The people close to the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero in New York tend to think of the project as a divinely-influenced miracle.

After several years of delay marked by financial difficulties, bureaucracy and even a COVID-19 pandemic, construction has restarted this week. Funds are in place to open and consecrate the church by the 20th anniversary of 9/11Sept. 11, 2021.

We have the people, the plan, the organization and the money, said Michael Psaros, vice chairman of the Friends of St. Nicholas, an independent nonprofit that is overseeing the churchs fundraising and construction.

Funds have been collected to build the church. Now fundraising is underway to set up a $20 million endowment fund to support church operations.

This second effort to complete the Church presents our Orthodox and Hellenic-American community with a second and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to this historic event in our community, Psaros said. Friends hopes each and every Greek-American can donate/participate in any way they can. Every donor will be recognized.

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Whats kept the project on the straight and narrow through its setbacks is the idea that the new St. Nicholas Church can be a light to the world amongst the darkness, and a sacred place to honor the 3,000 martyrs who lost their lives when the World Trade Center Towers were attacked.

Project moving forward

Work on the $85 million church project, which stopped in 2017, restarted Aug. 3. A crane has arrived on site for the installation of a skylight. Waterproofing work is also underway.

Work is being handled by the original contractor, Skanska USA, under a set price contract.

Skanska has already completed billions of dollars in construction work at Ground Zero, according to a July 2020 newsletter from the Friends of St. Nicholas.

The coronavirus pandemic could alter what would normally be an 18-month construction schedule, but the church can still open by the anniversary date, even if every detail isnt in place, said Richard Browne, CEO of the St. Nicholas construction work, during a July 1 interview for the ancientfaith.com podcast.

Browne described the new building as an intricate jewel box in the middle of the World Trade Center complex.

He added, Of all the things Ive done in my career, helping you finish this church will be what my family and my children will be most proud of me for.

The design is by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. For more information, visit http://www.stnicholaswtc.orgPhoto source: GOARCH

Fundraising

When work stopped on the church, it was estimated another $45 million was needed to finish the job and keep a $3 million contingency reserve.

Friends of St. Nicholas started fundraising Jan. 2, 2020 and within 90 days were able to raise the additional funds needed in cash and pledges, Psaros said.

As of July 29, they have received $27 million and $18 million in pledges.

A key player in making the new church and shrine a reality is Father Alex Karloutsos. He is Vicar General and Director of Public Affairs of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Hes also a special assistant to His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros.

Father Alex has been involved in efforts to get the church rebuilt since the original 9/11 attack on St. Nicholas.

One of the things that the dark forces were trying to do on Sept. 11, 2001, is create an element of despair, to take away hope, to envision the darkness. St. Nicholas is the light on the hill at Ground Zero, he said.

Immediate support for the church/shrine project came from the Greek-American community, he said, but its also had the support of non-Greek donors around the world, from such diverse places as Bari, Italy, where the relics of St. Nicholas were originally presented; Russia, Qatar and Israel, and from sources ranging from the American Jewish Committee to electrical and plumbing unions.

The new fundraising effort for the endowment fund will pay for ongoing operations like utilities, security and maintenance at the church.

The Friends of St. Nicholas are off to a good start. A $600,000 gift has been given by Steve and Frosene Zeis to establish the endowment.

Everyone alive today, whether they are five years old or 105 has an opportunity to contribute to the National Shrine, to literally be a part of history because this is a one moment in time event, Psaros said.

We encourage all of your readers, anyone that supports the newspaper, to please contribute to St. Nicholas and the funds will end up in the endowment.

Donations can be made online at http://www.stnicholaswtc.org.

Friends of St. Nicholas

Friends of St. Nicholas was created after the church project, initially under the guidance of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, was suspended for two years due to lack of funds.

The Archdiocese fell into default with Skanska USA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, unable to fulfill its contract to rebuild the church.

The Archdiocese was in danger of losing the property to New York, since activity had stopped on the new church.

The Port Authority wanted to build a vehicle security center beneath the original location of the church at 155 Cedar Street. At the same time, there was opposition from the Authority to rebuild the church near the Ground Zero memorial.

Several things happened to save the church and turn it into a National Shrine.

Chief among them was the appointment of a new Archbishop for the Archdiocese in 2019.

His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros, whose name means bearer of hope supported the rebuilding project and took steps to make sure it was financially solvent and properly managed.

Also throwing in his support on rebuilding was New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He supported relocating the church to Liberty Park, 130 Liberty Street, close to the Ground Zero memorial, and turning it into a National Shrine that would expand its role beyond a Greek Orthodox Church.

After a Jan. 2, 2020 meeting between Gov. Cuomo and Archbishop Elpidophoros, it was decided construction would start again on the new church, with conditions.

Because of the previous funding difficulties, Cuomo wanted to make sure an independent body oversaw finances and construction and so Friends of St. Nicholas was created.

The Archdiocese and the St. Nicholas Parish remain ex-officio members of Friends of St. Nicholas, but the archbishop appointed 13 laypeople with a variety of skill sets to lead the church rebuilding to its conclusion.

Daniel Mehiel was named chairman. He serves as chairman of U.S. Corrugated Inc. and was appointed by Gov. Cuomo as CEO of the Battery Park City Authority that operates the property where the World Trade Center was constructed 40 years ago.

Michael Psaros, is vice-chairman. He is a co-founder of KPS Capital Partners and a former treasurer with the Archdiocese.

Richard Browne was named CEO of the St. Nicholas construction project and is taking no fee for the work. He is a managing partner of the Sterling Project Development Group, known for sports-related construction projects, including construction of Citi Fields, where the New York Mets play.

Father Alex serves as an advisor.

The election of Gov. Cuomo as governor was a seminal moment for the entire process, Mehiel said.

With Andrews guidance and, frankly his very specific dedicated control of the process, it got us to the point that we were able to sign a deal with the Port Authority that allowed the construction process to commence, Mehiel said.

Father Alex said the church project received support from Gov. Cuomo and the previous Republican governor, George Pataki, but that Cuomo had a spiritual connection to the project as well.

Gov. Cuomo happens to share his birthday, Dec. 6, with St. Nicholas Feast Day.

He believes that the element and hope of a church destroyed at Ground Zero tells a great story of New York, that in the midst of this despair, theres hope. In the midst of darkness there is light, Father Alex said.

Archbishop Elpidophoros as well as members of the Friends of St. Nicholas address the press at the construction site of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. Photo credit: Aphrodite Kotrotsios/Hellenic News of America

Not just another church

One of the problems with fundraising for the church at the grassroots level the first time around was the failure to let the Faithful across the country appreciate the historic symbolism of the National Shrine, Psaros said in another Greek publication.

They werent inspired to participate in its triumph and saw St. Nicholas as just another New York City church, not something that belongs to the Faithful nationwide, he said.

He described the completed National Shrine as the most visible symbol of Holy Orthodoxy, Hellenism, and the Hellenism ideal in America.

By donating, Psaros hopes the Faithful in all 50 states will feel the responsibility and joy of possessing the only religious structure, the only Christian church of any denomination, at Ground Zero.

Saint Nicholas prior to 9/11. Photo source: GOARCH

A Greek Orthodox Church as a National Shrine

For Greek-Americans the hope is that the St. Nicholas National Shrine will be a Parthenon of Orthodoxy in the United States, a symbol of the resurgence of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

Psaros quotes a friend, Dimitri Papacostas who said, Somehow all of the communitys aspirations, pride and redemption are enshrined in this magnificent edifice that is being built.

But it will be much more than a Greek Orthodox Church.

On a site with no grave markers to mark the martyred dead, the church and its Justinian Cross will reflect the sacred ground on which it stands, sacred ground where the presence of God can be found.

And it will offer comfort and meditation to anyone visiting worldwide, regardless of religion or background. A non-denominational bereavement center will be located on the second floor of the Shrine.

The St. Nicholas National Shrine and Church will become an open and inclusive witness of what is best in all human aspirations for the Divine, reads a message from Archbishop Elpidophoros printed in the July 2020 newsletter of the Friends of St. Nicholas.

Hagia Sophia

St. Nicholas will stand as a counterbalance to the actions of the Turks converting Hagia Sophia Church in Constantinople into a Mosque.

Many of St. Nicholas features are based on the Hagia Sophia Church, an intentional design by the Shrines architect, Santiago Calatrava.

He took the architecture and the art from Hagia Sophia and encapsulated it at the heart of St. Nicholas at Ground Zero, said Father Alex.

No matter what happens to Hagia Sophia, the Great Church will always be ours. Let us make Saint Nicholas a witness to that, states the message from Archbishop Elpidophoros.

For more information about the St. Nicholas project and to donate, visit Stnicholaswtc.org.

Contributions can also be mailed to:

FRIENDS OF ST. NICHOLAS

c/o Andrew Veniopoulos

8 East 79th Street

New York, NY 10075

Please make checks payable to:

Friends of St. Nicholas.

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St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine Now on Solid Ground as Construction Restarts - Hellenic News of America

REQUEST FOR SUBCONTRACTOR / VENDOR PROPOSALS Competitive proposals are requested from interested subcontractors and vendors for the Westphalia Church of the Visitation project. This project is the ground up re-build of the Church of the Visitation that was lost to fire in July 2019. Subcontractor and vendor proposals will be received in the K4 Construction, LLC offices until 12:00 pm on August 27, 2020. Proposals can be emailed to keith@k4construction.net, faxed to 254-662-9274, delivered to 1768 Greig Drive, Robinson, Texas 76706, or mailed to the same address. Contact K4 Construction to acquire bid documents electronically, or a hard copy can be viewed at the K4 office. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at the project site (144 County Road 3000, Lott, Texas 76656) on August 20th @ 10:00 am. K4 Construction has a policy of prohibiting discrimination against Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) & Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and encourages proposals from qualified HUB and DBE subcontractors and vendors. K4 Construction reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive any irregularity in the proposals, and to accept only those proposals which (in the opinion of K4 Construction) provide the best value to the Owner. Contact Keith Helpert at 254-662-9311 or keith@k4construction.net for questions or more information.

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Request for Subcontractor/Vendor Proposals - Westphalia Church of the Vistation project - Waco Tribune-Herald

After years of struggling to reinvigorate itself and attract new parishioners, Christus Victor Lutheran Church quietly closed its doors a few months ago. The once beautiful and iconic building with its sharp zenith rising up toward the heavens was razed to a pile of wood and rubble on Aug. 5

The property at 25535 Ford Road was sold to a private investor.

This is the second site for the church shortly after it was built in the 1960s. The photograph was undated.

In January of 2019 a transitional pastor was brought in with hopes that someone new in the pulpit would enliven the congregation. The Rev. Dana Runestad was trying to bring people back to Christus Victor by creating new programs. One of Runestads first efforts was a drive-through Ash Wednesday service. Ash Wednesday is the start of a 40-day celebration leading up to Easter.

But it appeared that nothing short of a miracle could help resurrect Christus Victor. Like several area businesses, the life of Christus Victor may have been cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Larry Domski, Director of the Building and Engineering Department for Dearborn Heights said that the property is zoned in two parcels. The front half facing Ford Road is zoned commercial whereas the back half, containing most of the former churchs parking lot, is zoned residential.

Domski said that he has not seen any plans for what is to be built on the land.

The Ford Road location is the second home for the churchs congregation. Founded originally as the Ford Road Lutheran Church, the first location was at the corner of Ford Road and Silvery Lane. Under the guidance of Rev. V.J. Luetzow, construction on the first church started in January 1947.

Machinery tears down the last of the former Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Dearborn Heights.

Ground was broken in 1963 for the new sanctuary and it was finally occupied on Sept. 20, 1964, after nine years of planning and one year of construction.

The new structure was able to accommodate up to 430 people and cost $350,000 ($2.94 million today) to build.

With a new church also came a new name. Ford Road Lutheran Church was rechristened as Christus Victor Lutheran Church.

Christus Victor is a Latin phrase which expresses the triumphant aspect of Christ's atonement.

By Aug. 8, only a pile of rubble remained where the church once stood.

The Churchs phone was disconnected, and the website has been shut down. Questions sent to the Facebook page went unanswered.

Continue reading here:
Private investor razes historic Dearborn Heights church | News - Dearborn Press and Guide

Image of Coel Junior Compton

Coel 'Junior' Compton

Coel Junior Compton, 84, of the Kirksey community in Murray, Kentucky, died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, at his home.

He was born Jan. 19, 1936, in Golden Pond, Kentucky, to Coel Compton Sr. and Irene Mitcheson Compton.

He was a retired farmer and was in the construction business. He was a member of Kirksey Baptist Church and the Adult 1 Sunday school class.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Janice Cain Compton, who died Oct. 10, 2017; one granddaughter, Tabetha Shelton, who died in 1991; and one brother, Clayton Compton, who died in 1960.

Mr. Compton is survived by three daughters, Cindy Cossey and husband Danny of Murray, Cillia Alexander and husband David of Farmington and Ginger Overbey and husband Kenny of Murray; two sisters, Linda Bynum and husband Larry of Hopkinsville and Carolyn Thorn and husband Raymond of Benton; three grandchildren, Erica Livingston and husband Rob of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Ben Cossey and wife Nikki of Murray and Trent Cossey and wife Traci of Murray; and seven great- grandchildren, Max and Miles Cossey, Henry, Coelton and Lillia Livingston, and Braxton and Chance Cossey; and a special friend, Zennette Newsome of Farmington.

The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, at Kirksey Baptist Church with Charles Miles officiating. Burial will follow in Kirksey Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, at the church.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Kirksey Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 39, Kirksey, KY 42054.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.thejhchurchillfuneralhome.com.

The J.H. Churchill Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements.

Denise Burnett

Denise Burnett, 60, of Murray, Kentucky, formerly of Paducah, Kentucky, died at 3:50 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, at her residence.

She was born April 2. 1960, in Paducah, to Shirley Sue Bell Shoukletovich and James Howard Kilgore. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her husband, and a sister, Johnna Hendrix.

Mr. Burnett is survived her son, Dustin Burnett of Murray; her daughter, Kayla Fires of Benton; her mother, Shirley Shoukletovich of Eddyville; a sister, Kennae Fenton of Eddyville; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is being planned for a later date.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.yorkfuneralhome.com.

Blalock-Coleman & York Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Image of Robert Sammy Ingram

Robert 'Sammy' Ingram

Robert "Sammy" Ingram, 41, of Columbia, Tennessee, formerly of Murray, Kentucky, died Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020.

He was born Oct. 8, 1978, in Murray to Robert and Sharon Bazzell Ingram.

He was an avid fisherman and loved to hunt. He was a member of Coldwater Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Thomas Ingram.

Mr. Ingram is survived by his mother, Sharon Ingram of Murray; a son, Lucas Ingram of Columbia; three sisters, Debbie Todd (Kerry) of Coldwater, Stacy Therrien (David) of Almo and Angela Ingram of Murray; and his partner, Carrie Opalewski of Columbia.

A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, at West Fork Baptist Church with Phillip Bazzell officiating. Pallbearers include David Therrien, Kerry Todd, Jonathan Therrien, Dustin Irvan and Mitch Nesbitt.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.imesfh.com.

The Heritage Chapel of Imes Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Image of Lanita Sue Gallimore Malcolm Lee

Lanita Sue Gallimore Malcolm Lee

Lanita Sue Gallimore Malcolm Lee, 75, of Hazel, Kentucky, died at 9:05 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 2020, at her residence.

She was born March 23, 1945, in Puryear, Tennessee to Rexford and Mayzelle Wright Gallimore.

She was a member of Hazel Baptist Church.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Verlyn Malcolm, and a brother, Jimmy Gallimore.

Mrs. Lee is survived by her husband, John Tom Lee; her daughters, Lori Savage of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Terri Day (Dreux) of Adolphus; stepdaughters, Lorrie Stults of Melber and Jennifer Scott of Murray; a brother, Gerald Gallimore (Sandra) of Murray; a sister-in-law, Gail Gallimore; 11grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, at Blalock-Coleman & York Funeral Home with Jordan Roach officiating.Burial will follow in Elm Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be after 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, at the funeral home.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Anna Mae Owen Residential Hospice House, Murray-Calloway County Hospital Hospice, 803 Poplar St., Murray, KY42071.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.yorkfuneralhome.com.

Blalock-Coleman & York Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Image of Linda Weiss

Linda Weiss

Linda Weiss, 71, of Murray, Kentucky, died at 5:50 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at the Murray-Calloway County Hospital.

She was born Nov. 26, 1948, in Newport, Rhode Island, to Timmie Chatelain and Mary Frances Kimball Chatelain, who preceded her in death.

She was a homemaker and of Catholic faith.

Mrs. Weiss is survived by her husband, Robert Weiss; a daughter, Deanna Robinson and husband Brad of Murray; her sons, Joe Seavers and wife Nikki of Benton, Shane Seavers of Murray and Tony Seavers of Benton; a stepson, Erich Weiss of California; a stepdaughter, Dawn Weiss of California; her sisters, Terry Kimbrough of Granite Falls, Washington, and Cara Lee Mowery of Fayetteville, North Carolina; brothers, Timmie T. Chatelain of Vietnam and Robert Chatelain of Aurora; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The funeral service was at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, at Blalock-Coleman & York Funeral Home with April Arnold officiating.Visitation was after 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.yorkfuneralhome.com.

Blalock-Coleman & York Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

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Obituaries Aug. 12, 2020 | Obituaries - Murray Ledger and Times

Theres extensive redevelopment in the works along Beauregard Street, a major route through the citys West End.

At the tail end of the Beauregard Design Advisory Committee meeting late last month where BDAC reviewed a proposal to scale down a proposed townhouse development Maya Contreras, the principal planner for West End new development, laid out a roadmap for whats ahead for the surrounding areas.

One of the closest developments to the proposed townhouse development is at 2000 N. Beauregard Street, where Monday Properties is working on a 300 unit apartment building. The project broke ground in July andContreras said completion is slated for 2022.

Further along Beauregard,Contreras said The Spire project is on track to finish construction next spring 2021. The developmentbroke last summer and consists of 113 affordable housing apartments.

According to the AHC website:

AHC is partnering with the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection (ECR) on the redevelopment of the Churchs property in the City of Alexandrias Beauregard neighborhood. The project will transform the site into 113 new affordable apartments. ECR will build a new worship and programming space on the site. This development will provide much-needed affordable living opportunities to working families in the Beauregard community, which is expected to lose hundreds of market affordable apartments in the coming years.

Contreras said a redevelopment has been proposed at the corner of Newport Village. Letters to the city from the developer UDR indicate that the plan is to replace three smaller buildings at 4898 Beauregard Street with a larger, mixed-use building. Contreras said the developer held a community meeting in July and is anticipating going to a public hearing in the spring.

The last nearby development Contreras highlighted is a plan to build a suspended gymnasium between two buildings at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School. Contreras said the plan was approved through the Planning Commission and City Council and is moving into construction soon.

Photo via Google Maps

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Here's the Latest on Development Projects on Beauregard Street in the West End - ALXnow

An excavation team discovered a 1600-year-old church in central Turkeys Nide province, state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Sunday.

The octagonal church containing coins believed to be from the 4th century, present a rarity for Anatolia, it said, citing Osman Doanay, head of the excavation team and instructor at Aksaray Universitys department of archaeology.

We think that the coins belong to the beginning of the 4th century AD. Thus, we have a proof of the construction date of the city walls and aqueducts, Doanay said.

Excavations in the ancient city of in Tyana were started by an Italian team in 2001, Doanay said, noting the significance of the octagonal church.

There are very few examples in Anatolia. The only example of this size is in the Cappadocia region. We had some doubts about the dating of the church, we could guess, but thanks to the coins we found here, we confirmed that the church was built in the 4th century A.D, he said.

Excavations will continue this year, but with a smaller team due to the pandemic, according to Doanay.

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Excavation team discovers 1,600-year-old octagonal church in central Turkey - Ahval

Houses of worship have become a growing concern for Colorado health departments as the number of COVID-19 outbreaks within church communities and at religious events has climbed.

In the last two weeks there have been at least four COVID-19 outbreaks at churches, according to state and county health departments.

Two of those outbreaks occurred in Garfield County at the Iglesia de Dios Pentacostal in Parachute, with at least eight lab-confirmed cases, and the Pan de Vida church in Rifle, with at least 14 lab-confirmed cases. All cases were reported among church attendees.

According to the Garfield County Public Health department, most of the spread occurred prior to the state mask ordinance and a case investigation revealed that there was little social distancing or mask-wearing.

Another common factor among the outbreaks in Garfield County was that group singing was incorporated into worship services. Case studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control have found that singing could lead to further spread of COVID-19.

Preliminary results from a study at the University of Colorado showed that more aerosols were released by singers depending on the intensity of the song and the words spoken. The singer in the study released the most aerosols when performing a church choir piece than any other type of song tested. That study has not yet been completed or peer-reviewed and the results may change.

"Singing releases smaller infectious particles that can hang in the air and circulate in enclosed spaces, and the risk increases when there are large numbers of people indoors, a spokesperson from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment wrote in an email. "Our guidance related to houses of worship strongly discourages choirs and singing by parishioners."

Despite CDPHE guidance, both churches have Facebook Live videos recorded in the last several weeks that show group singing. Pan de Vidas most recent Facebook Live video that included unmasked singing was posted Sunday.

The two other outbreaks at churches were exclusively among staff members at the Springs Journey Church in Colorado Springs and at The Heights Church in Denver. None of the churches could be reached for comment.

The new church outbreaks come several weeks after a large outbreak at the Andrew Wommack Ministries bible conference in Woodland Park. While the Teller County health department pre-approved the conference, CDPHE served organizers a cease and desist letter halfway through, on July 2, after the agency received information that events at the conference would likely exceed the 175-person capacity limit in the public health order. A spokesperson for Andrew Wommack Ministries would not confirm if they broke capacity limits, but conceded that it was possible.

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Colorado Places Of Worship Have Become A Worrying Source Of Coronavirus Outbreaks - Colorado Public Radio

J. wrote: With more people likely using Citi Bikes to get around and return to some days in schools and offices, its going to be helpful to have even more bikes available downtown. Now that the epic Warren Street Reconstruction Project is finally completed, do you know when (or if) Citi Bike will be re-installing the old station on Warren & West Broadway as well as the station that used to be in front of the Tribeca Whole Foods?

So I will take a circuitous route on this question, since I had already been needling DOT for an answer when I got J.s note, and start with the station on Greenwich and Duane that is causing much consternation.

Some neighbors there (and the restaurants themselves) are still pushing for the station to be moved so The Hideaway and Tokyo Bay can take advantage of the curbside dining part of the citys Open Restaurants program. That program goes till Oct. 31 and the mayor said recently that it will be extended for next summer as well, so making a move now could have lasting repercussions for both businesses.

But DOT told me that they are not going to move it, and while there is a planned expansion, they will hold off until Open Restaurants ends.

A DOT spokesperson said the regulations of the Open Restaurants program outlined in the FAQ section state that the city will not relocate street furniture to accommodate a restaurant. (Street furniture usually means bus stops, benches, light posts, garbage cans, etc, but I am not sure why it should therefore include Citi Bike stations, which are designed to be modular and moveable.)

DOT is working to balance multiple aspects of the Citys recovery, which includes adding facilities for multimodal travel and programming public open space to promote social distancing. As part of Citi Bike infill, we are planning to increase dock capacity at the station on Duane Street. While we are moving forward with our infill plans in other locations, we will be holding off on the Duane Street station expansion until the Open Restaurants program concludes.

As for the original Nosy Neighbor question, DOT said that Greenwich has a pending capital project (maybe that is what is going on in front of Whole Foods now?) and the station will be returned after its completion. They said that the relocation site for that one is the one in front of Target on Greenwich and Murray. (Its been so long that I thought that one had always been there)

But as for West Broadway and Warren, they say we made that one up and now that I really rack my brain, was it in fact at Church and Warren in front of what is now 30 Warren? Who can confirm?? UPDATE: Two readers sent Google street view images of the station that was once on Warren between West Broadway and Church in front of the Mysterious Bookshop. See the screenshot below, taken in 2014.

Heres the DOT response: There are no records of a station at W. Broadway and Warren Street. We are surveying West Broadway & Church Street, but no timeline for return right now.

So to sum up, DOT is in an odd predicament to be both the overlord on bike transportation and restaurant expansion (see how important our streets have become?) but it seems to me the best approach here would be to move Duane around the corner to Greenwich and NOT expand it (maybe expand instead at Hudson and Reade) AND return the ghost station at West Broadway and Warren to add more capacity, especially since the Whole Foods one is delayed for more construction.

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Nosy Neighbor: When will the Citi Bike stations be re-installed? - Tribeca Citizen

Aliquippa becomes home to people from around the world, a place with community pride and a legendary blue-collar work ethic crafted in the fiery ovens of the mills. Over the next 90 years, Aliquippa would see its share of ups and downs, but its beginnings are a story that can never be taken away.

This is the fourth and final column in a series detailing the complete and definitive history of Aliquippa.

The decade of the 1910s was a pivotal one in American history. The opulence of the Gilded Age had given way to a steady stream of assembly-line factories, mill towns and thriving cities that were suddenly growing up instead of out due to the proliferation of steel production. Skyscrapers were the new game in town.

In the northeast, cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and, of course, Pittsburgh, were growly rapidly. The same was happening to St. Louis, Detroit and Chicago in the Midwest and in San Francisco and Los Angeles on the West Coast.Each city had its own share of both promise and blight, as illustrated by the ghetto neighborhoods that surrounded most industrial areas. The rich were still getting richer, even in 1910.

Outside of the major cities, America was more akin to the lifestyle of the 19th century. The concept of the suburb was one that wouldnt materialize for another few decades, so anyone living outside of the reach of railroads or streetcar lines was essentially cut off from the modern world. Automobiles were beginning to appear, but they were still very much a novelty item for the wealthy.

Farming was still the main occupation outside of the cities, but it was getting much more difficult to make a living doing it. Railroads had connected the nation, making farming a national industry instead of a local one. Massive farms in the west were producing millions of tons of produce each year with much less overhead, resulting in large quantities of cheap food that could be transported anywhere in the country via rail. A grocery store in New York could now sell real Georgia peaches, grapes from California, potatoes from Idaho, and corn from Indiana all in the same week.

In the south, the second post-slavery generation of African-Americans were still dealing with rampant oppression. Jim Crow laws, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson In 1896, had created the "separate but equal" legal doctrine, legalizing racial segregation in the former Confederate states. Southern Blacks wanted and deserved a chance at a better life.

All of these reasons were considered by the Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. when advertising its new steel town of Woodlawn in 1910. The company had thousands of jobs to fill in the now-operating blast furnace complex, not to mention the hundreds that would be needed to continue construction of the adjacent mills along the Ohio River.

But, how would the company reach the oppressed in the South, the forgotten in the ghettos and the desperate in the heartland? How would they inform them of the new American Dream taking shape in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania? In an age before communication became instant, this would require some innovative methods.

'Woodlawn on the Ohio'

By spring 1912, the new Aliquippa Works of J&L Steel was humming. Three blast furnaces were operating 24/7, along with the tinplate, rod-iron, nail, open-hearth and blooming mills. A fourth blast furnace and the Bessemer Converter were under construction and scheduled to open in August. An influx of workers wasnt just needed; it was essential to the continued growth of the complex.

On the town side, the Woodlawn Land Co. had completed more than 1,500 houses in Plans 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12. Plan 8, also known as Orchard Plan, was nearing completion. On Temple and Oliver streets in Plan 12, 16 brick blocks of homes that would come to be known as "The Bricks" were almost finished. Each house in Woodlawn was equipped with a bath, hot/cold water, natural gas heating, electric lighting, porches, attics, basements and large lawns that no other steel town could match. Workers could move their families in on Day One and their mortgage payments would be automatically deducted from their weekly pay envelopes.

From a civic standpoint, the borough of Woodlawn now possessed all of the modern amenities of a progressive industrial city. It had two schools Logstown and Highland with a third, the towns first high school, under construction. This building would later be known as Franklin School. Laughlin and Jones Schools would not be built for a few more years.

Construction of the Woodlawn & Southern Street Railway began in 1912, the boroughs first public transportation system. A fire department was begun in 1909, later joined by a police department, water company and street department. The new $30,000 municipal building was dedicated on March 8, 1911. Streets were paved with macadam and lined with newly planted trees to add elegance.

Along Franklin Avenue, the town had a quickly developing downtown. Two hotels, the Franklin and the National European, welcomed newcomers to Woodlawn. The Woodlawn Trust Company, the towns first bank, opened in 1910. The bank building also hosted the boroughs first U.S. Post Office. All of downtown was built around the massive five-story Pittsburgh Mercantile Co. building, the "company store" that served steelworkers and their families on a credit system. Shoppers came for the company store, but stayed for the food, drinks and excitement along "The Avenue."

The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad was very influential in Woodlawn. In 1909, the railroad began construction of a new passenger station and freight depot, both of which stand to this day. Rail was also the main transportation for prospective residents to get a glimpse of Woodlawn. The railroad offered free daily rides from Pittsburgh.

The Woodlawn Land Co. knew that it would need more than Pittsburgh connections to bring the number of workers J&L needed. In March 1912, a free 14-page picture booklet was published to show the world what Woodlawn had to offer. These booklets, titled "Woodlawn on the Ohio," were carried by the P&LE Railroad and its partner lines and made available at every station along their routes. The land company also took out ads in newspapers around the country, even as far away as California. Soon, a steady stream of people was showing up daily at the Woodlawn passenger station.

Immigrants Chasing the Dream

The "Woodlawn on the Ohio" booklets were a smash hit. People not only took them for their own purposes, they also sent them back to the Old Country for their friends and relatives. The opportunity to find a good-paying job, a new house, and a real ground-floor community was an incredible lure. By late 1913, Woodlawn had become one of the key destinations for new arrivals at Ellis Island. It was a true land of opportunity, and the P&LE Railroad was its gatekeeper.

In 1912, the railroad took an unconventional step to ensure it could handle the rush of immigrants. For the first time, the company employed bilingual agents at its Woodlawn station. Whether you spoke French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Greek, Portuguese, German, Hebrew or Croatian, there would be an agent waiting to help you find your way.

Upon arriving at Woodlawn, most immigrants began looking for the plan of homes nearest to their fellow countrymen. They wanted to be around those who spoke their language and shared their customs. As the plans filled, each one began to develop its own unique ethnic feel. Plan 4, for instance, was home to many Greek immigrants. The Greek Orthodox Church was located there, as were several Greek grocers. This same trend occurred in nearly every plan. Woodlawn was a segregated community, but it was an organically segregated community.

Revisionist history has always claimed that J&L Steel purposely segregated the town to create divisions among the workforce. This was not true, even if the end result did resemble as such. The segregation of Woodlawns plans was done by its own residents out of their own desires and needs. J&L Steel did have two plans that were not open to just anyone, however. Plan 6 was reserved for mill bosses, foremen and superintendents. It was a closed community for the steel companys elite. Plan 12 was reserved for English-speaking workers, regardless if they were naturally born Americans or recent arrivals.

As time went on, many began to look at Woodlawn as the quintessential example of a "melting pot." This was defined as a place where many different cultures slowly "melted" into one Americanized culture through the process of forced assimilation. This also wasnt entirely true. Most immigrants went out of their way to assimilate voluntarily, but it wasnt at the expense of their own ethnic heritages. Woodlawns different nationalities created vibrant community clubs, church organizations, orchestras and sports leagues.Each nationality also brought its own celebrations to Woodlawn, a tradition that lives on through the annual San Rocco Festa each summer.

By 1920, Woodlawn had a foreign-born population of more than 5,000. The largest contingent of immigrants had arrived from Yugoslavia, followed by Italy, Greece, Austria, and Poland. In the interest of civic participation, the Woodlawn School District began offering free English language classes for workers and their families in October 1912.This was an early example of how the town welcomed new arrivals and expected them to contribute to the overall community.

Period of Rapid Growth

While Woodlawn was coming into its own, its northern neighbor also was taking great strides. Aliquippa, todays West Aliquippa, was home to more than 2,000 people in 1914. Another major employer, Kidd Drawn Steel, arrived that year to add even more jobs to the local mix. Aliquippa had a full contingent of borough services, including its own fire department, police department and school system.

Back in Woodlawn, J&L Steel was still growing.A fifth blast furnace went online in 1918, and the company entered the tubular products field with the construction of two buttweld mills and a lapweld mill. The Woodlawn Land Co. was still completing homes at a staggering rate of one per day to meet the demand of the steel firms workforce.

Woodlawn also saw a number of churches founded during this period, starting with St. Titus Roman Catholic Church in 1910. That was followed by the First Methodist Church and First United Presbyterian Church later that year. In 1912, St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church was founded in Logstown to serve a growing Eastern European population, and House of Prayer Lutheran Church was built on Sheffield Avenue. SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church (1912), Triedstone Baptist Church (1915), All Saints Episcopal Church (1915), Emmanuel AME Church (1916), Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (1917), St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church (1917), and Agudath Achim Synagogue (1919) rounded out the new congregations around the steel town.

During World War I, the Aliquippa Works operated at more than double capacity, with anywhere from 7,000 to 8,000 workers toiling in the mills at any given time. Woodlawn quickly gained a reputation as one of Americas greatest production towns.

The Roaring Twenties

Woodlawn came out of wartime production as a town of more than 20,000. Just a decade prior, the valley of Logstown Run had been a quiet, wooded place. Now, it buzzed with the sounds of commerce and community around the clock.

As the original plans began to fill up, new developments were started. The McDonald-Short Plan, McDonald Heights and the Hall Plan ("Hollywood") all began construction in 1923. In Aliquippa borough, the P&LE Railroad constructed a series of homes for its employees that reached to the Woodlawn border. The two boroughs were quickly growing closer together.

For recreational purposes, J&L built a large community swimming pool adjacent to its main office building. A new community library, B.F. Jones Memorial, was planned in 1927 and completed in 1929. A gift from the daughter of J&L Steel founder Benjamin Franklin Jones, the library continues to serve the community to this day.

With an endlessly growing population came the need for a modern high school. Land in Plan 12 was donated by J&L Steel and construction began in late 1923. When it opened in 1925, Harding High School named for recently deceased President Warren G. Harding was considered the finest in the state.

As the 1920s dwindled, it became clear that Woodlawn had grown to its boundaries on all sides. With J&L Steel continuing to expand the Aliquippa Works, the community had to do the same. In 1927, officials from both Woodlawn and Aliquippa met to discuss a bold move that would change the local landscape forever.

The Consolidation

Aliquippa was founded nearly two decades prior to Woodlawn, but by 1915 it was the clear number two locally. Woodlawn was a modern community in every sense of the word and was praised across the country as the ideal industrial town. Meanwhile, Aliquippa had become hemmed in on all sides by the Ohio River, P&LE Railroad freight yard and the Aliquippa Works. It was isolated and unable to move forward due to a lack of available land.

In 1927, the idea of a consolidation between the two boroughs was floated at a Woodlawn council meeting. Most Aliquippa residents were against the idea, as they were fiercely loyal to their hometown and could foresee it getting the raw end of any potential deal. However, the power of Woodlawn and J&L Steel pushed the notion until it was finally brought up for a vote.

On Jan. 24, 1928, residents of both towns took to the polls to decide on consolidation.The result was never in question, passing by more than 3,000 votes.While it was the original Aliquippa borough that would be divested of its identity, the name Woodlawn was the one that would disappear forever. Officials decided to take the Aliquippa name for the merged community, due to its historic nature and notoriety as the name of J&L Steels mills, the Aliquippa Works.

Old Aliquippa borough would become known as West Aliquippa. Although the P&LERailroad tracks ran north to south through Beaver County, the line in general was an east-west one. Because the former Aliquippa was the next station after the new Aliquippa heading west on the railroad, it was given the name West Aliquippa.

One more step was taken to create this new, larger borough. Neighboring Hopewell Township was pillaged for a large chunk of its land, including New Sheffield and what is now the area of Kennedy Boulevard. This annexation added another 5,000 acres to Aliquippa borough and gave the town room for future expansion. On Jan. 28, 1928, the official consolidation was put to paper. Modern Aliquippa had been born.

Twenty-two years

It had been just 22 years since P.M. Moore deboarded his train at Woodlawn and became the first Jones & Laughlin Steel employee to call the tiny farming village home.Now, the Borough of Aliquippa had emerged from its fiery beginnings to become a true slice of the American Dream. It was home to people from around the world, a place with community pride and a legendary blue-collar work ethic crafted in the fiery ovens of the mills. Over the next 90 years, Aliquippa would see its share of ups and downs, but its beginnings are a story that can never be taken away.

The story of Aliquippa really is the story of America.

Jeffrey Snedden is a local researcher and historian. Questions, comments or topic ideas for Histories & Mysteries may be emailed to historiesandmysteries@yahoo.com. Every other week, Snedden will choose a few new topics and update past ones with readers notes and questions.

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Histories & Mysteries: Aliquippa emerges from its fiery beginnings to represent the American Dream - The Times

Submitted photo/Dorchester TourismTony Hurley of Chestertown danced at one of the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians powwows in Vienna.

The Dorchester County Tourism Departments monthly Heritage Partner Spotlight focuses on the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area (HCCHA) partners and how they have supported heritage tourism in Dorchester County with a project funded by either a Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (MHAA) grant or a HCCHA mini-grant.

This months spotlight shines on the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, who continue to preserve and promote their rich history and culture on the Eastern Shore. Native American Heritage is one of the founding themes of the HCCHA, which prioritizes stewardship like that demonstrated by the Nause-Waiwash, as well as the preservation of threatened and vanishing places, practices and stories.

Dept. of TourismSpecial to Dorchester BannerVIENNA Every fall, dancing, music and song fill the Vienna Ballfield as descendants and friends of Eastern Shore Native American tribes gather to honor and celebrate the rich culture and traditions of Dorchester County and its indigenous people. Organized by the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, the annual festival features ceremonies, demonstrations, competitions, games and authentic food and crafts.

Neighboring tribes attend to show their support. In 2019, guests included representatives from the Assateague, Nanticoke, Accohannock tribe of Somerset County, Cherokee, Mohawk, Pamunkey, Creek, Blackfoot, Seneca, Lumbee, Tusarora and many other tribes and nations.Native music was played by a flutist from South America, three native drum groups played dancers could dance the potato dance, the grass dance and the sneak-up dance. A tomahawk throw offered a chance for those who wanted to test their skills. A team of sleigh dogs also provided a demonstration from the Native Alaskans culture.

Telling their storyTheir name, Nause-Waiwash (nah-soo WAY-wash), is a reference to two Nanticoke ancestral villages. One was located outside of Cambridge along the Choptank River, and the other was located outside Vienna along the Nanticoke River. Based in Dorchester County, the Nause-Waiwash are the remnants of what Europeans call Nanticoke, Choptank and Pocomoke tribes who fled into the marshes in the 1700s to avoid execution. These three names, Nanticoke, Choptank and Pocomoke, are the names of the three major rivers in the area, which are tributaries of the majestic Chesapeake Bay.

Captain John Smith discovered these Native Americans during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 1608, which is well documented in his writings and history books.In the late 1980s, Sewell Fitzhugh decided that the history, culture and traditions of these Dorchester County Indians needed to be preserved. With the support of local elders, Fitzhugh proceeded with organizing the now Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, Inc. A council was formed, and as is the tradition, the women of the tribe held an election. Fitzhugh became the first chief of the Nause-Waiwash Band of Indians, Inc.

Tracing lineageOne challenge they have faced is researching and connecting their lineage. As so many were forced to leave their lands, they were given European names and began to identify as either Black or White. For instance, genealogists have found that Sara and Jenny became the most common female Christian names given to Nause-Waiwash ancestors in the 1600s and 1700s, said Chief Wolf Mother Abbott.

The enrollment process for the tribe today calls for tracing the family tree to where the indigenous blood line comes in. They have found that there are several common surnames that repeatedly show up in these searches. Robbins, Abbott, Tall and Hughes are among them.Chief Fitzhugh had a passion for his history, and he learned a lot from his grandmother, Chief Abbott said. He says that when people were educated, it was by word of mouth. By the 1980s, he had an abundant amount of information about the people of this area and lower Dorcheter County.

We all knew we had Indian blood. We all knew we were descendants. But many elders were disgraced so they didnt educate their children about their culture. At least two generations didnt own it or know anything about it. My generation is trying to document the history and recreate the stories. More and more people are starting to embrace their heritage.Today, there are more than 300 listed in the enrollment books, and they come from all over, including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Virgin Islands.

Activities todayIn 1998, the Nause Waiwash Band of Indians, Inc. was gifted what was the Hughes African Methodist Episcopal Chapel. The church was built around 1894 by trustees of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, whose descendants identify themselves as survivors of the Nanticoke and Choptank Indian communities. Following Hurricane Hazel, when the nearby Hughes Chapel was destroyed, the building was sold to the Trustees of Hughes African Methodist Episcopal Chapel in 1955 and later gifted back to the Nause-Waiwash.

Although it is not a traditional long house, it has an enduring connection to the tribe. The trees used in its original construction were grown and milled by Nause-Waiwash ancestors and donated to the church, Chief Abbott said. When the renovations are completed, the long house will be used as a meeting place and for ceremonies.

In 1992, the tribe held their first Native American Festival on Elliott Island. After a couple years there, the festival moved to Andrews for a year or two and then to Sailwinds Park in Cambridge. In 2006, the festival moved to Vienna, close to their old stomping grounds.

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Continuing the traditions of their ancestors - Dorchester Banner - Dorchester Banner