's a new congregation.

The soaring Gothic arches remain but instead of an altar there's a huge bar, while tables, stools and slot-machines stand in place of the pews. Built in 1902, the church's beautiful exterior remains unchanged. Inside, it's an Irish pub.

"If it was a church, there would be only two or three people here but on Fridays and Saturdays, it's packed," said John Earl, a construction worker, as he nursed a pint.

"It is weird," he admitted. "I feel I kind of have to respect it. I don't mind being drunk here, but I don't want people carving the pillars."

At another table, 33-year-old Yamini pronounced the pub "beautiful".

"It has a different look from the other pubs," she said as she sipped red wine with a friend. "And it's being used instead of being abandoned."

Religious worship has been declining in Britain for years, and church authorities are increasingly forced to rethink the management of their huge and very expensive estates.

See more here:
church-pubs-britain-afp-010414.jpg

Fort Myers-based J.L. Wallace Inc. has completed construction of the Next Level Church Gateway Campus.

The new campus is the first satellite location for Next Level Church. It was constructed on 7.5 acres at 11081 Gateway Blvd. The new campus reflects the same style as the main Next Level Church campus on Plantation Road, which was built by J.L. Wallace in April 2011.

The new facility is about 19,500 square feet and includes and auditorium, foyer, classrooms for children and offices for staff.

J.L. Wallace has provided general contracting, design/build and construction management services in Southwest Florida since 1997.

For more information, visit http://www.jlwallaceinc.com or call (239) 437-1111.

Naples chamber holds ceremonies for three members

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce recently hosted ribbon-cutting ceremonies for three chamber members celebrating grand openings, reopenings, remodelings or anniversaries.

Jewish Family and Childrens Services (JFCS) is a non-sectarian social service agency providing various services to Collier and southern Lee counties. Services include mental health counseling, caregiver support, geriatric case management and the JFCS Food Pantry. In January, JFCS opened a senior center in Collier County.

On The Course Tee Times Inc. is a privately held concierge service that partners discreetly with select high-profile golf facilities across Southwest Florida. It connects tourists and other golf enthusiasts with their ideal golfing experience.

New Journey Weight Loss & Wellness focuses on traditional weight loss with one-on-one coaching, nutritional guidance and dietician-certified meal plans.

Read this article:
It's Your Business: Construction complete on Next Level Church campus

Photo by: Rick Danzl/The News-Gazette

Desks inside the former United Methodist Episcopal Church, which was founded in 1886 and now serves as an office building for the Savoy Public Works Department.

SAVOY A prominent piece of Savoy's history may soon be up for grabs.

On the north side of Church Street, in the part of town locals affectionately refer to as "old town," stands the former United Methodist Episcopal Church. The building currently serves as offices for the Savoy Public Works Department but will soon no longer be needed as the village pursues a redevelopment of the area.

The building at 114 W. Church St. is actually the second Savoy Methodist Episcopal Church at the location.

In 1886, a building committee from the Methodist congregation was formed with the intention of constructing a church building on the property, which committee president J.H. Dunlap donated for that purpose. The building was blown down once during construction, but was completed and dedicated on Jan. 9, 1887.

On Feb. 10, 1895, fire destroyed both the church and the parsonage. Just seven months later, the new church building the one that still there today was completed.

By 1970, the Methodist community had grown to 179 members, and a new church building was constructed on Graham Drive. The name was changed to the Savoy United Methodist Church. A year later, the original church building was sold to the village of Savoy for $12,500.

The building was used as the Savoy Village Hall from 1971-2004, when the new Savoy Municipal Center at 611 N. Dunlap was completed. After that, the former church building was converted to the offices for the village's public works department.

Now, a new public works building is being constructed just west of the Savoy Municipal Center. Once the building is complete, all public works offices will be transferred there, and the former church will be left vacant.

Continued here:
Savoy plans may mean end of former church

Falls Road Baptist Church broke ground March 9 for a sanctuary and classroom building on its new campus at 3144 Benvenue Road.

Construction likely will begin in early April, Larry Todd, the churchs secretary, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. The project will move quickly.

Were the trusting the Lord for the first of October, he said of the projected completion date.

The sanctuary will seat about 200 people, the Rev. Steven Harduk, Falls Roads pastor, said Wednesday in a telephone interview. The other building will have six classrooms, a nursery and an office.

Together, they will have about 12,000 square feet of space and cost more than $1 million, Harduk said.

At the groundbreaking, Harduk gave a devotional from the book of Nehemiah and offered a prayer of thanksgiving and dedication for the building and Gods blessing on the churchs ministry, a release says. Members of the board of deacons also spoke on how they envisioned God would use the building and property in the coming years.

The new campus, which is on the north side of Benvenue Road just west of Thomas A. Betts Parkway, offers the congregation room for expansion.

As we get this completed, hopefully if the ministry grows, we certainly have ample room for expansion, Todd said. We have over 40 acres of property out there.

Said Harduk: As the Lord would provide and bless, there are plans for additional classrooms and a family life center that would include a gymnasium. ... Thats something well just have to wait upon the Lord (for).

Mike Marguerat of Landmark Construction also gave a presentation at the groundbreaking on the appearance and layout of the building, the release says. Floor plans also are on display in Falls Roads current sanctuary at 734 Falls Road.

View post:
Church starts building project

Dozens of people turned out Sunday morning to protest a cell phone tower proposed behind Grace United Methodist Church as worshippers attended services.

But the church's council later Sunday voted to enter into a lease with AT&T so the wireless carrier can move ahead with plans to erect the controversial tower behind the church building at 1089 Fairfield Woods Road, according to a statement from the Rev. Kun Sam Cho, pastor of the church.

"This was a difficult decision and one which the council took with the greatest of care," the pastor said in the statement on the Fairfield Grace website. "I pray that we all will continue to show concern for one another and respectfully accept the decision that was made."

Cho had declined to comment to the media immediately after Sunday's 10 a.m. service, but said a statement would be released after the council's vote.

Several protestors who assembled in front of the church property, carrying placards to promote their opposition, said Cho came out before the service to greet them and shake their hands.

Krissy Dorn of Woodridge Avenue, one of the protestors outside the church from around 9 a.m. to noon, said the tower would be 100 feet high atop a 50-by-50-foot base, and within 250 feet of Fairfield Woods Middle School, Jennings School, the church's preschool and Child Link, a preschool in Jennings School. She said a total of about 1,200 children attend those schools and that a state law says cell phone towers -- because of health concerns -- should not be erected within 250 feet of schools or day-care centers, although that can be overridden by the Connecticut Siting Council.

"First and foremost are concerns for children's health and safety. Having radiation emissions near our children for eight hours a day for 10-plus years is a long time for them to be exposed, especially since they're young, developing bodies," Dorn said. She said Fairfield Woods Branch Library, where many children attend programs, also would be within 250 feet of the tower's proposed location on the church property.

Colleen Sullivan of Palamar Drive said a cell phone tower near 1,200 children "would seem to be in contrast to what our state statute says."

"There isn't enough research, and, in order to understand the effect of a cell tower on children's development, you'd need a long-term, longitudinal study on children," Sullivan said.

John DeMassa, who lives near the church, said he was a research chemist for 23 years and that substances introduced into the marketplace later have been banned because of their effects on health. "I see a lot of the cell technology as relatively new technology, and since it is, I think there are open questions," he said. "I'm not hysterical about it, but where there's doubt and where there's children, we ought to be very conservative about how we deploy this technology."

See more here:
No saving 'Grace:' Protesters oppose cell tower on Fairfield church property