Photo provided by Steven NoltNew Hope Amish School was completed six months after the shooting occurred.

West Nickel Mines Amish School: unique story of forgiveness and healing

When a shooting in a one-room Amish school house inPennsylvania on Oct. 6, 2006 killed five girls and injured five more, the townof West Nickel Mines reacted to the tragedy with a forgiveness, humility andunity rarely seen, especially in the aftermath of a school shooting. Therebuilt school, called New Hope, is a symbol of the values shared by the Amishand their broader Anabaptist community.

One week after the shooting, while members of the community were delivering food to the shooters family, several pupils and their families returned to the school building to retrieve any personal items left behind during the tragedy. Emergency workers had cleaned up the scene as much as possible, but there were bullet holes and broken windows, said Steven Nolt, professor of Anabaptist Studies at Elizabethtown College, in an email interview.

At 10:45 a.m., which was when the shooting had occurred, several boys rang the school bell to mark the moment before they had left the school. The building was demolished soon thereafter.

Soon was just six days later. The school building wasdemolished in the early morning of Oct. 12, 2006 by a non-Amish contractor witha backhoe in less than thirty minutes.The demolition occurred in the darkness just before dawn to preventmedia from capturing pictures of it, said Donald Kraybill, coauthor of a bookof the West Nickel Mines Shooting, in an email interview. By 8 a.m. the last ofthe remains from the school had been removed and the site of the buildingleveled.

The site was converted back to pasture ground (thebuilding had been constructed in 1976 on the edge of a cow pasture). Within twoweeks after the incident, the school then resumed classes in a shop provided byone of the local Amish families. While the students met in the shop building,their parents began planning a fresh site and building for their New HopeSchool.

There was concern that the new school would attract a lotof media attention, which the Nickel Mines community did not want, Noltexplained. These concerns were fueled by the aftermath of the shooting, whenhundreds of reporters and media crews descended on the town of West NickelMines

The community also wanted the new building to reduce therecurrence of traumatic memories for survivors of the shooting. None of thefamilies wanted to send their children back to a building where they hadexperienced extreme violence and trauma, so the decision to demolish the schooland reconstruct elsewhere was obvious, according to Kraybill.

With these concerns and goals, the parents on the schoolboard took the initiative to begin plans for the construction of the newschool.

Under normal circumstances, management decisions for Amishschools are made by their school board, composed of three to five fathers ofthe students. These fathers rotate through the school board as terms arecompleted and new members are elected.

The circumstances are, indeed, unusual: a school board oftraumatized victims fathers who must now plan and build a new school for thechildren who escaped. As Nolt explained, each school board member at WestNickel Mines had at least one child impacted by the shooting.

But, the responsibility was theirs. In a legal sense theschool board owns the school as trustees. Amish schools are not owned by theAmish church, Nolt said. Amish schools are built and maintained by thefamilies in a particular neighborhood for their children, with the day-to-dayupkeep left in the hands of the school board.

So, it was the parents on the school board who took theinitiative. By virtue of their appointment by the community, members of theschool board have wide-ranging authority to make decisions in the best interestof the school, Kraybill said. However, due to the unusual circumstances Isuspect the school board consulted the bishops and pastors in the threecongregational districts whose children attended the school.

One of the more serious responsibilities in dealing with buildings that have had a school shooting is obtaining project funding. For the Amish, this reconstruction funding was orchestrated out of public sight as the Amish prefer. In the days and weeks after the shooting a number of people contacted me wanting to donate for the construction of a new school, said Herman Bontrager in an email interview. Bontrager is a leader in the Mennonite church, which is another branch of Anabaptism similar to the Amish. Bontrager served as a liaison between media and the West Nickel Mines community in the aftermath of the shooting.

The response from the school committee was that they had enough funds to build the school and did not need any donations. They had donations from the Amish community and would use their donated labor and materials, which is typical for the construction of their new schools.

School funding is totally controlled by the school boardwith no intervention by government agencies. The only public influence overschool construction is zoning and land development approvals, Bontrager said.Fortunately, many Amish projects are small, simple, low cost and have minimalland-use impact. There are standard school design plans that have approval bypublic authorities, so the building process is usually quite routine.

Specific amounts related to the cost of the demolition ofthe old building and the construction of the new building could not beobtained. However, a total of $5 million was donated from around the world tocover the medical and rehabilitation costs for the five girls who were injuredduring the shooting, according to Kraybill.

The construction was then begun later that fall by anAmish contractor. The new building has the same dimensions and layout as theprevious building but in a different location relatively close to the originalschool, partially hidden behind a nearby hill to provide more privacy andsecurity.

All Amish schools in Lancaster are built to the samedimensions they have a standard building permit that is used and all schoolsare built with the same layout, Nolt said. However, the exterior of the newschool was different from the original because the style had changed between1976 and 2006/7.

That pattern likely helped the construction of New Hopeschool to be completed just six months after the shooting had occurred Classesbegan in the new building April of 2007.

Today, along the edge of the pasture where the West NickelMines school once stood, stand a row of trees planted by the families of thefive victims. Unmarked, these trees are recognized as a memorial only by thosewho know the history of the site. It is a silent, peaceful, humble memorialthat reflects the desires of the victims families, Kraybill said.

Contact me at: UCCMainstream@yahoo.com

See more here:
West Nickel Mines Amish School: unique story of forgiveness and healing - The Mainstream Online

Its November 2019 and Im standing in an Airbnb in Battersea, south London. But this is not the Airbnb I booked. Everything is slightly, confusingly, off. All the rooms are the wrong sizes, all the furniture in the wrong places. There are hints everywhere that something is up: the apartment block, a barely finished newbuild sandwiched between Battersea Park station and a Catholic church, is teeming with cleaning staff. There are cleaners in the hallways, cleaners lobbing bin bags of rubbish out of the front door, cleaners grabbing armfuls of bed linen in the elevator. Its like a hotel except theres no front desk, and the allegedly clean duvet on my bed has a human-sized, yellow sweat stain running down its centre.

And for checking out...? I ask the cleaner who has let me in, gesturing at the open door of my sparsely decorated apartment. Just leave the key on the table and close the door, she replies. And it will lock behind me? I ask. No, you dont need to lock it. I raise an eyebrow, and she explains that one of the cleaning staff will come and collect the key straight after I leave. So nobody lives here? I say as she steps out of the open door. No I dont think so, she replies, half-laughing.

I close the door, look around the apartment again and open the Airbnb app on my phone. Im a little confused, I write to my host, who goes by the name Robert & Team. The apartment Im in right now isnt the one I booked. Within minutes, a reply: Hi James, Hope all is well. Rest assured that you are at the apartment that you have booked through Airbnb. I reply, explaining that this cant be the case. In the photos on Airbnb, the kitchen had countertops on both sides. The kitchen Im standing in has a countertop on one side only. Theres a hallway where there should be a solid wall. Heck, the whole lounge is completely the wrong shape. Rest assured that you are at the correct property, my host replies, before going silent.

That night, I knock on the doors of the other apartments in the building. At one, three men who have just arrived are trying to work out why there are only two beds when they had booked an apartment with three. As we speak, the cleaner who checked me into my apartment rushes past, her arms filled with fresh linen. At the door of the penthouse, a couple from Newcastle complain about the complete lack of pots and pans in their kitchen. Standing at the open door, I notice something: the artwork on the walls is the same as in my apartment, so are the sofas, table and chairs. At the door of the apartment I had actually booked through Airbnb, the woman staying there explains she is also in the wrong listing. I return to my apartment, open my laptop and click on my hosts Airbnb profile. I count seven listings for the building Im staying in, all with identical furniture, all with the same bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne. I flick back and forth between the listings on Airbnb, the bottle of champagne following me, mockingly. Who or what, I wonder, is Robert & Team?

On Airbnb, it turns out, scams arent just the preserve of lone chancers. As the short-term rental goldrush gathers pace, Airbnb empires are being rapidly scaled and monetised, with professional operators creating scores of fake accounts, fake listings and fake reviews to run rings around Airbnb, local law enforcement and the guests who place their trust in the platform. Reviews from guests paint a grim picture of people who have been tricked into staying in accommodation with blocked drains, broken fixtures and fittings, filthy floors, dirty bed linen or, in some cases, accommodation that they simply did not book.

To squeeze every penny out of these inner-city goldmines, scammers have started outsourcing property management to ill-equipped call centres in the Philippines. The scammers call it systemising, a process of grabbing as many apartments as possible, filling them with identikit furniture, taking professional-looking photographs and then using every trick in the book to turn them into lucrative investments. Some of these tricks, though morally dubious, are perfectly legal. But others breach both Airbnbs policies and local planning laws, while also putting the safety of guests at risk. As Vice found in October 2019, Airbnb is littered with fake and downright dodgy listings. But in London, where Airbnb enforces an annual 90-day limit on all entire homes listed on its platform, scammers have made a mockery of lax enforcement both by regulators and Airbnb itself, by turning entire new-build apartment blocks into de facto hotels designed for the short-term rental market. And the problem is far worse than anyone realises.

A number of the Airbnb listings in Battersea, complete with identical furniture. In reviews, guests complain of being put in apartments they did not book

Airbnb/WIRED

My Airbnb host, Robert & Team, started out life on another Airbnb account, currently using the name Leon. Today, Leon claims to be a 30-year-old dancer living in London, but in August 2012 he was a man called Christian living in Munich. My girlfriend and I stayed in Christians room for quite a few weeks, reads a review from a man called Gary. Christian was a great host and even though he was staying elsewhere (since the room you stay in was his own), he still came back to check we were OK. Christian was equally pleased with his choice of guest. Gary and his girlfriend were wonderful guests, he wrote. They took great care of my apartment, have always stayed in good contact with me and looked after my cat very well when I did not have time. The story of my host, I would come to realise, was also the story of Airbnb. From sharing economy dream to scam economy nightmare. From renting out his own room in Munich, to turning a south London apartment block into a hotel, hiding in plain sight on Airbnb.

It was in November 2016 that Christian suddenly became Leon. And then things started getting weird. A month later a man called Peter from Horsham left Leon a glowing review. I had an amazing experience, the flat is in immaculate conditions, Peter wrote. A reverse image search of Peters Airbnb profile picture shows that it is, in fact, a misappropriated photo of Pietro Labriola, chief executive of Brazilian wireless carrier TIM Participacoes. And Peter has left a lot of very nice reviews of Leons Airbnb listings. In January 2017, Peter was back, this time praising one of Leons listings in London for being very nice, adding that the hosts was very nice and responsive to all request.

It wasnt just Leons listings that Peter loved. In November 2017, he reviewed a listing from my Airbnb host, Robert & Team, near Londons Borough Market. Magnificent! he wrote. I enjoyed the stay and it was excellent positioned for my points of interest, he enthused. Peters Airbnb profile has since been deleted. Earlier that month, an Airbnb user called Elaine was equally impressed: I am 150% satisfied! this place is even better than i expected! Unlike Peter, Elaines Airbnb profile is still active and shows that she has been reviewed by just two Airbnb hosts: Robert & Team and Leon. Both left exactly the same review: A perfetc guest, very reliable and nice. Highly recomend! Would be happy to host again!! That exact same review was also left by Leon for an Airbnb user called Alex, who back in 2017 was known as Elena.

Alex Cosmin also loves one of Leons listings. "I highly recommend Leons place," he wrote in October 2018. His Airbnb profile shows that he has also stayed at another listing run by Leon, two run by Robert & Team and one run by a host called Elaine & Team. All these host profiles have a few things in common: they all use stock photography as their profile pictures, and they all use similar text in their bios. Before long, a network of connected host accounts emerges. As well as Robert & Team, Leon and Elaine & Team, theres also Eveline, Natalia, Felly, Robert Lusso Management and Alex. Airbnb listings hosted by these accounts are littered with fake reviews. As well as Peter, Elaine and Alex Cosmin (whose profile picture has actually been misappropriated from the casting page of a model called Alexandru Mitrache, and who also appears on LinkedIn as a Guest Service Agent at a company called CB Platinum Apartments), theres Florica (who appears on LinkedIn as General Operations Manager at CB Platinum), Igor, Anton, and Julliana. These accounts have only booked themselves into listings from the network of host accounts I had uncovered, and they all left glowing reviews. Between them, they have received over 2,100 reviews on 200 listings, most of them in London.

All of these accounts are essentially one person, or at least one company. And yet they have all passed Airbnbs account verification and safety processes, with most supplying government identification, selfies, email addresses and phone numbers. Two of these accounts, though, are more closely connected than the rest: Leon and Robert Lusso Management. And thats because they both used to be called Christian.

Robert Lusso Management (lusso being Italian for luxury) joined Airbnb in 2016. His first review from an Airbnb host was in September of that year. Christian was a great guest. I would recommend him to all hosts, reads the review from Elaine & Team. A month later, Robert Lusso Management, n Christian, stayed at another of Elaines listings (Great guest. I would fully recommend christian to stay !). He then stayed with a lady called Karen (Charming couple a pleasure to host. Even my dogs loved them.), before staying with Robert & Team (Christian was a great guest. All easy and smooth.) and then Leon (I HIGHLY recommend Christian as a guest for airbnb.). Then, in February 2017, Christian becomes Robert. Rob is an amazing guest, reads a review from Elaine & Team, which is followed by three reviews from Robert & Team. The first review for a listing hosted by Robert & Team is also from Robert Lusso Management. To be honest it was hard to leave the house today. I would like to stay there! I will come back - for sure! Robert Lusso Management wrote in October 2016 about his stay in a now-deleted Airbnb listing.

Among a sea of Airbnb profiles, one thing seems clear: whoever is behind this is probably called Christian. Or Robert. I scroll through my inbox, remembering that when I booked my Airbnb I had been spammed with emails from a management company. That company, Continental Apartments, had offered to upsell me, among other things, a portable air conditioner (from 15), an additional set of linen (from 35), a highchair (from 16.67), an airbed (from 127.78) and a London Cheese Experience (from 25). A company number listed on the website of Continental Apartments (which is embellished with reviews from delighted clients Lance K, Annie G, Joel S, Marcellus N the profile pictures of whom have all been taken from stock photo libraries) leads to a firm called Lusso Management, which was founded in May 2018 by a German man called Christian Robert Baumann.

I had, finally, found my Christian. And my Robert. But Id also found something else. A scam, co-ordinated across a number of Airbnb accounts, encompassing hundreds of listings and thousands of reviews. Many of the reviews and host profiles are fake or misleading, and, in some cases, the properties listed dont exist. In one instance, pictures on a listing in London Bridge are mirrored versions of the pictures used on another. The bottle of wine on the counter, the microwave and the washing machine are all, curiously, backwards. Two other listings, which appear to be from the same building, again use the mirroring trick to flip the lounge, bedroom and kitchen.

And, at its centre, is the scams crowning glory: what has materialised into a secret hotel built for short-term rentals. That building, planning documents reveal, has 24 units. When I look on Airbnb, I find 28 listings, each a confusing hodgepodge of all the others the pictures, descriptions and property names (Ideal Penthouse+Private Terrace next2 Chelsea9859, Luxurious&Spacious 2bed Penthouse in Battersea9858, Mesmerizing 2bed Apartment in Battersea 9879) blending into one. Some of these apartments dont exist. When I had booked my night in Battersea I had simply been chucked in any available apartment, likely to help the hosts max out the buildings occupancy rate and dodge around Londons 90-day law.

Continental Apartments also lists its properties on other short-term rental sites. The entire building in Battersea appears twice on Booking.com (though one of these listings is no longer active), once on Expedia, and a single apartment is listed on Vrbo. In total, Continental Apartments has 61 properties on Booking.com and dozens on Expedia. Many of the companys listings on Booking.com and Expedia are the same as those listed on Airbnb. Londons 90-day rule applies across all platforms, but theres little to stop hosts from listing the same properties multiple times.

Duplicate listings are not allowed on Airbnb. Nor are fake listings for apartments that dont exist. Airbnb hosts are also not allowed to delete and re-list properties after they attract too many negative reviews. Nor are individual accounts or groups of accounts allowed to engage in potentially fraudulent activity. The accounts I had uncovered were seemingly in breach of all of these Airbnb terms and had been for a number of years. But, as I dug deeper, things got stranger still.

Two Airbnb listings use the same images but mirror them so they appear different. Here, the kitchen on the right is backwards

Airbnb/WIRED

On LinkedIn, Christian Baumann describes himself as an incredible driven individual. In November 2014, he founded London CBP, which, according to the companys website and LinkedIn page, worked with investors and local councils to provide short term, long term and emergency accommodation to Councils and Housing Associations in the UK. In April 2018, Baumann shifted his attention to the far more lucrative Airbnb short-term rental market. His LinkedIn page boasts up to 300% better return on investment from listing on Airbnb compared with long-term lettings. Records held by Companies House give Baumanns address and the address of Continental Apartments as a Regus virtual office near London Bridge. On other entries, Baumanns address is listed as a flat near Farringdon. A Google search for the address brings up a short-term rental listing. The photos bear a striking resemblance to one of the Airbnb listings hosted by Elaine & Team, with the layout of the flat, the artwork on the walls and the decor matching almost perfectly.

In an attempt to find out more about my Airbnb booking, I call up a London number listed on the Continental Apartments website, which redirects me to a call centre where a distant-sounding voice with a nondescript North American accent asks how they can help. I hang up and call the UK mobile phone number listed on my Airbnb booking. I get through to the same call centre. The same operative picks up. I ask where they are from. Im not allowed to disclose that information, the operative, who gives her name as Lovely, tells me. Lovely, though, is able to read the Airbnb messages I exchanged with Robert & Team. I ask to speak to Robert, saying I have a complaint about the Airbnb listing I stayed in recently. Lovely says she can message the team and let them know weve spoken. Ill tell them that you called so Robert can speak to you, she says, before hanging up on me mid-sentence.

I call another number, this one listed on the website of CB Platinum (the CB presumably standing for Christian Baumann), another name used for Continental Apartments but actually the same company. A slightly different automated message plays and, once again, Lovely picks up the phone. I say hello, and she immediately hangs up. I call another number listed for CB Platinum. Again I get through to Lovely. Before she can hang up I ask, again, to speak to Robert. Youll have to wait ten minutes because hes not here yet," she says, brusquely. Im put on hold, and after ten minutes she hangs up on me again. I call again. Lovely picks up again. When I suggest that, perhaps, Robert doesnt exist, Lovely gets angry. He does exist! How could you suggest he doesnt exist?! she says. Im looking for someone to speak to you since Robert isnt here. She puts me on hold for ten minutes and then tells me to hang up so someone can call me back.

Seconds later, much to my surprise, my mobile phone rings. I had called Lovely from a different line and had never given her my mobile number. When I ask who Im speaking to, the man, who also has a nondescript North American accent, gives his name as Russell. So youre not Robert? I ask. There is a long pause. I dont think we have anybody by that name, Russell replies, before explaining that hes a senior customer relations manager and that hed like to help me. I explain that I was put in a listing that I did not book. But its the same location, Russell says after checking the details of my booking. There are a lot of apartments that we have in Battersea, he adds.

Russell explains that the company I booked through has a call centre in the Philippines. When I ask where he is, he tells me hes from the London team. When I ask him if hes actually in London, he dodges the question. When I ask him what the time is in London, theres a long, awkward pause. "You are speaking to someone who is part of our team, he says. He offers me a five per cent discount on any future booking made with the company a tactic Ive seen used countless times in responses to negative reviews for Airbnb listings from Continental Apartments. I ask him, if Robert doesnt exist, who I was exchanging messages with on Airbnb. Based on what Im seeing, you were speaking to two different people, he explains. I ask him, again, if hes actually in London. Weve been on the phone for almost an hour, and Russell, though patient, is starting to sound annoyed. Im not going to do that because now I dont know if you are who you say you are, he says.

Some days later, I phone Continental Apartments again and explain that I am a journalist and need to speak to Baumann. The Filipino operative hangs up on me and blocks my number. I try again from a different line and the same happens. I try a third time and am blocked again. I send an email to CB Platinum asking to speak to Baumann and never receive a reply. I add Baumann on Facebook and LinkedIn he either doesnt see my requests or ignores them.

Leon's profile as it appeared on Airbnb. Until November 2016 the account used the name Christian

Airbnb/WIRED

Its at this point that I discover a link to the Catholic Church. In July 2015, the Southwark Roman Catholic Diocesan Corporation sold a 250-year lease for a sliver of land to PE Mount Carmel, a partnership between property developer Portchester Estates and Glyn Watkin Jones, the chairman of one of Britains largest construction firms. In late 2017, planning permission was approved for the construction of 24 residential units a mix of one-and two-bed apartments in a yellow-brick building with a distinctive, steep-pitched roof. A local residents group protested about the lack of affordable housing in the development, but these complaints were dismissed by planning officers because of the buildings location. The church saw the project as a great boon. A new development on parish land will fund much needed facilities for our parish, read an update posted on its website.

During construction, a hoarding outside the site teased, Coming Soon Luxury Apartments. An artists impression of the building shows it brimming with life, with people relaxing on its sun-drenched balconies and walking through its wisteria-draped grounds. Work was completed in the spring of 2019, after which PE Mount Carmel leased all 24 units in the building to Urban Stay, a serviced accommodation company. And Urban Stay handed over the management of these units to Christian Baumann. Could it be that the building in Battersea that I booked through Airbnb was being used for a single, rather more dubious purpose to make a killing off short-term rentals?

When I phone the Archdiocese of Southwark, which runs the church that owns the land on which apartments were built, Im put through to Chris Millington, the churchs property manager. He explains that the diocese hoped to have transferred the freehold to the developer some time ago. This, he explains, would have removed the church from documents relating to the land. But delays in the construction process, and other problems, meant the church still owned the land. Millington described the churchs continued presence on the land registry documents as quite annoying. When I explain that the building is being run as a de facto Airbnb hotel, he says my findings are interesting. But, he says, with the impending transfer of the freehold, the church will soon be out of the picture. Making sure that planning is at it should be is not our responsibility, he adds. Nevertheless, he refers to the situation as a very complicated story.

That story is further complicated when I speak to James Swift, co-founder of Urban Stay, the firm that has a five-year lease on the 24 apartments in Battersea. Swift explains that his company has zero involvement in the building, and that management of it has been assigned to another company, which he refuses to name. When I ask if the apartments in the building should be listed on Airbnb, he sounds confused. We dont list anything on Airbnb or anything like that. We have direct relationships with companies and relocation companies. Those are our clients. (I would later find an Airbnb profile for Urban Stay, which has 28 listings. Swift did not respond to subsequent questions about his Airbnb profile.)

When I explain that I have stayed in the building for one night and booked my stay through Airbnb, there is a long pause. Really? Swift replies. The understanding I have with them is that this is not allowed. I need to find out whats going on. Im a little bit surprised, he says. I again ask him to share the name of the management company running the building, and again he refuses. When I explain the full scope of the scam the duplicate listings, the fake reviews, the call centre customer service Swift says he is absolutely shocked, adding that this would likely be a breach of his agreement with the management company. When I ask if the names Christian Baumann, CB Platinum or Continental Apartments ring a bell, Swift sighs. Yes, he says, before reluctantly confirming that the management company is CB Platinum, and the man he has been dealing with is Baumann. In a follow-up email, I send Swift links to the 28 Airbnb listings created by Baumanns company. I also ask him to share any contact details he has for Baumann. Swift never replies, and the listings are not deleted.

Another Airbnb listing managed by CB Platinum that uses the mirrored-image trick. Such tactics can be used to make short-term London rentals available for longer than the 90-day limit

Airbnb/WIRED

When Baumann founded Lusso Management in May 2018 he wasnt working alone. In fact, Baumann resigned as director in September of that year and was replaced by a man called Alex Milburn, who had previously been company secretary. (The pair also founded a company called World Short Stay in February 2018, which has a number of listings that have since been rebranded under the name Continental Apartments. Records held by Companies House show that accounts for World Short Stay are overdue and that the company may soon be struck off the register.) Millburn, like Baumann, is behind a smattering of property investment firms. But unlike Baumann, who has next to no online profile, Milburn sees himself as something of a property investment celebrity. He stars in YouTube videos where he explains how, with very little, or none of your own money, you can create a six figure income using his genius property investment strategy.

His strategy is this: take out a small loan, or use your own money, to negotiate deals with landlords that guarantee them market rent for, say, three years. Then, rather than renting properties out to long-term tenants, you kit them out with hotel-like amenities, list them on Airbnb and Booking.com and charge a higher nightly rate. The profit, Milburn explains, is yours to keep. According to some estimates, the yield someone can make from listing a property on Airbnb is between three and five times what they would receive from a long-term tenant.

Milburn is also behind the Serviced Accommodation Specialist Club, where he offers one-on-one mentorship classes priced at 1,100 per day, or two-day group courses for 1,598. The courses, according to the companys website, reveal how to outsource, systemise and automate every aspect of running a serviced accommodation, or short-term rental, business. When I speak to Milburn on the phone, posing as a potential client for his mentorship scheme, he explains that barriers such as Londons 90-day rule are of little concern. These big, multi-billion pound companies, they just ignore this [London] 90-day rule because its basically impossible for the authorities to police, he says. Think about it without standing outside an apartment and ticking off each day that someones stayed, its impossible for the authorities to police the rule. Thats why everyone just ignores it, basically.

And the process of getting around any enforcement, Milburn explains, is laughably easy. You get three months through Booking.com, three months through Airbnb, three months through Expedia, and three months through direct bookings, Milburn says. In London, it is against the law to rent out homes on a short-term basis for more than 90 days a year, regardless of the platform they are listed on. On Airbnb, once a London listing reaches 90 days it cannot be booked. But Milburn explains the law and Airbnbs systems are easy to dodge if you know how. There are certain ways round it, but that comes down to industry knowledge and tricks of the trade, he teases. Youve just got to know how and when to get around it. I ask what one of those tricks might be. Some people have two Airbnb accounts, Milburn explains. Or, in the case of the scam Im following, more than a dozen. Milburn tells me that he has quite a lot of units in London.

But some of what Milburn details is simply sharp practice, rather than a breach of the law. He describes the serviced accommodation business as fast paced and sexy and says that he has never set foot in many of the properties in his portfolio, with their management handled by a team of contractors based in the Philippines who work full-time and are paid 100 a week. Once its all set up and in place and you know where to find these Filipino workers, how to train them, all this sort of stuff thats when you can set things in motion and step back. One Airbnb listing managed by Elaine & Team, an account used by Baumanns company, includes images watermarked with Lusso Managements logo. The listing is also in Sheffield, where Milburn is based. Two listings on Milburns own Airbnb host profile are co-hosted by Felly and Leon, two of the profiles with links to Baumann.

On his Facebook and LinkedIn pages, Milburn evangelises about his property investment strategy and posts photos of himself driving luxury cars and working topless beside sun-drenched swimming pools. Referring to the use of duplicate listings to get around Londons 90-day rule, I ask him if hes worried about getting caught by either Airbnb or local councils. The councils have tried, he says. But I think there are 54,000 serviced apartments in Greater London. Even if there were [only] 5,000 they wouldnt have the resources to be able to manage it, so thats not a big worry for me, he says. Serviced accommodation is completely unregulated, almost. Its unbelievably unregulated.

My experience backs that up. After I spent the night in the de facto Airbnb hotel in Battersea I reported the building to Edward Appah, a senior planning enforcement officer at Wandsworth Council. An investigation was launched, but, after seeing tenancy agreements for the flats, all of which exceeded six months, the council ruled that all the units remained in lawful use and that no breach of planning control [had] occurred. I sent Appah links to several Airbnb listings for apartments in the building many of which had several recent guest reviews and asked him how the units could have both long-term tenants and be advertised as available to rent on Airbnb. The management agents have informed me that they have not placed the advertisement and were not aware of it until I brought it to their attention, Appah wrote in an emailed reply. I have suggested to them to investigate it and ensure that they are removed in order to prevent any confusion in future. Many of the listings were deleted only to appear again a short while later on different Airbnb accounts, complete with different titles, descriptions and photos.

Claire Fallows, a partner at legal firm Charles Russell Speechlys, specialises in planning law and describes this decision as interesting. While not wishing to comment in detail on a specific case, Fallows tells me that any planning enforcement decision is down to an interpretation of the evidence available. It sounds like there are flagrant breaches of planning control going on and so the question is getting the authorities to do something about it, she says. There is the 90-day letting limit, which does provide some degree of clarity in London, but if its not being enforced, then clearly that does give cause for concern where there have been flagrant breaches of it. When I ask, based on the details I have given her, how serious such a breach might be, Fallows says it does seem extreme.

A review left by Zo Buckman, an artist and photographer married to Friends star David Schwimmer. This place is unsafe! she wrote in January of this year

Airbnb/WIRED

Then, out of nowhere, David Schwimmers wife gets involved. Zo Buckman, the British artist and photographer who has been married to the Friends star since 2010, stayed in one of Robert & Teams listings in London in January of this year. This place is unsafe! Buckman, who confirmed via email that the Airbnb account was hers, wrote in her review of a two-bedroom apartment near Londons Liverpool Street. Me and my 8 year old daughter experienced violence and harassment from a man on the ground floor, and the hosts did nothing to help protect us. We fled because of the threats and they refused to refund us, the review continues. The apartment smells horrible and the common areas are a total mess, but ultimately its a dangerous environment and women and children should not go any where near it. Do not expect any understanding or care from the hosts. Buckman did not respond to a request to comment further on her review. But her poor experience is just one of many.

While a lot of reviews for Airbnb listings managed by Continental Apartments and CB Platinum are positive guests are often delighted by the locations of such apartments, many of which are right in the centre of London theres a drip feed of concerningly negative reviews. A review of a listing managed by Robert & Team left by Claire in February 2017 is fairly typical. She complains that the windows in the apartment did not close, that the electricity went off for a whole day because nobody had paid the bills, and that one of the toilets was blocked. But none of these comments relate to the Airbnb Claire actually booked. As we couldnt stay in the place chosen initially, we stayed in Islington, she writes. We had agreed on a discount for the disagreement. The team accused us of blocking the toilet and refused to refund any money. I just think this team cannot be trusted.

Other guests of Robert & Team claim that they were asked to lie to anyone in the building who asked who they were. Others say they were sent messages encouraging them to leave five-star reviews in exchange for a 15 per cent discount on future bookings. Others complain of convoluted check-in processes, non-existent blinds at bedroom windows, broken furniture, terrible smells and non-responsive hosts. One review of Robert & Team, left by Ahmed in October 2019, claims that the host subjected their guests to racist abuse. Said we had knives with us because of our race, he wrote. A response from Robert & Team claims Ahmed partied inside the listing, adding that every host should be aware of this guest and think a lot of times before allowing him to stay at your place.

Lea, who stayed in a Robert & Team Airbnb listing in August 2019, opens her review by explaining she is rating it one star only because zero stars isnt an option. She complains of a filthy apartment, with dog hair and human hair everywhere, dirty bathrooms, dirty floors, and three bales of stinking wet towels and linens from previous tenants stuffed under the couch where we were supposed to be sleeping. Lea also writes that the kitchen sink wouldnt drain and that one of the showers was broken. We waited around all afternoon on our first day in London for maintenance, but no one ever came despite my repeated inquiries. Each day of our stay we were told that maintenance would come, but they never did. Towards the end of their stay, the other shower broke.

In September 2019, Brandi, whose Airbnb profile says she is from North Carolina, booked her and her husband into an Airbnb listing managed by Robert & Team as part of their honeymoon in London. We were sorely dissatisfied, her review reads. The entire apartment looks as if someone had just vacated the unit and this property manager threw in some cheap furniture to rent it out. She adds that the sheets were so filthy they were unable to sleep under them. When she complained, the host failed to provide clean linen. Overall, this was a terrible experience, we canceled the rest of our trip and booked a new AirBnB.

Other guests complain of being unable to find lockboxes to gain access to the apartment they booked, leaving them stranded on the streets of London in the middle of the night with a host who wont respond. Others claim they were cancelled on at the last minute. Theyve cancelled the booking less than 24 hour prior arrival during the night. I woke up finding out we had to flight to London in few hours with not place where to stay. Outrageous, reads a review left by Allesandra in September 2019. Last year, Robert & Team received 26 similarly negative reviews.

A bottle of champagne cropped up time and time again in Airbnb listings for the building in Battersea that had been turned into a de facto hotel

Airbnb/WIRED

When I alert Airbnb to the scam, it suspends all listings and host accounts linked to Baumann and Continental Apartments. We have zero tolerance for any attempt to evade our systems, a spokesperson says, adding that such issues are extremely rare. But measuring the scale of this problem is impossible. Following the Vice expos of scam listings in the United States, Airbnb said it would review every single listing and host on its platform. In an email titled In The Business Of Trust that was sent to employees and later published on its website, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said that all listings and hosts would be verified for accuracy and quality standards. Whats left behind, given Airbnbs pledge to take the matter seriously, may be a very different service indeed: more spare rooms and real homes, and fewer high-yield investment opportunities filled with identikit furniture.

It wont be an easy task. Take London as an example. Research by London Councils, a body that represents local authorities in the capital, found that one in every 50 homes in the city are listed on platforms such as Airbnb. Across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London there were 73,549 entire homes listed on online platforms in December 2019 alone. Globally, Airbnb has more than seven million listings, a huge network built almost entirely on the flimsy notion of trust.

According to Inside Airbnb, a service that scrapes Airbnb to shine a light on the platforms impact on cities around the world, there are an estimated 36,964 listings on Airbnb in London that are listed by a host with at least one other listing. While Airbnb presents itself as a sharing economy company, the business of hosting is becoming increasingly systemised and professionalised, with critics arguing that businesses are able to make huge sums of money at the expense of local residents who are unable to access properties locked away by the short-term rental gold rush.

So what, if anything, can be done about it? To date, attempts to adequately regulate and police Airbnb listings have been spasmodic at best, leading to a patchwork of confusing, siloed approaches. In December 2019, more concerted regulation efforts were dealt a blow when the European Court of Justice ruled that Airbnb was an information society service, not a real estate agency. Such rulings mean that cities must continue to act alone with mixed success.

Darren Rodwell, London Councils executive member for housing and planning, says the capitals short-term rental market is utterly out of control and that the situation is creating drastic implications for housing stock. Its hugely concerning to hear about the scams taking place, he says. Against the sheer number of rogue listings, he argues, officials are fighting a losing battle. Rodwell believes it is now essential that the government legislate to create a mandatory registration scheme for short-term rentals.

Its a common request, but one that Airbnb continues to dodge, citing privacy issues relating to GDPR if it were to make listings data available to regulators. But academics and planning experts say that having access to this data would, at the very least, make it possible for officials to know what properties are being rented out short term, by whom and for how many days a year. At present, Rodwell says, the law in the UK isnt fit for purpose. As a result, the citys councils are fighting an increasingly difficult battle with rapidly decreasing resources. Since 2010, they have had their budgets cut by 63 per cent. Against tens of thousands of short-term rental listings, Londons boroughs have just a handful of planning officers working on enforcement.

One academic specialising in urban planning, who does not want to be named, says that large-scale abuse of Airbnbs policies and local planning laws is alarmingly common. Entire buildings have been turned into de facto hotels, the academic explains. Weve heard stories of local investors, sometimes foreign investors, coming in and buying an entire building, throwing out the remaining tenants, sometimes through intimidation, doing up properties and turning the whole building into holiday flats. The academic says they have seen instances of this in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Lisbon. They describe the scam I have uncovered in London as among the most elaborate they have heard of.

The key issue for regulators, the academic explains, is Airbnbs refusal to open up its platform to scrutiny. Echoing Rodwells call for some form of short-term rental registration system, the academic says that without access to data nothing will change. And access to data will only come about, they argue, once we have better laws to govern companies like Airbnb. Its the data that you need to govern the city, to regulate, to do urban planning. And Airbnb refuses to give this data, which makes it impossible for policymakers to effectively measure and monitor the phenomenon, let alone regulate it.

That lack of transparency is giving scammers a place to hide and prosper. Yet, for many, this is what Airbnb has become: a thin sharing-economy veneer hiding a vast slurry of unscrupulous profiteers. In Toronto, they call them ghost hotels; in Prague, they are distributed hotels; in the industry they are known as systemised Airbnb listings. But to Airbnb, they are homes a chance to stay in unique, authentic places on a platform powered by local hosts. Airbnb claims that it promotes people-to-people connection, community and trust, but, after months of trying, the only people-to-people connection Ive found involves being lied to and then hung up on by call centre workers in the Philippines.

Then, days before this story is due to be published, Baumann accepts my LinkedIn invitation. I send him a message, which he sees but doesnt reply to. But being connected on LinkedIn lets you see the other persons contact details. I send Baumann an email, telling him I would like to ask him some questions. He replies, saying he is currently traveling and will respond to my email as soon as he gets it. I send a long list of questions. Baumann doesnt respond. In his email signature are two phone numbers. I call a London number and select an option to speak to property management. A man with a British accent picks up the phone. I say my name and he hangs up immediately. I call a second number, Baumanns mobile, which goes straight to voicemail. Crackling down the phone line I, at last, hear his voice. Im sorry. Im currently not available, the prerecorded message tells me. Still yearning for a people-to-people connection, I ask Baumann to get back in touch with me. I am still waiting for his reply.

James Temperton is WIRED's digital editor. He tweets from @jtemperton

Why do modern tomatoes taste so bad?

How Tesla became the world's most overvalued car company

Marvel at the incredible real-life Iron Man

How Slack ruined work

Follow WIRED on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Get The Email from WIRED, your no-nonsense briefing on all the biggest stories in technology, business and science. In your inbox every weekday at 12pm sharp.

by entering your email address, you agree to our privacy policy

Thank You. You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter. You will hear from us shortly.

Sorry, you have entered an invalid email. Please refresh and try again.

Link:
I stumbled across a huge Airbnb scam that's taking over London - Wired.co.uk

Rick Steves, Special to USA TODAY Published 7:00 a.m. ET Feb. 11, 2020 | Updated 7:45 a.m. ET Feb. 11, 2020

Brexit has officially happened, the UK is now no longer part of Europe, and when it comes to traveling not much is going to change at first. Buzz60

Britain, even while engulfed in Brexit politics, is constantly investing in renovations and first-class exhibits to share its heritage and, in so many ways, Britain's heritage is linked to ours.

While many travelers are understandably curious about how Brexit is affecting tourists, from my experience. it isn't, at least not yet. But even if Britain ends up taking an abrupt exit from the EU, I don't expect American travelers to face any significant disruptions. The only impact I've found is that the country is cheaper for visitors (with the pound weaker than it's been in a while) and that the tourism industry seems to appreciate visitors even more than usual. (And, for those who like to talk politics, the topic is a fascinating conversation starter.)

Here's a rundown on the latest for travelers going to Britain in 2020:

Timed-entry tickets and advance reservations are becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe, as popular sights grapple with growing crowds. Britain is no exception. Book early for anything involving the royal family, like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey.(Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)

Timed-entry tickets and advance reservations are becoming increasingly popular throughout Europe, as popular sights grapple with growing crowds.

More than ever, it's worth considering booking advance tickets especially in peak season for some of London's top sights: theChurchill War Rooms,Houses of Parliament,St. Paul's Cathedral,Tower of London,London Eye, any West End play you're set on seeing, and the newest addition inside Westminster Abbey, theQueen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries(which offers nice views of the nave and a small museum with objects from royal ceremonies).

If you want to see Stonehenge, plan ahead and book tour tickets in advance.(Photo: Aijaz Rahi/AP)

Beyond London, it's also good to book ahead for visits toStonehenge,Tintagel Castle, theLennon and McCartney homesin Liverpool, and anyEdinburgh Festivalperformances.

Kensington Palace, where current royals like Prince William and Duchess Kate lay their heads is the site of some construction work. The famous tea service has been moved from the Orangery (which is undergoing a multi-year restoration) to the Palace Pavilion.(Photo: TonyBaggett/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Several London sights are temporarily closed for renovations this year. The Orangery at Kensington Palace is undergoing a multi-year restoration. During this time, its famous tea service will be hosted at the equally elegantKensington Palace Pavilion.

The Courtauld Gallery, which exhibits medieval to Post-Impressionist paintings, will remain closed until 2021.

Dove Cottage, the Lake District home of English poet William Wordsworth's home, will reopen asWordsworth Grasmerethis spring to mark his 250th birthday.(Photo: AndyRoland/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

TheMuseum of the Home(formerly known as the Geffrye Museum), which covers the history of making, keeping, and being at home over the past 400 years, will reopen this summer after a thorough renovation.

In England's idyllic Lake District, poet William Wordsworth's home Dove Cottage is currently closed for restoration. It will reopen asWordsworth Grasmerethis spring, marking his 250th birthday, with updated museum exhibits.

Elsewhere in England, several big sights are undergoing changes. AtCanterbury Cathedral the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion a new welcome center complex, with an info desk and viewing gallery, is set to open this spring. But in 2020, visitors are still likely to see scaffolding and some missing stained glass, as the church's multiyear structural restoration isn't due to wrap up till next year.

A new steel footbridge joins the two parts of Cornwall's Tintagel Castle, which is said to be the birthplace of King Arthur.(Photo: Fonrimso/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Cornwall's dramaticTintagel Castle, where King Arthur was supposedly born, now requires timed-entry tickets, which are best booked ahead at busy times. The castle also has a new steel footbridge that spans the chasm between the two parts of the castle (once joined by a natural land bridge that collapsed several centuries ago).

Visitors using London's underground will notice construction for Crossrail, the first new line since 1999. However, the new line's debut has been pushed back to 2021.(Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The big transportation news in London is the construction of the first new underground line since 1999: the 73-mile longElizabeth line, a.k.a. Crossrail, which promises to relieve congestion on some of London's main Tube lines, while providing a faster public-transit option to Heathrow Airport. This year travelers will see plenty of construction underway, but no new trains the project's completion has been pushed back (again) to next year.

And a promised improvement in international train travel direct Eurostar train service from Amsterdam to London is also delayed beyond 2020. (Until then, travelers need to change in Brussels for passport control.) At least travelers going in the other direction,from London to Amsterdam, do already have direct-train options (three direct trains per day).

Scotland's second-biggest city, Glasgow, is making its city center including the shopping thoroughfare of Sauchiehall Street friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists with wider sidewalks, bike lanes and seating. But to help cut back on traffic, parking and bus routes are being reduced on some streets.(Photo: blackjake, Getty Images)

Scotland is also busy spiffing up its sights. TheScottish National Galleryin Edinburgh is currently undergoing a major renovation. A new main entrance recently opened, and construction on a bigger and better gallery space for its core collection of Scottish art is in the works.

Scotland's second city of Glasgow is working on improvements to its city center. For instance, Sauchiehall Street, a shopping street that cuts through the heart of the city, and a few surrounding streets have been revamped with wider sidewalks, more trees and seating, and improved bike lanes to make them more cycle- and pedestrian-friendly. To help cut back on traffic, parking and bus routes are being reduced on some streets.

An interesting side effect of Brexit is a renewed push in Scotland to consider a future apart from England (as Scotland was overwhelmingly in favor of remaining in the European Union). It's a good idea to read up on all of this before traveling to Scotland so you'll be able to keep up with potential pub mates.

In Britain, as anywhere in your travels, if you equip yourself with good information and then use it, you'll get more out of your vacation time and money. That's especially true in 2020.

Going to Italy this year? Here's what you need to know, like which tours to book early

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2020/02/11/united-kingdom-whats-new-2020-how-brexit-impacting-tourism/4713803002/

Continue reading here:
Traveling to the UK post-Brexit? Here's what you need to know before you go - USA TODAY

ST. GEORGE (ABC4 News) Tuesday marks exactly three months since the St. George Temple, the longest-operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, closed for a major renovation inside and out for necessary safety and energy-efficient upgrades.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed the 142-year-old temple in November of 2019 for renovations to make it safer and more functional while preserving as much of the original craftsmanship as possible, according to a news release. Project managers announced the first phase of the construction, removing all of the 20th-century additions to the building, is well underway.

One of the aspects of this project is preserving the original building as it stands right now, said Eric Jamison, project manager. The structure of the building is in fantastic condition given its age. Despite its age, the temple has endured very well.

Some system upgrades will be made to the temple, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, according to church representatives.

The first phase of this project really has been removing all the 20th-century additions to this building, said Emily Utt, historic site curator for the Church. So, for the first time in 100 years, were able to see where the original door openings were in this building, what the floor plan was, what the paint colors were.

Construction crews have removed the 1970s era north entrance and west addition that will more closely match the original architecture of the historic temple once rebuilt. On the west side of the building, contractors unveiled an exterior window hidden from view for more than 40 years.

Its a really exciting process to see the work and craftsmanship that these people had back then, said Jamison.

Salvaging removed materials for recycling, piles from cement to steel are sorted and loaded, hauled away to recycling plants where almost everything will be re-purposed, church officials said.

The completion date for the entire renovation is anticipated in 2022. Following a public open house, the temple will be rededicated.

Continued here:
St. George Temple renovation hits three month mark, massive construction underway - ABC 4

FALLS CHURCH, VA Falls Church City Council will make final considerations on Monday, Feb. 10 before the Mary Riley Styles Public Library expansion and renovation project can move forward. Council must approve a budget amendment and the awarding of the construction contract for the project.

If Council approves those items, the library will announce the schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 11 for closing and reopening in the temporary location. During the renovation project, the library will move its collection to trailers at Jefferson Elementary School, 601 South Oak Street. Construction is expected to last 12 to 14 months, or February 2020 through May 2021.

The relocation will take two to three weeks and require the library to be closed during this time. It will likely move during February or March. The temporary location will remain open through spring or summer 2021, when the renovated library will open.

The renovation project will bring an addition and numerous changes to the library. The main level will have an addition for its adult fiction section. The nonfiction section, 10 computers, adult reading room, local history room and conference room. The children's and teen area will be on the lower level. Plans for this level include an early literacy zone, school age children zone, teen collection area, teen room and 180-person large conference room with a sink and projector. Library members can expect more tables and chairs next to windows with charging outlets.

The library's website says the renovation and expansion project will address growth in membership, ADA deficiencies, infrastructure repairs or replacements, storage and security measures, public restroom space and the need for larger meeting space. The library's board also recommended separating the adult area and children's areas on different levels.

See more information about the expansion project and temporary location questions and answers.

More:
Final Vote Would Allow Falls Church Library Renovation To Begin - Patch.com

BALTIMORE (WJZ) The Office of Inspector General has found that Baltimore City Comptroller Joan Pratt had a conflict of interest when voting to give city-owned lots to a church in the Upton community.

In 2017, the Board of Estimates voted to sell 15 vacant lots, valued at $1,000 each, for $1 apiece to Bethel AME, a church that Pratt has been a member of since 1976.

The lots, which had been vacant for over a decade, are situated between 1301 and 1325 Etting Street and 505 and 509 West Lafayette Street in the Upton community, the report said.

The complaint alleges that Comptroller Joan Pratts vote to approve the sale to the church was a conflict of interest because of her membership with the church.

It went on to say that Bethel AME doesnt let residents use the lots for additional parking as they had done before the sale.

The OIG found that the comptroller voted in favor of approving the sale of City property to the church. They also found that administrative oversights of the Office of the Comptroller during the pre-BOE process led to Comptroller Pratts vote in favor of the deal, and found a reliance by the comptroller on her staff to properly vet BOE items for recusal.

The comptroller did acknowledge that she should have abstained from the vote because it was a conflict of interest.

Inspector General Report: Comptroller Joan Pratt Conflict Of Interest by WJZ on Scribd

It was an administrative oversight, Pratt said.

Representatives of Bethel AME said in interviews with OIG that access will remain for residents to use the lots for additional parking, except on Sundays when the lot is needed for church members coming to services.

This all began when the Department of Community and Housing Development received an application from Bethel AME to buy the properties through the Vacants to Value program in May 2017, though none of the lots the church applied to were posted on the DHCD website when they submitted the applications.

The OIG said they got conflicting information about why the church had applied if the City was not offering to sell the properties. The church had said the City inquired with them if they would be interested in buying the land, but DHCD employees said the church came to them.

A DHCD official said the agency doesnt approach private parties to sell the vacant lots, which Comptroller Pratt confirmed to the OIG.

The lots had been used as auxiliary parking for community residents and members of Bethel AME.

The baseline value for a vacant lot in Baltimore City is $1,000; however, the lots were sold to Bethel AME for $1 each, costing them $15 total.

Bethel AME submitted that the church had assumed a custodial role of the lots for 20 years and performed upkeep services, incurring over $35,000 in expenses.

DHCD and the Department of Real Estate did confirm to OIG that its not unusual for the City to sell property for less than the assessed value, especially when the proposed buyer has paid expenses directly related to the property before they buy it.

The church proposed to develop the lots by changing them from unpaved, unofficial parking into formal spaces with pavement and fencing.

That construction was set to begin 90 days after the sale, but when the OIG visited the lots on October 15, 2019, they found the construction hasnt started- to which the church responded they couldnt start construction until ground rent issues are resolved.

DHCD offered no explanation why the church has kept the land after two years of having it, and failing to satisfy the agreement.

The OIG then found that the Real Estate Committee approved the proposal without any community meetings.

When the OIG looked at Comptroller Pratts involvement in the sale, they found that she is a member of the churchs board of trustees, and her personal business, Joan M. Pratt, CPA & Associates, has prepared the churchs tax returns before.

The report noted a Baltimore Fishbowl article from July 2019, which had Comptroller Pratt speaking about the vote, stating, I always abstain on things that relate to Bethel because thats my church.

Comptroller Pratt told the OIG that she relies on her staff to make sure she properly abstains from BOE items that present a conflict of interest and that her staff should recognize items on which shes conflicted based on previous meetings.

She told Fishbowl that her vote was an oversight because of her staffs failing to search on the abstentions list for Bethel A.M.E. with periods in the name. But several Office of the Comptroller employees told the OIG that even when the abstentions list was used, the comptroller and he rstaff went page-by-page through the agenda during pre-BOE meetings.

The OIG learned that she would verbally announce items she planned to abstain from during those meetings, which she confirmed.

Pratt ultimately agreed the responsibility for the voting oversight rests with her, though she told the OIG she verbally announced her intention to abstain when employees in that meeting do not recall that proclamation.

They also found the allegation that Bethel AME would ban residents from using the lots for personal parking to be inaccurate. Community leaders and church officials told the OIG that there was no ban and residents still use the parking lot when it is available.

The OIG recommended a central list of abstentions be maintained for members of the BOE.

Link:
City Comptroller Joan Pratt Voted Yes To Sell City Lots To Church Shes A Member Of, Baltimore OIG Finds - CBS Baltimore

Daily News staff

FridayFeb7,2020at3:30PM

The Newport Lodge of Elks #104 announced that Thomas Nasser has been selected 2020 Citizen of the Year. Nasser, a lifelong Aquidneck Islander, was born in Newport graduated from Rogers High School in 1985 and has resided in Middletown since 1987. A family man he has been married to Kristina for over 21 years; has two children Hannah, a freshman and tennis Player at Colby Sawyer College, and Max a freshman and golfer at Middletown High School.

Through Nassers employment and sports interests he has developed a strong attachment to the community and interest in helping people. Nasser has been in the automobile business on Aquidneck Island as service and parts director for 28 years and is currently the facilities manager for Aspire Dermatology. Nasser an avid baseball and softball player has played on such teams as Strike Zone Lounge, Billy Goodies, Neil Swift Construction and has played for the Taylor Rental softball team for 20 years.

Nasser has been involvement in community service for a long time. Nasser coached in Middletown Little League for 20 years, was president from 2015-2017 and worked with the Middletown Town Council in renovating the baseball and softball fields. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and was Grand Knight in 2014. He is member of Jesus Savior Church and is the chairman of the Holy Ghost Feast, co-chair of the church bazaar and a member of the Parish Council, Finance Committee and is a Church Usher. Nasser is also a member of the Vasco Da Gama, 7 Castles Scholarship Fund and 3 Angles Fund. Nasser is the founder and chairman of the Aquidneck Island Charity Golf Tournament, which benefits children with life-threatening illnesses. The tournament has raised $225,000 over the last 13 years.

It is for these reasons that the Newport Elks Lodge has picked Tommy Nasser as its 2020 Citizen of the Year. A Dinner will be held in his honor at the Newport Elks Lodge on May 2, 2020. For more information please contact Ron Cudworth at (401) 841-5746.

More:
Thomas Nasser chosen Newport Lodge of Elks Citizen of the Year - newportri.com

In the mid-19th century, one of the most important writers and historians of the Yucatan Justo Sierra OReilly, said: The Cathedral of Merida speaks to us in a language that perhaps the understanding does not understand, a statement that is still valid today.

The Yucatecan Cathedral has its own architectural characteristics, which have been pointed out since the 20th century by various specialists. In 1929, the architect Federico Mariscal, pointed out that: The facade of the Cathedral of Merida, impossible to be confused with others, has no resemblance to those of other regions of the country.

The towers of this temple are an architectural element, of which some observations have also been made. Federico Mariscal indicated: The towers, seen from the front and from its second body, are not in proportion to the first and appear off-centre.

About this, the specialist Manuel Toussaint, emphasized that: The towers, seen from the front, in the distance, seem cross-eyed, because their tops offer an inexplicable strabism.

The Cathedral was built in a 36-year period, from 1562 to 1598, under the supervision of four bishops: three Franciscans and one Dominican. This Franciscan predominance in the constructive vigilance, is what could explain the aspect of strength that the Cathedral has, since the Franciscan architecture in America, during the colonial time, was characterized by having that appearance of fortification, one of the results of its apocalyptic theology, that aspired to build in the New World, the New Church of Christ, a spiritual construction with a material expression in its convents and churches, made in the likeness of the heavenly Jerusalem, described in the Apocalypse.

The colonial Mayans intervened in a decisive way in the building of the cathedral as laborers, it is known that 300 workers came from a community near Merida: Uman, as well as carpenters from Yucatan.

Beyond the physical participation in the construction of the Cathedral, the link of this temple with the Mayan existence can be observed in the indigenous colonial literature, and it is in this way that it is possible to read in the Mayan books of Chilam Balam, diverse references to the Cathedral.

In the Chilam Balam of Chumayel, some of the most important references to this Catholic temple can be found, in spite of the chronological errors, the quotes are related to the mythology and cosmogony of the pre-Hispanic Maya.

Some of them are: In Ichcaansih (Mrida) the foundations of the Holy Major Church were founded, the palace of God, the virtuous open house of God. Woe to the faces of the Great Figures when the owner of the House of Worship arrives in the middle of the city of Ho (Merida) In Trece Chen, Eb, the foundations of the Great Church were laid, the House of Learning in the Dark, the Great Church of Heaven. In the middle is the city of Ho, the Main Church, the house of all, the house of good, the house of the night, which is of God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Thus, bearing in mind these brief historical, architectural, documentary and anthropological observations, we can begin a general observation of the Cathedral, as well as tours of its interior, courtyard and roofs, discovering in this Catholic temple, the trace of the Mayan symbols. A trip that we will start next week.

ForThe Yucatan Times,Indalecio Cardea Vzquez

Merida, Yucatan February, 07 2020

Indalecio Cardea Vzquez. Anthropologist, researcher and writer.He has collaborated with theUnidad Yucatn de la Direccin de Culturas Populares,Instituto Nacional Indigenistaand was the director of the Pinacoteca Juan Gamboa Guzmn of the INAHAmong his anthropological works are the iconographic analysis of the colonial sacred art of the Yucatan Peninsula; the symbolisms in the facade of Conquistador Montejoshouse, in Mrida; the Mayan symbolism in the Yucatan Cathedral and the archaeoastronomy among the Mayans.

Professor Cardea has written several books and articles since the mid 1980s to this date.

comments

Original post:
The Mayan symbolisms of Merida's cathedral - The Yucatan Times

The names of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King likely sound familiar. But what about Lewis W. Pinkney, Joseph Taylor, and Calvin Simmons? The last three lived right here in Southeast Minnesota, and they too made history.

As we celebrate Februarys black history month, we should honor contributions by early black settlers in Rushford and its nearby communities.

Lewis W. Pinkney Rushford, Minn.

Casting a long silver shadow over Highway 43 in the late afternoon this time of year is the Rushford Lutheran Church. The steeple silhouette touches the property of the original high school, bonding the two buildings together. Both were built in 1906, and one of the construction workers was Lewis W. Pinkney.

The Rushford Lutheran Churchs 150-year anniversary book mentions an African-American man was also hired as part of the construction crew....he also worked on the schoolhouse construction before moving south again.

Pinkneys contributions to Rushfords landscape remains today. Take a stroll from the Church steps in any direction and you will find his other structures, including the Episcopal Church and Rectory House. His construction career, spanning from 1899 to 1907, is one of the many threads in Rushfords tapestry.

While still a young man Pinkney, a son of former slaves, achieved his dream of receiving an education, and was listed a student in the 1905 Minnesota census. During his youth in Florida, Pinckney was denied an education due to black code laws.

After Rushfords building boom, Pinkney moved back to Jacksonville, Fla., and became a gardener. He married and had several children. In the 1930s, some of his offspring worked at St. Vincent hospital in Jacksonville. Currently, St. Vincents has mutual collaborations with Jacksonvilles Mayo Clinic.

Joseph Taylor Brownsville Minn.

Before Minnesota was a state, Joseph Taylor resided in Brownsville, Minn., where he worked as a newspaper pressman. Taylors journey to our corner of the state was accelerated when, in 1837, he witnessed the murder of his employer, the Rev. Elijah Lovejoy in Illinois.

Lovejoy owned an anti-slavery newspaper. One night a violent pro-slavery mob set fire to his office and killed the reverend. Watching from afar was Taylor, who saw where the crowd threw the printing press into the river. He later assisted with its retrieval. The infamous printing press and Taylor settled in Brownsville, Minn.

Taylor was considered the best pressman along the Mississippi River from Dubuque, Iowa, to St. Paul, Minn. Often, he would stop at a nearby river hamlet to give the local printer a rest. Given his generous personality, Taylor added to Brownsville prominence along the river corridor. Taylor must have found a deep satisfaction as he was able to join the Minn. Union Army during the Civil War. Sadly, his dream of helping others find freedom was short-lived, as he died from disease during the last days of the war.

Calvin Simmons Houston, Minn.

Finding information on Calvin Simmons proved more difficult, compared to Pinkneys buildings and Taylors life documented in the History of Houston County book. To learn about Simmons I visited where he used to live in Houston, Minn. My tour guide and gracious host to the property was Mark Witt. The farm resides with the Witt family and after many years, one gets to know the lay of the land and its history.

In a document discovered just this past year, there is a description of Houstons founder, W.G. McSpadden, hiding escaping slaves in a cave during the 1850s. Witt heard about the cave and his attempts to find it remain elusive, a testimony to it being a safe hiding spot. Witt shared a dark moment when the McSpadden residence burned to the ground. When helping the owner of the time with cleanup, Witt found a hidden room under the kitchen and Witts first thought was that of a secret room for the Underground Railroad. When I shared the document of McSpadden aiding slaves, it all seemed to come together.

When the Civil War started, McSpadden enlisted for several years. Upon his return to Houston, a young black man from the south, Calvin Simmons, accompanied him.

McSpadden was determined to turn Houston into a destination community and built a three-story mill, snug against the steep, deeply folded bluffs on the narrow ribbon of Silver Creek. Once a massive structure, the mill featured an imposing dam that was so large it created Silver Lake.

Today as you approach the beautiful Silver Creek, evidence of the mill remains. The hand-hewn sluice chiseled out of dense limestone can be traced to its lengthy journey that rotated the mighty mill wheel. The enormity of work, determination and grit, it took to make this mill a contender in its day is breathtaking. McSpadden faced his share of floods and fires, yet each time he would always rebuild bigger and better.

Simmons, his reliable friend and worker, likely shared McSpaddens vision; that one day the mill would secure Houston as the largest community in the area. The aspiration eventually dissipated as other cities outgrew the town.

The sunset details of McSpadden life culminated with his eventual move to South Dakota. There he fulfilled the last item on his bucket-list; building and operating a grand hotel. Joining McSpadden was Simmons, who fulfilled his dream of having his own farm. Born a slave, Simmons ownership of his 80-acre plot was a tremendous achievement.

Later Simmons would marry and have four children and his was the only black family in the county. When he passed away Simmons was laid to rest in the McSpadden family plot. His headstone is engraved with an outline of his beloved farm home.

Reflection

At Silver Creek, catching the last golden rays of the day, one can admire the mills remaining graceful archway and its proud tumbled down walls. The water of the creek seems timeless as it unites the present to the past. This flowing water also ties where they lived, worked and dreamed, thus connecting, Pinkney, Taylor and Simmons. Their accomplishments are among us today; some dreams to see and others to envision.

See the rest here:
The surprising black history of Southeast Minnesota - Bluff Country Newspaper Group

ST. LEO, FL Saint Leo University broke ground Thursday, February 6, for a Wellness Center located on the west end of campus by Lake Jovita. The 59,000-square-foot facility will create an environment for holistic health and well-being that integrates student recreation, fitness, health services, counseling services, and campus ministry.

Focusing on the body, mind, and spirit, Saint Leo's new Wellness Center will provide space for group exercise, spinning and yoga classes, and a large community fitness center. In addition, there will be two indoor basketball courts, a healthy smoothie bar, and a recreational pool with a lakeside infinity edge, as well as a relaxation terrace and garden. There also will be several multipurpose rooms, which could be used as space for meditation, specialty classes, and gaming.

As the university has grown, there has been increased student demand on the current spaces. Saint Leo officials also wanted to provide a facility that will provide for students' physical and emotional well-being. Many of the services now offered in DeChantal Hall will move to the new facility.

Construction tentatively will begin in April, and university officials hope to open the Wellness Center in Fall 2021.

"This day is finally here; praise God," said D. Dewey Mitchell, chair of the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees. "This is a wonderful amenity for the university and the community."

Creative Contractors of Clearwater, FL, is serving as the construction firm for the project while S3 Design Inc. of Braintree, MA, is handling the architectural design; and JLL of Tampa will provide project management services.

Fundraising is taking place for the Wellness Center, and the university is in discussion with several health care providers that potentially could serve the community by delivering medical services on-site.

Mitchell, chair of the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees, welcomed everyone to the Wellness Center groundbreaking while Dr. Melanie Storms, senior vice president, served as the emcee for Thursday's ceremony. Sister Roberta Bailey, prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida, provided those in attendance with a historical perspective on the property, and University President Jeffrey D. Senese made remarks about the benefits of the Wellness Center. Prior to the groundbreaking, Abbot Isaac Camacho, OSB, a Saint Leo alumnus, blessed the site.

"You stand on sacred ground," Bailey told the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking. She reminded everyone about the founding of the university by the Benedictine sisters and monks. They sunk "their roots deep into Florida's oldest incorporated town," she noted.

Saving a tree

While the land that Saint Leo occupies once was home to orange groves, a different type of tree was found growing on the property as clearing began. The Saint Leo Abbey Church is known as "the church that orange juice built," as the Benedictine monks traded oranges and grapefruits to Saint Meinrad Abbey in Indiana for sandstone, which was used to construct the church, consecrated in 1948. As work began on the site for the Wellness Center, an original olive tree was discovered while clearing the overgrowth on the property.

The olive tree will be transplanted during construction for safekeeping, and then replanted into the meditative gardens of the Wellness Center, tying the history of Saint Leo to its future.

Looking ahead

Emphasizing the impact the Wellness Center will make, University President Senese said, "We are creating an iconic building for Pasco County, Tampa Bay, and Florida. It is our vision that this building will take your breath away."

See the rest here:
Saint Leo University Breaks Ground For Wellness Center - Patch.com