Lyuba, a Buryat girl from the Chita Region, decided to live in harmony with nature and in early spring went into the taiga unclothed and three days later was found frozen to death. Ira Goldina refused treatment and died of advanced breast cancer. Kapitolina had cancer and treated it by starving herself and died of malnutrition. Nina Mikova killed herself under a portrait of Vissarion. Arkasha Drozdov died aged 15 months from a pathological condition that was treated too late.

This summary of tragic deaths is not a crime news round-up. It is just a small part of a list recreated from memory on social media forums by former followers of the Church of the Last Testament and its savior, Sergey Torop, known as Vissarion.

For almost 30 years the Torop-Vissarion commune has existed in the middle of the taiga as a quasi separate state - it has lived quietly according to its own customs and rules, having fenced itself off from the rest of the world behind a barrier gate, security guards and dense forests. Information about life inside the settlement was mainly brought to the outside world by people who left the commune after becoming disillusioned with the manufactured faith of former traffic cop Torop and wanted to return to society. But there are few such people. The taiga hermits have carefully guarded their self-isolation and tried not to make a fuss, even when they realized that things were not going right. Now their utopia has come to an end.

Incest, pedophilia, suicide, murder and other crimes have suddenly come to the surface. Outside, observers throw their hands in the air, perplexed: How is it that in the Russian Federation, in an area about two-thirds the size of Belgium, such a community could exist for such a length of time - and nobody intervened or even noticed?

After his dismissal from the traffic police, Sergey Torop became a regular at a Siberian UFO club and for some time was seeking contact in so-called anomalous zones. But looking for UFOs did not become his ide fixe. Torop turned his attention to methods of exerting psychological influence on people. He attended several courses in Moscow that were popular in the 1990s and delivered his first sermon on air from a small television studio in Siberia.

Sergey Torop

It was 1991 when the former metal worker, neighbourhood policeman and traffic cop underwent a spiritual awakening and proclaimed himself to be a reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Unless I become world famous I wont be able to live on this Earth, he said in one of his letters home at the age of 18. And popularity did seek him out. Against the background of economic collapse, the disintegration of the USSR, broken hopes and discredited values, the ideas of the 30-year-old Jesus about universal happiness in the remote taiga and the approaching end of the world found their audience. In his early sermons, he introduced revisions to the New Testament and told the true story of the First Coming.

In the following two years, he travelled around half of Russia, the Soviet republics and several European countries with money from donations, attracting a faithful flock and implausible rumors. Yelena Melnikova listened to all the sermons of Vissarion, but couldnt understand him. But her husband was hooked.

In particular, his manner of communicating his message drove me mad. Going round in circles and beating about the bush. As in Gypsy hypnosis, when they start touching you and making a lot of noise and you get confused. All his sermons were long-winded and incoherent. He tried to instill the idea in people that they should cut themselves off from the outside world and sever ties with family and relatives. And the more stressed a person was, the more susceptible he or she was to his influence. I realized straight away that my husband would go - with or without me, Yelena said. In May 1994, with two children and a third on the way, they sold their apartment in Novosibirsk and moved to the south of Krasnoyarsk Territory. There, near Lake Tiberkul and Mount Sukhaya, both of which he proclaimed to be sacred, Vissarion had set up a commune, while the Russian Ministry of Justice officially registered his Church of the Last Testament as a religious organization.

To my surprise, Vissarion seemed like a sensible person and didnt ask for anything. On the contrary, he advised me to shape my own destiny and, most importantly, not to do evil, recalls another former follower, Samara resident Mikhail Ilyin. And, true, Vissarion didnt ask for anything. At the time, about 5,000 people headed for the taiga to settle there and build Sun City on the sacred mountain. Like the Melnikov family, many sold their property and other assets and put their money in the common kitty. Apparently of their own accord. But very soon, Vissarion started imposing prohibitions.

The Church of the Last Testament could find a justification for any way of life and dogma. If only because it mixed together a whole assortment of world religions and religious practices - from Hinduism and Buddhism to apocalypticism and the atheistic teachings of Karl Marx. So when Vissarion handed down yet another prohibition, nobody doubted that his decision was correct.

Restrictions on what people could eat began in the commune almost immediately. Meat was prohibited, as was all animal protein - milk, eggs, etc. The followers believed that after an animal is slaughtered an aggressive energy remains in its cells. Vissarions chauffeur drove around the villages where followers lived and proclaimed: From August 1 sugar is poison. In September 1994, prohibitions were imposed on vegetable oil, tea, semolina and a number of grains. Then, it was the turn of leavened bread. Exceptions were only made for pregnant women. By 1995, people could only talk of food. The permitted diet included potatoes, honey, grains, vegetables, mushrooms and flatbreads. The Vissarionites suffered, but endured.

Vissarion himself did not appear in public frequently and when he did, it was in a specially-designated Place of Confluence - at a distance. He lived on the hill along with his closest followers or apostles. All newcomers to the commune were met and a decision was taken whether to accommodate them in the village, or on the outskirts if they did not receiveVissarions blessing. Salvation was his key idea. The trouble was that the savior predicted the end of the world, set specific dates and when the end did not come, he would literally throw his hands in the air uttering the words I didnt promise you anything and then predicted a new Apocalypse.

Violinist Dimitr Khetemov, 42, a follower of the Church of the Last Testament religious movement, with his wife Natalya, daughter Sofia, 6, and son Alexander, 9.

In August 1999, he gave the sermon he called: I want to show you how to love in a beautiful way. And he asserted that a man can have as many wives as he wants for the sake of the submissiveness of women. From that moment, love triangles began to appear in the commune and men were allowed to change their wives. Some families could not bear this kind of psychological onslaught and fell apart. Then, Vissarion himself parted from his wife and took a new wife - a 16-year-old.

All this became intertwined with the established procedure of not seeking medical assistance and not permitting children to attend the village school. I clearly remember this precept - it was No. 37 - which stated that all our ailments stem from spiritual disharmony. That is why the non-believer need not be treated yet and a believer need not be treated any longer, Yelena says. With education it was the same logic - believers did not need much learning.

It wasnt like this indefinitely, however. Vissarion knew that the times were changing, people were becoming different and the commune needed to change, too. Even in the taiga.

The Church of the Last Testament was already close to being banned once - at the turn of the century - when all sorts of nasty stuff began. Local doctors and teachers were behind a series of demands for a judicial investigation. But a prosecutors office probe into one such complaint was abruptly halted. Photographer Yury Kozyrev, who has been a regular visitor to the commune over the years, believes that the law enforcement authorities were seriously concerned at the time that any detentions could result in mass suicides: Vissarion also grasped everything clearly: After this, the sect transformed itself into the Tiberkul eco-settlement and the matter was closed. So vegans live there - let them.

In reality, however, the commune never stopped being the object of scrutiny. According to Vadim Redkin, one of Visssarions first followers - he is responsible for public relations and for the communes official Facebook page - the church was assigned a case manager from the FSBs district directorate from the very beginning. In actual fact, this never presented any serious nuisance for cult followers. Businesslike relations evolved with the FSB, he says. In all these years, there has been a very large number of different case managers. Ive been here since 1992, says Redkin.

The local authorities had almost no concerns, either. This was aided by the fact that since the early 2000s, the communes rules began to be relaxed. Vissarion allowed mobile phones, TV-sets, satellite dishes and visits to the doctor. The commune opened its own schools for children, as well as inaugurating musical ensembles, recording studios and football and ice hockey teams. Slowly, it all began to look more like an eco-settlement than a sect.

Furthermore, the make-up of the Vissarionites became less homogenous with the passing years: Fewer and fewer followers believed in the end of the world and more and more simply liked living in a commune with its own rules and laws - in an ecological settlement where everyone is family. Even those who were extremely sceptical of Vissarion stayed on in the commune. He told us to shun money, but he himself would travel to Israel or to Taiwan for medical treatment. Why should Christ require medical treatment?! said one of the disillusioned residents of the commune, Tatyana Kholyavko.

Outsiders began to be allowed into Sun City, something that would not have happened before, and Vissarionites began to actively infiltrate the local authorities and integrate with the local elite - they could supply premier felled timber for the construction of excellent and fine houses and people with money liked to hire them. Vissarion himself started addressing his flock not once a month, but once every four and he always said roughly the same thing - that the world would come to an end, but his followers would be saved.

Vyachelav Osipov, head of one of the rural settlements in the Kuraginsky District, says he sees no problem with the commune. Quite the contrary, people were pleased to have them there: The Vissarionites worked a lot, they farmed, they provided a boost to the economy; thanks to them, the adjacent villages have not died out, land values have risen and the population has increased.

All upsides.

In the past two years, however, law enforcement bodies have started paying close attention to them.

It is all believed to have begun with the deaths through negligence of two infants in the families of cult followers. In summer 2018, investigators called on the Nazemtsev family to conduct a house search after the death of their 10-month-old son. The Karmanov family was also investigated at the same time after their child had died of pneumonia. Subsequently, a report on the federal channel REN TV also said that the discovery of the body of an infant was the reason why the commune was being probed.

A whole string of investigations ensued. According to Redkin, the commune found itself under overt pressure. All lines of inquiry were pursued: from psychological abuse, property fraud, ritual sex with minors and home births to illegal land use and the felling of stone pines. More than 300 followers were questioned in the year since the first searches.

In 2019, when it all kicked off, investigators would turn up and say: Thats it. Your cover has gone up in smoke. They were referring to our protection. And all the top people will be arrested in the autumn. That is what the FSB inspectors were telling the forestry people. The forestry people just repeated it to us, Redkin recalls. The Novaya Gazeta publication also refers to the protection the commune may previously have enjoyed: The recent resignation and arrest in Krasnoyarsk of regional forestry minister Dmitry Maslodudov may be linked to the searches and detentions in Sun City.

But, there are also several other theories to explain why Sun City has become the object of scrutiny only now. In the course of so many years, the area has become the center of premier timber felling in Russia and the Vissarionites now believe they are being squeezed out of business. Another factor may have been a protest by local residents against tree felling and the construction of a road through neighboring localities previously untouched by civilization, in order to provide access to gold-mining areas.

In mid-September 2020, teams of FSB special forces arrived in the Krasnoyarsk taiga in helicopters and sealed off Sun City. Torop, Redkin and another organizer of the commune, Vladimir Vedernikov, were placed under arrest and the public prosecutors office demanded that the Church of the Last Testament religious organization - which has a membership of around 4,500 at the last count - should be banned. It is now up to the courts to rule on the matter.

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The man behind the notorious Siberian cult The Church of the Last Testament - Russia Beyond

The Priest Theatre, a mainstay of downtown High Springs since around 1910, will soon close another victim of both the changing habits of moviegoers and the coronavirus pandemic.

Alan and Janet Alligood, who since 2011 have operated the business her parents bought 36 years ago, said they expect to complete the sale of it to Living Covenant Church before Oct. 30.

Known for its vintage Coca-Cola decor and classic ticket booth, the Priest Theatre has suffered like many movie houses old and new alike during the pandemic, Janet Alligood said.

Alachua County placed temporary restrictions on seating capacity and movie companies werent releasing as many box-office hits. Within a three to four-week period, only two new films might be available, with most others offered only in markets deemed the most profitable, she said.

The Priests last movie showing was of Onward on March 14.

The Alligoods said they didnt want to cry out again to the community for help to stay open.

Its a heavy burden on our entire family, Alan Alligood, a new city building inspector, told the High Springs City Commission earlier this month. But its a move weve got to make.

He told WUFT News: Weve done everything in our power to make this work. Weve done everything physically and financially to keep it going. Our hearts would love to see it continue as it is, but there comes a time when you have to cut ties.

The theater was on the market from about a year ago until the Alligoods removed it due to the pandemic. When their real estate agent, Mark Gajda, asked potential buyers about their intentions, he wanted to ensure they would match the communitys needs or interests.

The last thing we wanted to do was take an icon and have it never come back again, Gajda said.

High Springs itself considered buying the theater, as David Sutton, the citys community redevelopment agency coordinator, and Damon Messina, the parks and recreation director, were developing a business plan. That ended when it became clear the church would be the buyer.

W.J. Priest, who owned the Ford dealership in High Springs, built the theater as a place for vaudeville shows before it started showing silent films and then movies with sound. Everyone knew the longtime owners Bobby and Janice Sheffield. Whether it was tearing tickets, running concessions or starting the projector, they did it all with help from their children for 28 years.

Sutton, 44, remembers going to the Priest as a boy, particularly $1 Monday movie nights, and seeing Janice Sheffield walking up and down the aisles to make sure children were behaving.

Mrs. Sheffield patrolled the aisles like police would patrol the streets, he said.

The family cared about the community and focused on keeping everyone safe.

I have great memories at the Priest Theatre, Sutton said, and for that, I am forever grateful.

The Sheffields put it on the market in 2011, until the Alligoods assumed most of the business tasks. That was with Alan Alligood working as a Alachua County Fire Rescue lieutenant, and the couple running their construction company, and caring for the Sheffields and their own family.

In 2012, when it became difficult to receive distributed film reels, the Alligoods developed a Kickstarter project to fundraise toward transitioning to digital. They raised $87,472 in 60 days.

The theater gave everyone who donated a T-shirt, nameplate on a theater chair, free popcorn, drinks, dinner and a movie or posters. All of their names were listed on the back of the shirts and shown on screen before the movies started. The Priests first digital film: The Butler in 2014.

Many in the community are melancholy to see the Priest close.

Its a piece of history, said Chris Moebus, a co-owner of the High Springs Brewery, across Northwest First Street from the theater. Its one of the arteries to this community.

William Cody Sconyers, executive chef at the nearby Great Outdoors Restaurant, also has fond memories of going to the theater as a child, when families went together or teenagers were dropped off by their parents. In recent years, Sconyers said, most people came to town for the springs, but some also for dinner, the antique stores, the local ice cream shop and the theater.

Its definitely iconic to this area, he said. To see it go or change into something else would be sad.

Living Covenant Church is renting a property on Northwest 147th Drive in Alachua City. Attempts to reach a representative for comment were unsuccessful.

The Alligoods said they hoped the church would host community events and perhaps show movies and sell concessions, with funds raised returning somehow to the community.

Theyre not looking at something as a profit, Alan Alligood said. Theyre wanting to give back.

Saying the church has people with good hearts, Janet Alligood said, The building and God will speak to them.

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It's a Move We've Got to Make: Priest Theatre In High Springs About To Be Sold - WUFT

To the editor:

Hingham is once again facing a potential sale and development of the historic Old Ship Church Parish House property. The historic single-family property, located in the Bachelors Row Local Historic District and the federally created Lincoln National Register Historic District, was listed for sale for several years. Despite being located in a single-family zoned neighborhood, it was marketed primarily to developers in order to facilitate construction of a new parish house across the street next to the historic Old Ship Church Meeting House. In October of 2019, the congregation expressed its desire to abandon the sale and voted 44-23 to take the property off the market and focus on renovation and maintenance. However, the Board of Trustees continued their efforts to sell the property, disregarding the will of its parishioners, conducting business at the expense of preserving the historic Parish House, and excluding from the decision process dissenting or questioning views from within the parish.

Hingham has always been proud of its history as one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts, with numerous carefully preserved and maintained antique homes, buildings, and green spaces. Hingham's Historic Districts Commission was created and has worked diligently and faithfully for many decades to serve the wishes of Hingham's citizens and voters, by the virtually unanimous vote of Town Meeting, by encouraging the preservation of priceless architectural resources located in the ten local historic districts throughout our community. It is no coincidence that Hingham has one of the country's largest inventories of surviving antique homes and properties.

Two of these historic properties are owned by Old Ship Church: the Parish House and the Meeting House. The Church's priority has always been the historic Meeting House. Because of its landmark status, the parish has received many national, state, and local grants to fund its preservation, in addition to donations from the residents of Hingham. The Parish House, however, does not qualify for the same level of public funding for its upkeep. Its maintenance is largely the responsibility of the parish, and despite the will of the majority of the congregation to create a plan for its renovation and maintenance, the Board of Trustees continues to maintain that they are unable to manage the fundraising related to the care of the property. Why is the only solution to sell this historic property to a developer, despite the wishes of the congregation?

The Old Ship congregation clearly expressed its wish to continue its stewardship of the beloved historic Parish House property, rejecting the need for a brand new parish house next to the Meeting House. Efforts by parishioners to engage with the planning process for renovation and maintenance have been met with resistance. A general lack of transparency during the investigative process for renovation, leading up to the introduction of the anonymous developer and his proposal for the Parish House and Meeting House properties, has characterized the course taken by the Board of Trustees over the past year.

There are many available resources to fund the renovation and preservation of the Parish House. Why won't the Board work with the members of their parish, their historic district, and their neighbors to develop a plan to renovate and preserve the Parish House property? Selling the property to Atlantic Development, with its history of litigation against both respected land preservation charities and civic-focused charitable organizations, is questionable and seems inconsistent with the tenets of the Old Ship Church. Changing the zoning of this single-family neighborhood in a local and federal historic district to accommodate the development of two historic properties would create a negative precedent for the destruction of Hingham's historic districts. Resources for renovation and preservation funding include, but are not limited to, the neighborhood community, Hingham's Community Preservation Committee, a capital campaign, in-kind donations, as well as private donors who have expressed interest in donating significant funding to save the existing Parish House. Neighbors of the Parish House remain committed and willing to partner with the Old Ship Church community to do the work and raise the funds to restore and maintain the existing Parish House so that it may continue to serve the needs of the parishioners and community while preserving its historic integrity and architectural beauty within the historic neighborhood.

Our hope is that the Church's pledge of stewardship and the democratic process based in conscience will prevail. We ask the Board of Trustees to engage in transparent, productive dialogue with parishioners, neighbors, and community members. We hope that the Church will decide to access the many resources available to preserve the Parish House and the integrity of its historic property and neighborhood. We ask this in the spirit of openness and fellowship within our historic district.

Marisa and Terrence Ronan

Whitney and Stephen Jiranek

Foster Aborn and Sara Holbrook

Ellen Mitchell and Charles Byrne

Jennifer Hunt

Written on behalf of ProHingham

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Letter: our collective responsibility to preserve the Old Ship Church Parish House - Wicked Local Hingham

Letters to the Editor: October 8 14, 2020

F.C. City Must Push Through With The Downtown Project

Editor,

No matter what decision the Falls Church City Council makes about the Broad and Washington development, there will be people who are unhappy.

Some people will never support the project, no matter what accommodations are made.

A Yes decision on the Broad and Washington development will provide the following to everyone in Falls Church:

We support moving forward with the Broad and Washington project and all the benefits it will provide the City, its residents, and the surrounding communities that visit, work in, and regularly patronize businesses in the Falls Church City.

Gina Caceci, Martha Meserve, Michael Diener, Mark Werblood, Rich and Elizabeth Meade, Nicole Johnston, David Ortiz, Nicholas Benton, Laura Connors Hull, Andrea Robles, PhD, Solon Simmons, PhD, Rob Donovan, Jeff Thiebert, Becky Manicone, Andres Jordan, Sharon Van Duizend.

Falls Church

Quote In School Name Change Story Not Accurate

Editor,

Since I feel that my words stated in the past weeks article were taken out of context, I wish to state for the record what my stance is. The new high school being built in Falls Church should have a new name. One that inspires humanity and decency, as well as one that denounces the sins of the past and crimes against humanity. The problem with honoring the Southern Founding Fathers and the Founder of the Confederacy is that they both viciously and brutally denied African Americans their humanity. Creating a false narrative as to why they should do so and justifying their actions and torturous tactics.

We must not continue to honor a past that we now recognize is not true to our better nature. The history of slavery and the lessons learned from the Confederacy are not who we say we are. If we say we are, the land of the free and the home of the brave. And if we also say that we have, liberty and justice for all, we cannot honor those who would deny humanity to someone based on the color of their skin or the race, sexual orientation or religion they belong to.

Change the names so that we can find names that inspire and advocate an honorable future.

Edwin Henderson

Falls Church

Letters to the Editor may be submitted toletters@fcnp.comor via ouronline form here.Letters should be limited to 350 words and may be edited for content, clarity and length. To view the FCNPs letter and submission policy, please clickhere.

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Letters to the Editor: F.C. City Must Push Through With The Downtown Project - Falls Church News Press

Vladimir. Cathedral of the Dormition, southwest view. May 26, 1997

The fortified settlement of Vladimir was established in 1108 on the high left bank of the Klyazma River by Vladimir Monomakh, who ruled as Grand Prince in Kiev from 1113 to 1125. With his guidance, Vladimir and the surrounding settlements became a center of political and economic power in the lands of the eastern Slavs. In the second half of the 12th century, Monomakhs descendants Andrey Bogoliubovo and Vsevolod III supported a surge in church construction with a form of limestone known as white stone, quarried down the Volga River in the territory of the Bulgars.

Vladimir panorama. View north from right bank of Klyazma River. Center left (in circle): Red brick City Council Building (partially visible). Upper right: Dormition Cathedral. Summer 1911

In Summer 1911, the Russian chemist and photographer Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky visited Vladimir as part of his work to chronicle the diversity of the Russian Empire in the beginning of the 20th century. My own photographic work in Vladimir spanned a period from 1972 to 2009, almost a century later.

Prokudin-Gorskys several photographs of Vladimir include two remarkable panoramic views with a steep hill crowned by the golden-domed 12th-century Dormition Cathedral, symbol of religious and political authority in the ancient Russian heartland. Both photographs were taken from the opposite (right) bank of the Klyazma River, a triburary of the Oka River, which in turn flows into the Volga.

Vladimir City Council (duma) building. July 28, 2009

The foreground of the closer view shows a quiet inlet that served as a beach and includes what appears to be a wooden bathing shed on the right side. Today, this quiet refuge is completely overgrownand the quality of the Klyazma water is perhaps less conducive to bathing. On the far side of the river, the tree-covered ascent to the left in Prokudin-Gorskys photograph was dotted with houses, as it is today.

At the top of the ridge (known as studenaia gora, or cold hill), there is a partially obscured red brick building with two turrets. This former building of the town council (duma) was constructed in 1906-07 in a Russian Revival style that imitated 17th-century decorative details. In the early 1930s, a two-story addition was attached to the south side, and the structure was adapted for use as a Palace of Pioneers (the Soviet equivalent of Scouts). Since 2008, the building has been designated House of Friendship, which organizes events for visiting delegations.

Bell tower & Dormition Cathedral. Northwest view from Kozlov Rampart across ravine. May 28, 1998

The dominant feature of the photograph, however, is the peak of the hill with the Dormition Cathedral sitting atop it like a crown. It should be noted from the outset that this part of Prokudin-Gorskys view is now blocked by a high arched concrete highway bridge across the river. The hulking multi-story wooden house perched on the crest also has long since been removed, thus preserving the pristine ambience of the UNESCO-listed cathedral.

This sublime monument is one of the most important shrines in all Russia and served as the model for the Cathedral of the Dormition at the center of the Moscow Kremlin (1470s). Construction of the cathedral was intiated in 1158 by Grand Prince Andrey Bogoliubsky, ruler of a vast expanse of northeast Rus, as the territory of the Eastern Slavs was called.

Cathedral of the Dormition, main portal, carved stone arches. July 18, 2009

The plan of the Dormition Cathedral involves an elongated dome-centered form, typical of large churches in Kiev and Novgorod during this period. The source of its skilled masonry work remains unclear. The Laurentian chronicle mentions the bringing of masters from "all lands," and there are later references to Nemtsi, or "Germans"a term broadly used for foreigners. It has been proposed that the artisans were sent to Andrey Bogoliubsky by Frederick Barbarossa.

Left: Cathedral of the Dormition. West facade, carved console block. October 7, 1979. Right: Cathedral of the Dormition. West facade, carved console block. July 18, 2009

If certain features of the Dormition Cathedralsuch as the perspective portals and decorative stoneworksuggest Romanesque influence from the Catholic West, the basic plan remained in the tradition of Byzantine dome-centered church architecture as adapted in early medieval Rus.

After a fire in 1185 that destroyed much of Vladimir and severely damaged the cathedral, Andreys half-brother, Vsevolod III, commanded its reconstruction in a greatly expanded, more complex form. The rebuilding took place in the relatively short period of 1185-90.

Dormition Cathedral. Northeast view with apse. Summer 1911

Vsevolod's master builders dismantled attached galleries, but retained the walls of the orginal structure, weakened by fire, as the core of the new cathedral. The plan was increased by an aisle added to the north, west and south sides. The new exterior walls reached two stories, but not the full height of the original structure. The relation between the old and the new was thus ingeniously preserved in the rebuilt structure.

Dormition Cathedral, apse, northeast view. Right: East wall of Church of St. George. June 19, 1994

The new facades were marked at mid-level by an arcade frieze with accents of carved ornament visible in my detail photographs. Some of the decorative stonework on the north and south walls was transferred from the original cathedral walls. The cathedral reached its grand culmination with a main dome flanked by four secondary domes on the diagonals.

Dormition Cathedral, apse, northeast view. Right: East wall of Church of St. George. June 19, 1994

Prokudin-Gorsky also took a view of the cathedrals east side, which is defined by a three-part apse rebuilt by Vsevolod with expanded dimensions. As usual in Russian Orthodox tradition, the central part of the apse contained the main altar.

Less than a half-century after the completion of the Dormition Cathedral, the Vladimir principality was overwhelmed by the Mongol invasion of Rus. Despite these cataclysmic events, the superbly engineered Dormition Cathedral survived.

Vladimir panorama. View east down right bank of Klyazma River. Upper left: Dormition Cathedral (partially obscured). Center: Church of Women bearing Myrrh (demolished) & Church of the Dormition (in circle). Summer 1911

Vladimir was sacked again by a large Tatar raid in 1408, during which the cathedral was ransacked and its roof damaged. Two renowned painters, Andrei Rublev and Daniil Chorny, were brought to redo the interior. Fragments of Rublevs frescoes have survived in the west part of the cathedral and depict the Last Judgement.

During a visit to Vladimir in 1767, Empress Catherine the Great was taken by the Dormition Cathedral, and personally supported its renovation. Although well-intentioned, changes effected in this and subsequent decades disfigured the cathedrals appearance.

In 1810, a large bell tower was erected just to the north, and in 1862, a church dedicated to St. George was designed by Nicholas Artleben in a Gothic Revival style to fill the space between the bell tower and cathedrals north faade. These additions created a new perspective on the ensemble from the north, facing the towns main street (Moscow Street).

Comprehensive, informed restoration work in the 1880s eliminated most of the distortions made during the preceding century and uncovered a major part of Andrei Rublevs frescoes. Another prolonged restoration phase concluded in the early 1980s.

Church of the Dormition, northeast view. March 6, 1972

In 1992, the Dormition Cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Responsibility for this defining cultural and historical monument is now shared between the Vladimir-Suzdal Museum Preserve and the Diocese of Vladimir, for which it serves as the main cathedral.

Vladimir panorama. View east from water tower near Dormition Cathdral. Center left: Church of Women Bearing Myrrh (demolished), Church of the Dormition (in circle). Right (in circle): Distillery. Summer 1911

The cathedral figures in yet another of Prokudin-Gorskys dramatic panoramas, a sweeping east view taken from the very edge of the Klyazma a bit farther upriver from the preceding panorama. Here the medieval shrine is partially obscured by the large wooden building (demolished), and the entire vista is now obscured by the highway bridge mentioned earlier.

With so many changes, this photograph is particularly important as a historical record. For example, the slender church with bell tower at the base of the hill in the center was built in 1776 and consecrated to the Women Bearing Myrrh (who discovered the empty tomb of Christs resurrection). In 1929, this church, located near the main railway station, was demolished. Its site is now marked by a simple brick chapel.

Distillery. July 18, 2009

Barely visible in the east distance, however, are the domes of yet another church, dedicated to the Dormition. Now used by a parish of Orthodox dissenters known as Old Believers, this festive structure was built in 1644-49 and is Vladimirs best example of an ornamental style that flourished in the mid-17th century. My photograph, taken in a winter sunset, conveys the poetry of this distinctively Russian decorative display.

In the early 20th century the Russian photographer Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky devised a complex process for color photography. Between 1903 and 1916 he traveled through the Russian Empire and took over 2,000 photographs with the process, which involved three exposures on a glass plate. In August 1918, he left Russia and ultimately resettled in France where he was reunited with a large part of his collection of glass negatives, as well as 13 albums of contact prints. After his death in Paris in 1944, his heirs sold the collection to the Library of Congress. In the early 21st century the Library digitized the Prokudin-Gorsky Collection and made it freely available to the global public. A few Russian websites now have versions of the collection. In 1986 the architectural historian and photographer William Brumfield organized the first exhibit of Prokudin-Gorsky photographs at the Library of Congress. Over a period of work in Russia beginning in 1970, Brumfield has photographed most of the sites visited by Prokudin-Gorsky.This series of articles juxtaposes Prokudin-Gorskys views of architectural monuments with photographs taken by Brumfield decades later.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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The resplendent cathedal of Vladimir on the Klyazma River - Russia Beyond

LOWER MAKEFIELD >> The board of supervisors is scheduled to vote in November on a final design for the Sandy Run Road project and will either bid the project at its second meeting in November or its first meeting in December.

Michael Baker International Inc., which was hired by the township in May to design the project, is expected to make a formal presentation at either the November 4 or 18 meeting.

The goal is to authorize this for bid before the end of the year with construction in the spring, said Township Manager Kurt Ferguson.

The proposed project is designed to reopen Sandy Run Road to right turns in and right turns out at Edgewood Road by building two mini-roundabouts - one at Schuyler Drive and one at Mill Road - that would allow Sandy Run traffic to double back without having to take a two mile detour or make an illegal u-turn.

Township traffic engineer Joe Fiocco from SAFE Highway Engineering LLC of Trevosehas estimated engineering and construction of the roundabouts and the barriers at about $540,000, considerably cheaper than a previous engineering plan that called for shifting the Sandy Run Road intersection to the west.

The approach to this is novel and I am impressed by it, said Supervisor John Lewis last December. And I hope that it passes muster as it moves forward.

In addition to allowing Sandy Run Road traffic to double back, Fiocco said the roundabouts would act as a traffic calming measure and slow traffic down to 25 mph - the minimum speed needed to allow traffic to safely make left turns in and out of Sandy Run Road at Edgewood.

If we get that speed down to 25 we could consider this a permanent solution, said Fiocco.

The goal, said Township Manager Kurt Ferguson, is to have construction of the project completed in the spring and Sandy Run reopened sometime next year.

For safety reasons, the township closed Sandy Run between Reading Avenue and Edgewood Road in January 2017 after a site inspection determined there was insufficient sight and stopping distance at the intersection of Sandy Run and Edgewood Roads due to changes at the nearby railroad crossing.

Since then, the township has been working with its professionals to find a workable solution to reopen the road.

As part of that process, the engineers, working with the township, reviewed and vetted more than 25 potential solutions.

In June 2018, the supervisors took action on two fronts to address the Sandy Run Road closure, which has caused inconvenience and headaches for local residents for three years now.

On the legal side, the supervisors voted 5-0 to authorize counsel to move forward with litigation against any party that might be held legally responsible for the road closure and the cost to remedy the problem..

The supervisors also voted 5-0 in 2018 to authorize its traffic engineer to look at two options to fix the problem - shifting the Sandy Run Road intersection to the west to create greater sight distance and building permanent chicanes to slow traffic on Edgewood - or the alternative, ending Sandy Run in a cul-du-sac near Edgewood Road.

The latest, less costly plan for mini-roundabouts was proposed in December by the townships new traffic engineer. It has since been vetted by the townships Citizens Traffic Advisory Board, which unanimously recommended that the supervisors move forward with the idea.

In other business, township engineer Andrew Pockl announced that a multimodal grant application has officially been submitted to the state to fund construction of a bike path on Woodside Road from Makefield Highlands Golf Course to Taylorsville Road.

At Taylorsville Road, the path will connect to a new path on Woodside Road that will eventually provide bicycle and pedestrian access to the new Scudder Falls Bridge via a ramp connector now under construction.

Pockl also announced that he is in the process of reviewing plans submitted for Prickett Preserve at Edgewood, a mixed use development project proposed for land on Stony Hill Road across from Shady Brook Farm.

Also at the meeting, the supervisors approved a development agreement for Heartis Senior Living, a new independent, assisted living and memory care facility tentatively scheduled to open its doors at Dobry and Oxford Valley Roads just to the north of Big Oak Road.

To address the concerns of neighboring residents, the developer has agreed to lower the lighting levels in its parking area. They are also working on installing shields over lights on the side of the building that are projecting out toward the driveway, according to Pockl.

While the supervisors approved Heartis, they voted unanimously to oppose a request before the zoning hearing board for a special exception that would allow a bed and breakfast or boarding house to operate at 3 Ridge Avenue. The request is being made by property owner Gene Augustin.

An Edgehill Gardens resident urged the supervisors to oppose the request. We did not move here to have a multi-family-type residence in our neighborhood, she said.

Christian Hoover, from Greenway Avenue, also urged opposition. If this is granted, which limits up to 10 people, Gene will stuff this house with 20 people.

The hearing is scheduled for October 20 beginning at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

In other action, the supervisors approved signage designating preserved township land on Oxford Valley Road in honor of Katharine Burke.

When she was 14, Burke attended a Board of Supervisors meeting to implore the board to preserve the 26 acres of wetland and woods. At the time, the board was considering selling 8.6 acres of the property to the neighboring Bible Fellowship Church, now Riverstone Church, for parking.

Reading from a passage from Dr. Seuss The Lorax, Burke stood before the board and said, I speak for the trees. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, things arent going to get better. Theyre not.

The supervisors also approved a banner on Heacock Road across from McCaffreys Market recognizing Kays Day, the birthday of Kayden Mancuso, and to raise awareness of child safety and domestic violence awareness.

Looking ahead, the supervisors have scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, Oct. 28 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Ferguson will present the townships draft budget for 2021 at the meeting.

In other township news, Monica Tierney, the director of parks and recreation, announced that this years Veterans Day Parade will not be held due to the ongoing pandemic.

In its place, the township will hold a small ceremony that will be broadcast live on social media and cable TV on November 7 beginning at 1 pm. Residents may also chose to attend in person, but should wear masks and be prepared to social distance.

Also on November 7, the EAC is looking for volunteers to help plant more than 120 trees at Patterson Farm. Watch the townships FaceBook page for details on how to sign up.

See the rest here:
Lower Makefield Supervisors expected to approve final design for Sandy Run Road fix by year's end - Bucks Local News

October 12, 2020

LUMBERTON In a surprise move Monday, Chairman Sammy Cox Jr. announced his resignation from the Robeson Community College board of trustees, bringing two decades of service to an end.

Its been a great ride, Cox said. I feel like its time for me to move on.

Cox made the announcement during the boards regular meeting by reading aloud his letter of resignation, which is effective Thursday. His formal resignation notice now must be submitted to the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, which appointed Cox chairman of the RCC board in July 2019.

In his letter, Cox said he will focus on his family and his health during his retirement.

My wife has been telling for the past nine years that I needed to retire, Cox said. Im looking forward to total retirement.

At 21 years, Cox is the board of trustees longest-serving member. He was a student in the colleges Basic Law Enforcement Training program in 1975, and went on to teach in that program. He received naming rights for the colleges BLET building in 2018 after he donated $100,000 to the program. The building bears the name Sammy Cox Law Enforcement Center.

You dont serve 21 years on a board without caring about the institution, trustee Kyle Chavis said.

Bosco Locklear said hes only been on the board a few months but has known Cox for 40 years.

Youve certainly been a great leader, Locklear said to Cox. I thank you for all the years youve put in here.

Trustee Audrey Hunt spoke of the support Cox has given to the institution over the years.

Its going to be a great loss for the college, Hunt said.

Cox said he feels confident in the colleges leadership, the people who do the brunt of the work.

I think Im leaving it in good hands. You have excellent leaders, Cox said.

Because of the abrupt nature of Coxs announcement, the meeting was recessed until 6 p.m. Thursday to give the boards attorney time to review the proper procedures for replacing a chairman who has resigned.

Also Monday, the trustees got a look at some of the negative effects COVID-19 has had during the first quarter of the academic year. Steven Hunt, vice president of Workforce Development and Continuing Education, said that when the school year began enrollment in Continuing Education exceeded its projected 39.5 full-time equivalents by posting 61.67 full-time equivalents.

When I saw that number for the first month of the year, I was really excited in the midst of COVID, and then I got a wake-up call come August, Hunt said.

In August, the college only met 52 of the projected full-time equivalents, Hunt said.

Were roughly about 45 FTEs off the first quarter, Hunt said. Thats actually money.

Hunt said 45 FTEs represents a loss of about $175,000.

Were going to be short almost 200 to 210 FTE per year if COVID continues the way it is now, Hunt said.

To combat the loss, his office is trying to run as many programs as possible, Hunt said.

COVID is affecting the community college, Hunt said.

This is why the college will hold a special Winter Session that will run from Nov. 30 to Dec. 29, said Melissa Singler, RCC president.

Although COVID-19 has negatively affected enrollment it has pushed more people to give, according to Rebekah Lowry, director of Foundation and Development.

Lowry told the trustees that the Campus Fund Drive has seen a 86% increase in giving from 2019. The drive is when employees donate either a one-time gift or a payroll deduction gift to the Foundation for student scholarships. This year, $33,415 was donated to the Foundation.

Our employees dug deep, and they gave and they made history this year, Lowry said.

Lowry also told board members that the 36th annual Clifford Bullard Memorial Tournament broke earnings records. A net gain of $37,500 was raised for the colleges Foundation, beating the colleges record of $28,829.

In Building and Grounds business, Steven Hunt told the trustees that the price tag for getting the college in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is about $825,000.

To be in compliance the college must repave the parking lot, update bathrooms and add Braille and handicap signage throughout the campus. The project is to be completed within seven years.

Hunt also said that sooner rather than later the college will need to replace the roof shingles on Building No. 13 with seamless medal to prevent leaks. The project is estimated to cost $600,000.

The trustees also learned that instead of holding its annual Made in Robeson Day event, the college will make videos highlighting manufacturers and industrial programs at the college. The videos will be given to the Public Schools of Robeson County to be distributed to students.

Eric Freeman, director of the EMS program, gave a presentation on the Computed Tomography program, which began in August. The program is a modality added to the radiography program.

The trustees also reaffirmed its mission statement which reads, Robeson Community College provides opportunities for academic, technical, and life-long learning in a collaborative culture dedicated to inquiry, results, and excellence.

See the rest here:
Church events - The Robesonian

I-95 Southbound

Exit 133 (Route 17) Traffic Shift to New Overpass

Tuesday Wednesday, 7 p.m. 2 p.m., Single lane closure at 7 p.m. south of Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway) and will continue to the Rappahannock River bridge.Double lane closures at 9 p.m. Traffic will be reduced to a single southbound lane until 2 p.m. Wednesday. Lane closures are needed for 19 consecutive hours of milling, paving and lane striping to shift all southbound traffic onto a new interstate overpass that spans Route 17. Between midnight and 3 a.m., there may be full intermittent traffic stops. All I-95 southbound traffic may be stopped up to 30 minutes at a time to allow crews to move large pieces of equipment within the work zone.

Tuesday, Oct. 13 Wednesday, Oct. 14

7 p.m. Single lane closure

9 p.m. Double lane closure

Midnight 3 a.m. Intermittent, full traffic stops up to 30 minutes

3 a.m. 2 p.m. Double lane closure

2 p.m. All southbound lanes open

When all lanes reopen, traffic will be traveling over the new overpass in the median of I-95, which will carry the future through travel lanes as part of the I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing. Expect major delays with this work zone. I-95 southbound travelers are strongly encouraged to choose an alternate route to avoid delays, especially for destinations outside the Fredericksburg area.

Click here watch a simulation video of this new traffic pattern.

Exit 136 (Centreport Parkway to Exit 133 (Route 17)

Wednesday Friday, 9 p.m. 10 a.m. and Friday Saturday, 10 p.m. 7 a.m. Lane closures and a traffic diversion on the schedule below for bridge beam placement for the future Truslow Road overpass, which is being built as part of the I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.

Wednesday, Oct. 14 Thursday, Oct. 15

9 p.m. Single lane closure

10 p.m. Double lane closure, with single lane of traffic diverted into temporary median lane for beam placement. View an online graphic of this traffic pattern.

4:30 a.m. Two lanes open

10 a.m. All lanes open

Thursday, Oct. 15 Friday, Oct. 16

9 p.m. Single lane closure

10 p.m. Double lane closure, with single lane of traffic diverted into temporary median lane 4:30 a.m. Two lanes open

10 a.m. All lanes open

Friday, Oct. 16 Saturday, Oct. 17

10 p.m. 7 a.m. Single lane closure

I-95 Northbound

Exit 140 (Courthouse Road)

Wednesday Thursday, 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Single lane closure near the interchange for various construction activities as part of the I-95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.

I-95 Northbound and I-95 Southbound

Exit 104 (Carmel Church)

Tuesday Wednesday, 8 p.m. 6 a.m. Single lane closures for mobile operation for restriping.

Stafford County

Route 1 Northbound

Monday Friday, 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Single right lane closure on Route 1 northbound between Centreport Parkway and Potomac Creek Lane for the bridge replacement project.

Route 607 (Deacon Road)

Monday Saturday, 9 a.m. 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. 6 a.m. Daytime milling and paving, and overnight pavement marking and traffic signal detection equipment work. Expect travel delays. Alternating, single lane closures on Deacon Road between Route 218 (White Oak Road/Butler Road) and Brooke Road. Motorists may experience a temporary rough driving surface on the milled sections.

Route 610 (GarrisonvilleRoad)

Sunday Monday, 7 p.m. 5 a.m.and Thursday Friday, 7 p.m. 5 a.m. Traffic signal work at various intersections on Route 610 between Salisbury Drive and I-95 ramps. Virginia State Police will assist with traffic control.

Hospital Center Boulevard

Wednesday Thursday, 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. and Friday, 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m.Single lane closures on Hospital Center Boulevard between Route 1 and Austin Ridge Drive. Crews will be taking soil samples as part of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.

Old Courthouse Road

Wednesday Thursday,, 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. and Friday, 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m. Single lane closures on Old Courthouse Road between Route 1 and Hospital Center Boulevard. Crews will be taking soil samples as part of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.

Wyche Road

Wednesday Thursday,, 9:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. and Friday, 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m. Single lane and turn lane closures on Wyche Road at the Hospital Center Boulevard and Courthouse Road intersection. Crews will be taking soil samples as part of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension.

Routine Maintenance

Tuesday Friday, 7 a.m. 4 p.m. Stay alert for mobile lane closures. Crews will perform routine maintenance activities at the following locations:

City of Fredericksburg

Wicklow Drive

Monday Friday, through late October 2020. Large trucks (up to 180 feet long) with follow cars will be coming in and out of Wicklow Drive from Fall Hill Avenue to deliver bridge beams for the new I-95 Southbound Rappahannock River Crossing bridge. These deliveries will take place mid-afternoon a few days a week. While these deliveries are not expected to cause any traffic stops or impacts greater than the current construction activities taking place, residents and travelers should be aware of increased traffic on Wicklow Drive and the potential for delays as trucks pass.

City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County

Route 3 Westbound

Sunday Friday, 9 p.m. 5 a.m.,Friday Saturday, 10 p.m. 9 a.m. Milling and paving on Route 3 westbound at Gateway Boulevard and progress west to Bragg Road. Drivers may experience a temporary rough driving surface and overnight delays with single lane closures within the mobile work zone.

Spotsylvania County

Route 3

Sunday Thursday, 7 p.m. 7 a.m., Alternating, single lane closures on Route 3 at the bridge over Wilderness Run for bridge repairs.

Route 208 (Courthouse Road) Northbound

Sunday Friday, 9 p.m. 5 a.m. and Friday Saturday, 10 p.m. 9 a.m. Milling and paving. Alternating single lane closures on Route 208 (Courthouse Road) northbound between Crown Grant Drive and the bridge over I-95. Motorists may experience a temporary rough driving surface on the milled sections.

Routine Maintenance

Tuesday Friday, 7 a.m. 4 p.m. Stay alert for mobile lane closures. Crews will perform routine maintenance activities at the following locations:

Caroline County

Routine Maintenance

Tuesday Friday, 7 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Stay alert for mobile lane closures. Crews will perform routine maintenance activities at the following locations:

King George County

Route 206 (Dahlgren Road)

Sunday Thursday, 7 p.m. 7 a.m. Bridge repairs. Alternating, one-way traffic over Williams Creek, which is located east of the Route 301 intersection.

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Road work in the area next week - Fredericksburg Today

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In the cruelest of ironies, while Hurricane Delta drenchedthe Gulf Coast this weekend,there's noteven a drizzle to slowaclimate change-induced California wildfirelarger than the size of Rhode Island that rages on as you read this.

Explodingto more than a blazing million active acres this past week, the August Complex, in its two months of unremitting fury, has reached "gigafire" status, the first in California's modern history. Overall, ithas lost fourmillion acres representing about 4% of the entire state, double the previous annual record in a place where the wildfire season is now three months longer than in the 1970s.

The personal loss out westfor many cannot be overestimated, but the immense inferno's impacts have consequencesacross the continent to this coast.

Strawberries, lettuce and wine may be among the hardest expected to be hit with costs orshortage while government agenciesare monitoring agriculture and other commodities, such as almonds, avocados,cauliflower, broccoliand honey. Butthe big ticket item in growth and development appears to be lumber.

More: In the Know: Triggered by pandemic, record home buying eruption not subsiding; fancy poker operation debuts at former dog track land

And: In the Know: Plans for an Elon Musk-inspired 700 mph Hyperloop bullet train for Southwest Florida and an Aldi alert

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With factors such as the surging pandemic-fueled demand for Southwest Florida homes, we hadalready been experiencing escalatingprices for domicilesand other structures prior to the Golden State's summer of ferocious flames.

"The rising lumber prices are exacerbating the cost of purchasing a home, and wildfires can only increase that impact,"said Brian Alford, Florida director of market analytics for real estate research gurus, CoStar Group.

The evolving circumstances are being followed byJohn Boyd Jr. of The Boyd Company, an international corporate site selection firm that tracks global development trends in working with dozens of Sunshine Stateand worldwide clients such asBoeing, Dell, The World Bank, Samsung and UPS for more than 45 years.

John Boyd Jr., principal with The Boyd Company, Inc.(Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/Staff)

"We are seeing the California wildfires driving building costs even higher," Boyd said."The wildfires have pushed lumber prices up 50%, and the average price for a new home up by $16,000."

And timberis a key piece to the housing puzzle, according to Southwest Florida's ever-expanding LSI Companies, which has been providingservices and consulting tohomebuilders, developers, landowners and investors for the past two decades.

"Framing and trusses comprise approximately 16% of a home cost. It's one of the largest components of a homes construction, second only to interior finishes at roughly 25% and land lot at 18 to 20%," said JustinThibaut, company president. "At a macro level, this is also affecting multifamily, commercial construction as concrete block is now cheaper for apartment construction than wood frame."

Justin Thibaut, LSI Companies(Photo: LSI Companies)

No one's sure exactly how much higher it could go or for how much longer, but other facets, some man-made, have already been in play, CoStar'sAlford said.

"The wildfires will certainly impact the pricing of lumber, but there is also still a lagged impact from our trade wars over the prior two, threeyears," hesaid. "Weve all stopped talking about the trade wars, but we still have 20% tariffs in place on Canadian lumber, for example."

Yes, President Donald Trump's trade wars that Forbes magazine reported this summer have cost U.S. company stock prices at least $1.7 trillion while the taxpayingconsumers of Americaare losing $57 billion annually,according to new data last month by the conservative American Action Forumaligned with the Republican Party. It's also helped lead toone of the biggest rifts with Canada, historically our biggest trading comrade in the world's largest partnership, since the War of 1812.

Besides a record year for wildfires, hurricanes, home construction, and oh yeah, a pandemic, 2020 is featuring a shortage of lumber thats costing you a lot of money thanks to the Trump tariffs, mills temporarily closing, high demand and now, Californias relentless climate change-induced immense infernos.(Photo: Photo by John Lavenburg)

The talk of tariffs was the only time during this past week's vice presidential debates that financial markets moved after Kamala Harris said Trump is losingthe trade war, whichhas resultedin bankruptcies for America's farmers and the loss of 300,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs, according to Bloomberg Markets and Finance's Dani Burger.

"Some policy discussion certainly moved markets in a decisive way. It came from comments by Kamala Harris over foreign policy" when the candidate condemned the trade wars, Burger said."The markets indeed did like that.

"It's been no secret that the trade war has been one of the big tail risks looming over markets, and some hope that if there is aBiden presidency, that tail risk would disappear,decisively sent stocks both in the cash session in Japan and U.Sfutures higher."

The fires have served as a reminder of the challenges Americafaces from the Trump tariffs.

"The California wildfires are putting a spotlight on the 20 percent tariff on Canadian lumber imports," Boyd said. "Repealing the tariff is one of the major lobbying priorities of the National Association of Home Builders."

More: In the Know: Naples keeps stretching south on U.S. 41 toward Everglades City, with new stores and developments

And: In the Know: Naples Airport, the $440 million driveway of the rich and famous; plus Toll Brothers and solar energy updates

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The Trump tariffs aren't alone in driving up your prices and the shortage of supplies. The universe has other culprits.

"The 2017-2018 tariffs on Canadian lumber increased pricing, but most recently the U.S. mills misjudged the effects of the pandemic,"said Ken Iglesias, senior vice president of commercial banking for Centennial Bank in Southwest Florida. "The thought process wasthat building construction would be slowed during the pandemic, so they closed some of the U.S. plants.However, they did not anticipate the surge in home improvement projects by homeowners in quarantine, which is made evident by the record sales for Lowe's and Home Depot."

Iglesias gets some agreement from Dan Adams, a vice president and principal for Stevens Construction, which has numerous projects in Southwest Florida including the high-profile work at Winkler Road and College Parkway of the $27 millionFineMark National Bank & Trust headquarters risingup in Fort Myers.

Dan Adams(Photo: Special to news-press.com)

"The demand has not slowed. This has created the perfect storm.(The mills) are way behind on orders from the shutdown and still only running at 50% capacity, creating an even further 'log jam,'pun intended," Adams said. "Lead times for lumber materials are being affected across the board, trusses, doors, trim, etc. The Masonite mills were shut down for over three months, which has delayed door deliveries.Doors are now 13-14 weeks out from the time of approval.

"Fortunately we are involved early, throughout the design phase, on the majority of our projects so we have been able to identify the lumber shortage and ever-growing lead times and plan for them.We are doing things like getting the truss and door packages released early, sometimes before we even have building permits in hand.By knowing the market and releasing packages affected by this shortage, we have been able to mitigate any major delays."

In the Know asked how the disruptionshave affectedFrank Jenkins, president of Southwest Florida's Frank R. Jenkins Custom Homes.

"As a custom builder this is hard to say because every home we build is different. We not only have a short-term lumber problem but mainly a skilled labor shortage. So a home that normally would take 8 months, I would allow 10 months," Jenkins said. "The biggest portion of our homes are concrete."

Frank Jenkins, president of Frank R. Jenkins Custom Homes(Photo: Brian Tietz)

A little luck in finding what you need can't hurt.

"On our FineMark National Bank & Trust project in Fort Myers, our wood trim supplier has had to buy up all of the remaining white oak in the county to finish the trim work on the project," Adams said."Lumber pricing is changing daily at this point. A sheet of 5/8 plywood cost $15 back in July, and now costs $41.We have seen truss prices double since March. Truss manufacturers are only able to hold pricing they give us for a few days.Standard yellow pine, 2x4 2x12, used here in the Southwest Florida region have gone up by 30-40% since August and has literally gone up every day during the month of September."

Other natural disasters, like Delta,haven't helped.

"Recent hurricanes have caused price increases for many building materials, including drywall and roofing materials," Iglesias said.

Ken Iglesias, senior vice president of commercial banking for Centennial Bank(Photo: Provided to In the Know)

The Bonita Springs-Estero Realtors group says the costs and shortages tied to the western fires have led to more interest in investment of existing dwellings, and at the same time, the outfitis encouraging sellers to upgrade outdated decor to compete with newly erected residences.

"There is an 8-12-month waiting time for a new build," said Adam Ruud, managing broker at Domain Realty in Bonita Springs, and a decade ago, a professional player in the USL, formerly known as the United Soccer League. Right now, buyers are giving additional consideration to resale properties due to the longer wait time and a cost increase on materials.

In a bit of a twist, another organizationthat may benefit from the lumberconundrum in Florida: The MormonChurch.

"ABoyd Company real estate development client happens to be the Investment Properties Division of the Mormon Church based in Salt Lake City," Boyd said. "The church happens to be the largest private landowner in all of Florida. Much of this land is valuable timber land almost 400,000 acres in the Panhandle area counties of Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla."

More: In the Know: Crazy buying surge as home prices rapidly climb in Collier; and latest on Tiger Woods venture

And: In the Know: Meet your new neighbors trying to escape tight spaces; they're probably from New York, New Jersey, Miami or Fort Lauderdale

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So, despite the current circumstances, what's the outlook?

The Boyd Company's John Boyd Jr.: "We expect the rise of the remote workforce model to accelerate Florida's population growth. (Another)significant driver behind Florida's booming construction industryis COVID-related home office projects, especially among high net worth execs relocating permanently from New York and New Jersey.Despite the increased lumber costs,we expect construction to remain a growth industry for Florida in the months and years ahead."

Centennial Bank's Ken Iglesias: "Socially distancing from non-family members is challenging in apartment buildings and crowded living spaces, which has sparked further interest in single-family homes. In response to parts of the economy closing, the Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates, and indicated they will remain low for some time.Families are now finding there is a need to have more space for work, educationand social distancing while the lower interest rates increased the affordability of home ownership. (In) Southwest Florida,I see homevalues continuing a steady increase over the next few years due to the current imbalance of supply versus demand in the market."

Brian Alford, Florida director of market analytics for CoStar Group(Photo: Provided)

CoStar Group's Brian Alford: "Mortgage rates are at record lows and are expected to remain low for quite some time, years perhaps, which should continue to foster homebuyer demand and keep the trend intact. (In 2020)the acceleration appears to be led by people seeking larger space to accommodate working and schooling from home."

Jenkins Custom Homes' Frank Jenkins: "It looks like the prices hopefully have spiked, and as supply catches up, we should start to see some relief in pricing. (The)Florida economy is booming and will continue to boom as we see people wanting to relocate to our amazing state."

Based at the Naples Daily News, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) writes In the Know as part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Support Democracy and subscribe to a newspaper.

More: Collier's House District 106 election: Jersey natives differ widely on best path forFlorida's future

And: In the Know: The intersection with the pandemic, a $1 billion loss in one month and two possible local toll expressways

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Read or Share this story: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/columnists/in-the-know/2020/10/12/how-california-wildfires-hit-you-home-lumber-wine-produce-agriculture-strawberry-avocado-lettuce/5909447002/

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In the Know: Lumbering through a pandemic; how the California wildfires are costing you money in Southwest Florida - Naples Daily News

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Construction is underway to rebuild the historic Greek Orthodox church destroyed 19 years ago Friday.

CBS2s Jenna DeAngelis takes a look at the history of St. Nicholas National Shrine in Lower Manhattan.

An old photo shows the majestic Twin Towers shining light on St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, a place of peace and prayer for 85 years on Cedar Street, until darkness took over on Sept. 11, 2001.

Luckily nobody was in the church that day, but as the towers were hit, obviously, the south tower came down on top of the church, said Father Evagoras Constantinides, spokesman of the archdiocese.

Only a few sacred items were found in the rubble: Icons, a candelabra, bell, tattered books.

But out of the ashes also came the commitment to rebuild.

It was the only house of worship that was destroyed on that day, and now it will be the only house of worship back at the site, Constantinides said.

credit: CBS2

He brought DeAngelis on the site of the new church to the welcome sight and sounds of crews working, a resurrection nearly two decades in the making.

Construction began at the Liberty Street location in 2015, but setbacks including financial troubles halted it two years later, leaving behind an empty dome, until the nonprofit Friends of St. Nicholas was formed.

We raised $45 million in January to March to help finish the church, said John Catsmitidis, the vice chairman of Friends of St. Nicholas.

But then came COVID-19, delaying construction again until early August.

They often say that, you know, good things come to those who wait. And I sincerely believe that St. Nicholas at the World Trade Center is the best thing. So its OK for us to wait a little bit, Constantinides said.

DeAngelis walked through whats to come, including the entryway, where people will come to light candles.

Inside, there will also be a nondenominational bereavement center a beautiful, open space, which, on the outside, will glow. A symbol of hope, strength, and unrelenting faith, for all.

Whether youre Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, you come here to pray, to find solace, to find reason, Catsmitidis said.

The souls, the lives, the memories of those 3,000 people and their families and their relatives and their friends. All of the people, every single one of us, who has been affected by 9/11, this is a place for us, said Constantinides.

Completion was set for Sept. 11, 2021, and even though the pandemic set construction back, a ceremony is still planned for a year from now to commemorate the 20th anniversary of a day we will never forget.

The archdiocese says while that target date remains, its likely not going to be completed until next winter or early spring of 2022.

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Rising From The Ashes: Construction Continues On St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Only House Of Worship Destroyed On 9/11 - CBS New York