One of the most anticipated museums in the world at least according to Smithsonian Magazine is moving closer to opening its doors this summer. And it's right here in New Jersey.

The Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May will honor the abolitionist and Civil War heroine who spent a summer in Cape May in the early 1850s to raise funds for her efforts to transfer slaves from the South up north above the Mason-Dixon line.

Tubman spent her summers in Philadelphia and Cape May from 1850 to 1852 working as a cook and other jobs to raise money for herself and trips to help slaves escape.

Trustees of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Members of the Macedonia Baptist Church Committee pose for a picture in front of the museum, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The museum will be at the site of the old Howell House, an older building on Lafayette Street that served as the parsonage for Macedonia Baptist Church.

For nearly 40 years, the building remained vacant and its condition deteriorated over time so much so that Preservation New Jersey added the Howell House to the Ten most endangered historic properties list in 2012.

The founding trustees of the Harriet Tubman Museum signed a lease to rent the structure from the church, which is still active and owns the building.

Lynda Towns, a Trustee of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Macedonia Baptist Church liaison, told NJ Advance Media the museum would have a unique, small-town characteristic to it when it opens on June 19.

"It is very important for us to not only be able to have a museum, but have a place where others can come in and remember what the African American community in Cape May used to be and then also be able to learn about Harriet Tubman and Africa," Towns said. "It will ensure that our presence remains here and is memorialized. It is very important that it stays."

Returning the building back to a recognizable condition, including restoring the initial structure that dates to pre-1800 and building an addition for the museum, has required some help. The construction of the museum is being led by Zack Mullock, who serves as a museum trustee and its construction manager.

Volunteers, contractors and subcontractors have also been working at cost and offering their services for free.

Lynda Towns, Trustee of the Harriet Tubman Museum & Macedonia Baptist Church Liaison talks about the museum while standing in the Grand Gallery, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Towns has seen the former Howell House in different variations. She used to visit the house when Rev. Robert Davis was presiding over the Macedonia Baptist. Davis married several couples inside the parlor of the room. In another room, which will house the exhibit about Africa, Towns remembers spending a lot of time while listening to the pastor.

"We were in and out of this house a lot, and I babysat here because he had two sons," Towns said. "The room that will be our African room is where he often taught African American history classes to the kids in the community. He would have his African figures and teach us about African American history. It was very meaningful."

Construction inside of the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The museum will house an early edition of a signed copy of abolitionist William Still's "The Underground Railroad." The book, first published in 1872, chronicles Cape May's efforts to help slaves escape to the north. Some of the other items to be that will be on display include artifacts from the slavery period, Davis's collection, newspapers, and abolitionist papers. The museum will also chronicle the role African-Americans played in the city in the 1920s through the present day.

While the museum has been getting financial assistance from the New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Cape May County, the surrounding community has helped bring the project to fruition.

Harriet Tubman Museum Executive Director Cynthia Mullock said volunteers have contributed to the museum, from Swains Hardware Inc., to Boy Scout Troop 73, who helped with the painting. Even a restaurateur from North Jersey wanted to assist with fundraising efforts.

The efforts of the Harriet Tubman Museum team were recognized by Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, fifth from left, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

"Yanick Ranieri from Papillon 25, who loves Cape May, contacted us and said she wanted to do a fundraiser," Mullock said. "There will be a gala event, and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the project."

The museum is targeting to open on June 19, or Juneteenth, the day that Texas abolished slavery, making it the last state to do so. The anticipated opening has not gone unnoticed. Smithsonian Magazine recently named the museum as one of the ten most anticipated museums opening worldwide in 2020. There have also been many groups and organizations that have expressed interest in visiting the locale.

"We have had so much interest from teachers who would like to bus students to the museum," Mullock said. "We have a biking community that wrote to us checking if we would be opening June 19 because they want to organize a 200-mile bike ride to the museum on the weekend of the opening."

People who would like to make a donation to the museum can do so by visiting http://www.harriettubmanmuseum.org

Construction continues on the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Bob Mullock, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Harriet Tubman Museum, and Laurence Hogan, right, of the Macedonia Baptist Church, talk with Carolyn King Davis after meeting with Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Construction continues on the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Trustees of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Members of the Macedonia Baptist Church Committee Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Construction continues on the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Construction continues on the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020.

Trustees of the Harriet Tubman Museum and Members of the Macedonia Baptist Church Committee are recognized by Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, fourth from right, for their efforts, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Construction continues on the Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Zack Mullock, construction manager, left, and Lynda Towns, Trustee of the Harriet Tubman Museum & Macedonia Baptist Church Liaison, talk about the construction of the museum, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. The Harriet Tubman Museum is located in Cape May. (Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

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One of the world's most anticipated museums is opening right here in N.J. - NJ.com

This story has been corrected from an earlier version.

HAWKINS Letters related to the still-unresolved saga involving the Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins sign taken down last summer have been sent to municipal and state attorneys.

Meanwhile, several of the towns residents continue to protest the removal of the sign by the city, which subsequently built a street where the sign once stood.

The street named Ash Street is 30 feet wide and 75 feet long, or one-fourth the length of a football field.

Tyler attorney Alvin Flynn, who has represented Hawkins for 38 years, said the legal filings and efforts made by supporters of the Jesus Christ Open Altar Church LLC have been a strain on the city for the past five years.

I personally dont think that theres anything criminal that any city official has done anything that is of a criminal nature, Flynn said Thursday. Now, if its out there, Im not aware of it.

$650,000 for a 75-foot street?

Real estate agent Charlene Peoples, Jesus Christ Open Altar Church leader Mark McDonald and others say Ash Street wasnt needed, cost the city more than $50,000 in design, construction and attorney costs plus another $600,000 that is unaccounted for and poses a danger to drivers.

Peoples and McDonald called it a hate crime.

It is very dangerous, Peoples said, ... because if you try to cross it to get on (U.S.) 80 (and) theres another car up there (and) youre trying to decide whos going to go first, here comes an 18-wheeler over that hill. Somebody is going to get killed there.

When asked about McDonalds claim that Ash Street resulted in about $20,000 in attorney fees and more than $600,000 in unaccounted-for costs, Flynn responded with a laugh.

I wish. ... Mr. McDonald comes up with numbers and dollars that nobody knows where they came from. Theres always five zeroes in there. Thats not the truth. He has a propensity to stretch the truth, Flynn said.

In a letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton, Emory attorney William R. Power who represents McDonald claimed that the city of Hawkins violated the Texas Public Information Act and the Open Meetings Act.

According to McDonald, the city refused to hold public hearings on the matter and hasnt released public information and documents he has requested.

Briefly, I am informed that Wood County Sheriff Tom Castloo is aware of a few of many violations, but he cannot begin an investigation without authorization from your office, Power wrote in the Jan. 16 letter to Paxton. I also understand that Wood County District Attorney Angela Albers wrote you some three months ago to inform you that her office will pursue any violations. I spoke with Texas Ranger John Vance, and he is prepared to begin whatever investigation you believe is warranted.

The Attorney Generals Office confirmed Wednesday that its Open Records Division has received Powers letter and that a ruling is pending on the matter.

Religious expression

Also, the Center for Religious Expression of Memphis, Tennessee, has written Flynn, asking that the Jesus Christ Open Altar Church be allowed to place Christian-themed signs in an unimproved easement near U.S. 80.

That letter to Flynn states that, Banning the church from having noncommercial signs on its own property within unimproved easement violates the churchs rights.

Flynn spoke by phone Wednesday with a representative from the Center for Religious Expression, he said. Its the second conversation the two have had in the past year.

Were trying to get that resolved right now, Flynn said.

Last June, work crews with the city took down a sign that read Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins. At that time, City Secretary Dona Jordan said the signs removal was in preparation for building a street between Blackbourn Street and U.S. 80.

The sign was created several years ago by shop students at Hawkins High School, McDonald said, and he hasnt been told of its whereabouts.

The city and the church have been roiled in litigation since 2015, Flynn said, adding that a trial court and a state appellate court have ruled in the citys favor on the easement matter.

McDonald disagrees, saying that the courts have ruled in his favor.

As for Powers letter to Paxton, Most of the things that McDonald has requested, hes not entitled to by law, Flynn said. He keeps requesting the same things.

We only provide documents that are on file. We dont have to develop documents, Flynn said. Mr. McDonald has complained to the AGs office two, maybe three times in the last three years, and the AGs office has ruled in our favor every time. Its not like hes not getting documents. Hes not getting documents hes not entitled to.

TxDOT documents

On multiple occasions in 2018, Flynn and a project assistant for the citys engineering firm, KSA Engineers of Longview, emailed Texas Department of Transportation-Tyler District Engineer Vernon Webb about the city of Hawkins desire to close Blackbourn Street and construct Ash Street on an easement at the Jesus Christ Open Altar Church, according to documents obtained from TxDOT.

In one email on Sept. 17, 2018, Flynn wrote, The use by Mark McDonalds church of the citys Ash Street dedicated easement was and is subject to the citys overriding governmental and police powers to construct a street for public use.

Webb wrote to KSA Project Assistant Siglinda West on Jan. 14 that TxDOT was waiting to hear from its general counsel before permitting the city to open Ash Street to U.S. 80.

I want to be clear that TxDOTs position is that we are removing the existing connection to U.S. 80 and permitting a legal drive to improve safety. We do not want to get drug into the political issues that surround this matter, Webb wrote in the Jan. 14 email.

Fifty minutes later, Webb told West, I believe we are OK to proceed with the permit.

The city then refused to hold an open hearing on abandoning the easement, despite multiple requests from the church and from Mark Mangini with the Center for Religious Expression, McDonald said.

They never informed us of this closed meeting. They had a closed meeting where they voted, which is illegal, where they voted to build a road and remove the sign, McDonald said. They voted that with full knowledge that (TxDOT) had sent them three emails denying access at that location because it was an extremely dangerous blind-hill road intersection.

An email request to TxDOT by the News-Journal yielded no letters in which the agency denied access for Ash Street at U.S. 80. A subsequent information request was sent to TxDOT on Wednesday.

What a stupid thing to do, Peoples said of Ash Streets construction. They wanted to take down that sign. This is truly a hate crime. They wanted that sign down because they just didnt like the sign there.

Flynn said the city exercised its governmental rights in constructing Ash Street and that the Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins sign sat right in the citys easement.

Theres been an ongoing dilemma with people from the city trying to do their job and Mr. McDonald objecting strenuously and coming out to the site, Flynn said. This guy has taken a personal vendetta against the city secretary and anybody else that challenges what hes doing.

Jimmy Daniell Isaac covers the city of Longview and Gregg County. Follow him on Twitter: @jimmyisaaclives.

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Letters sent to attorneys over former 'Jesus' sign in Hawkins - Longview News-Journal

Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere revealed plans for Plano 4.0, a concept for Plano's future development as part of his State of the City address at the Plano Chamber of Commerce 2020 annual meeting. (Liesbeth Powers/Community Impact Newspaper)

LaRosiliere highlighted the downtown area's future Feb. 6 as part of his annual State of the City address. LaRosiliere envisioned these changes as part of a new stage of the city's development, which he termed, "Plano 4.0."

Who will we be [as] Plano 4.0? LaRosiliere said. You will be in a city where you not only live, but you thrive.

The Collin Creek Mall redevelopment project will serve as a catalyst for reinventing downtown, he said. Starting in 2022, the DART Silver Line will allow for travel directly to and from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to downtown Plano. By 2030, this will lead DART riders to the finished Collin Creek development, which will have restaurants, entertainment, housing and 1.5 million square feet of office space, LaRosiliere said.

The city has also approved roughly 4,000 housing units in the downtown area, including the First Baptist Church of Plano, Plano Marine and Collin Creek Mall projects. This will possibly bring 7,000 more people to the area, as well as retail, amenities and services to provide for them, LaRosiliere said.

Make no doubt about it: downtown Plano will still have its same funky character [and] the sense of historic preservation will be there, LaRosiliere said. ...Downtown will be the catalyst for the entire [US] 75 corridor. I call that the new frontier. ... Thats where it all started for us and thats where its going to happen over the next decade and beyond.

This, in turn, will encourage development further along US 75, he said, including more investment in the city's Oak Point area, where the Collin College Spring Creek Campus and Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve are.

We need to do it [Plano 4.0] with you as a community, LaRosiliere said. The decisions we make today will impact our children and our grandchildren.

The concept also includes integrating smart features into the city in areas including transportation, education, public safety and green infrastructure. These technologies will be added as various parts of the city need infrastructure updates, he said.

City projects may include the integration of smart light poles with built-in Wi-Fi hotspots, emergency command centers or charging stations.

Plano public safety currently uses technology like license plate readers, drones, broadband in police vehicles and pet facial recognition. By the end of 2020, emergency location registration will be available to Plano residents, allowing 9-1-1 dispatchers to know your location when you call in an emergency, LaRosiliere said.

The city will also focus on building its GoLink Uber-partnership travel option and other mobility solutions. Last year, the ridership of the program grew by 8,000, he said.

Our foundation is firmly in place and our values will be our guide, LaRosiliere said.

The State of the City was held in conjunction with the Plano Chamber of Commerce 2020 annual meeting, where Lissa Smith was inducted into her role as 2020 board chair by 2019 chair LaMonte Thomas. Smith spoke on her outlook and goals for the year and announced new board members for the Chamber.

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Plano mayor reveals plans for downtown expansion and smart-technology integration at State of the City - Community Impact Newspaper

Their prayers have finally been answered. After having spent more than a decade and a half borrowing space for its Sunday services, the St. Albert Canadian Reformed Church now has a church building to call its own.

Rev. Ken Wieske was quick to thank the graciousness of the Red Willow Community Church for offering room to his substantial congregation of nearly 400 members for so long. It might have seemed like cramped quarters but they persevered.

They couldn't fit there any more and they really wanted to have their own space so they can be there with the community and also just interact with the community with their own building, he said.

The new church is now located at 54203 Range Rd 261 in Sturgeon County. It sits on a 15-acre lot located along Villeneuve Road, approximately 5.5 km west of St. Albert Trail. You cant miss it, Wieske said, although they are still working on getting the signage up.

Australian-born Wieske is still in his first six months with this congregation, having spent the last 20 years with a church in Brazil. Its an exciting time for him and for everyone, he suggested, especially with all of the doors that are being opened, literally and metaphorically speaking. Having a building of their own provides for a lot of possibilities to come true.

The church first established itself nearly 20 years ago when it sprouted off of the fertile roots that the Providence Canadian Reformed Church provided for it. Many of the congregation attending services and programs there in Edmontons Sherbrooke neighbourhood still lived in St. Albert at the time. It seemed like the right time to branch off on their own.

Doing so, however, meant the hard reality of facing the burdensome costs of construction and finding a suitable parcel of land for the church. In St. Albert, space is always at a premium. Thankfully, the fine folks at the Red Willow Community Church had room to spare.

In a fine stroke of irony, the new building for the St. Albert Canadian Reformed Church isnt actually located in the city, but Wieske says his flock is still committed to the community it serves.

They did want to be more in town. We're a little bit on the edge, he said, suggesting the citys future growth might bring the border closer to them. What it comes down to, we actually had a property closer ... that was more in town, but space is tough. We're hoping that as the city grows, we can reconnect, and that it wont be too long.

Still, the flock put a lot of work and a lot of love into the project, especially with Ralph Smeding who spent more than a year running the construction. In turn, they received a special gift in the form of stained glass from the Knox Metropolitan United Church that was recently demolished from its longstanding home on Edmontons southside. Local artist Brenda Malkinson also contributed new stained glass works as well.

Its not only a beautiful space but its well designed to lift the voices up.

Im a preacher, so it preaches well. The acoustics are great. The singing is awesome.

The public is invited to the opening ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 8, starting at 1:30 p.m. Along with the ribbon cutting, Rev. Wieske will start the program that will include the churchs history plus a presentation on the highlights of the design and construction of the building, after which attendees can feel free to look around. Regular services commence on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit its website at stalbertcanrc.com.

The hope is to eventually save up enough money to add on to the main structure with a fellowship hall and a large kitchen. The good news is they now have the space to grow and do such things.

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The new church on the block - St. Albert Today

Vice President of Capital Construction John Rhone spoke about the Silver Line project at the Feb. 6 meeting. (Makenzie Plusnick/Community Impact)

The 26-mile passenger rail will span from Shiloh Road in Plano to TEXRails DFW Airport North station in Grapevine. Construction of the line, which will run through seven cities, is expected to be complete by December 2022. In addition to the Grapevine stop, the Silver Line will stop in Terminal B at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

In the first quarter of this year, crews are working to relocate wet and dry utilities and construct retainer walls, DART Public Relations and Communication Officer Marvin Jackson said at the Richardson meeting.

It is industry practice to begin work on a project this size while design is still underway, according to DART spokesperson Gordon Shattles. The final design for the Silver Line is expected to be delivered during the third quarter of 2021.

Vice President of Capital Construction John Rhone spoke about the new self-propelled diesel multiple-unit vehicles that would be used on the Silver Line. The vehicles will be more environmentally and community friendly, he said.

We considered different types of diesel vehicles; we considered electric vehicles similar to light rail, and this is the vehicle that we chose, Rhone said.

The trains will have 230 seats as well as room for 250 standing passengers. They will also have automatic passenger counters and closed-circuit television systems, Rhone said.

DART police will be present on every train and strategically stationed at different stations along the line, Rhone said.

The transit agency is attempting to mitigate sound emitted by trains through the use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning closures, which Rhode said is one of the noisier components of existing DART vehicles. New wheel skirts should also reduce noise, he added.

Residential neighborhoods will be designated as quiet zones, or areas where trains will not activate their horns. However, Rhone said horns will be required during the testing phase.

A 26-mile hike-and-bike trail along the rail is at 10% design completion, Rhone said. DART is still in negotiations with Archer Western Herzog, the company contracted to design and build the trail, Rhone said. The project is funded through an interlocal agreement with the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

I really can't get into a lot of details outside of that because we are in negotiations as far as pricing, but know that we are working very hard to deliver this trail, Rhone said.

For dates of upcoming Silver Line community meetings, visit this link.

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Citizens hear update on progress of $1.2 billion Silver Line project - Community Impact Newspaper

Fenton, MI February 4, 2020

There is a lot of steel growing skyward in Downtown Fenton next to the Methodist Church on Leroy Street. We hear a lot of residents questioning whats going up on the site. Here is the story so far.

According to Corlin Builders, 111 Leroy Place is a proposed 4-story, mixed-use, downtown style building, located in the heart of Downtown Fenton. Since the completion of The Cornerstone Building in 2015, Fenton has seen a surge in growth in all sectors. Home prices have steadily risen, theres an influx of new stores and restaurants, and large offices are now coming to join the growth of the downtown.

The structure of the building will be a steel frame, brick and stone facade, with wood framing for the interior walls. It will be positioned with a zero-lot-line along the Leroy St. sidewalk, with a new municipal parking lot to be constructed behind the building. 14 of these new parking spaces are located directly adjacent to the building, covered by a canopy, available only for the buildings residents.

The proposed tenants would include retail shops on the ground floor, office space on the 2nd level and condos on floors three and four. The developers are currently soliciting leaseholders for the available spaces.

Jennifer Lasco from the Lasco Real Estate Group said; We would be happy to represent potential business or families looking to occupy space in the new development. Please give us a call today at 810.433.9556 to experience Real Estate Made Simple.

Renderings of the building from Corlin Builders present a clean modern look to the structure. Another fine addition to our town. The Lasco Press will keep you posted as construction progresses and retail sites begin to fill up. See Ya Around Town.

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What's With the Building Construction in Downtown Fenton - The Lasco Press

Published 7 February 2020

A Highland village church has emerged victorious after being hit with local restaurants water bills.

St Marys RC Church in Arisaig found itself mired in a long-running battle with Scottish Water after it was wrongly classified as a restaurant.

Father Stanislaw Pamula calculated that the issue had cost the parish about 4,000 since 2008.

The water company says it has now rectified the error, adding that the church will be reimbursed.

Fr Pamula told The Herald: The parish has been paying about 4000 too much since about 2008 and in good conscience I could not allow this to continue. I have been trying to sort this out since September 2016. I was getting five calls a week from Scottish Water Business Stream pressuring me to sign a new contract.

The church has always been automatically exempt from water charges. That arrangement has been working fine everywhere, but not here at Arisaig.

We have been getting charged for a single tap in the vestry so I started investigating and found we had three water supply ID points assigned to us for the church hall, the church and the adjoining house.

But there was also a mysterious fourth water ID point allocated to the church and I eventually discovered this is actually the one for a restaurant in Arisaig.

So for the past three years I have been trying to prove to Scottish Water Business Stream that this is not our water supply point and the church is located in a completely different part of the village. It would seem the church has been paying for this fourth metering point for at least 15 years and I reckon thats cost the church about 4,000.

Also, twice a year I have all the hassle with them [Scottish Water Business Stream] claiming I am running a restaurant premises here and have to prove I dont actually have a restaurant. They basically dont care.

Its been a nightmare to deal with.

A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: As a charitable organisation which is eligible for exemption, St Marys does not have to pay water charges, provided exemption is applied for by the church which, unfortunately, has not happened in this case. We believe this has been due to confusion around supply points. We have now arranged for exemption to be applied and backdated to St Marys but this will need to be re-applied for annually by the church.

We understand Father Pamulas concern relating to the supply point in question. However, the issue appears to have been caused by too many supply points being historically registered to the church.

These surplus supply points will be removed from the market to avoid any future confusion, and the meter appearing on St Marys bills has been verified as being physically located in and supplying the church.

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And finally... Holy water - Scottish Construction Now

TRURO, N.S.

Ready to fight for their country, many young men showed up at recruitment centres during the First World War, only to be turned away because of the colour of their skin.

These men were eventually permitted to join the No. 2 Construction Battalion also known as the Black Battalion a non-combative unit.

Douglas Ruck will share the story of this battalion during a presentation at the Colchester Historeum.

They were told, This is a white mans war, he said. After two years pressure and letter writing, the Black Battalion formed on July 5, 1916. The men wanted to be part of the military, but it wasnt felt appropriate that they should be armed so they were sent out with picks and shovels.

His father, the late Senator Calvin Ruck, talked with people who had relatives in the battalion and went through military records, and then wrote a book about the battalion.

Some of the people he talked to didnt know they had an ancestor who served in the First World War, said Ruck. When they found out, they looked through things at home and found more information.

The men in the battalion werent treated well by some people. They were often denied proper medical care and supplies.

They were viewed as being less than, said Ruck. Some people considered their desire to join the military as imitative instead of patriotic.

They did receive support from some areas. Lt.-Col. Dan Sutherland, who led the battalion, was very supportive. He respected them, and they held him in high regard. One doctor, Dan Murray who was the grandfather of Anne Murray was very good to them.

The battalion was first headquartered in Pictou and later moved to Truro because it was more central. Most of the more than 600 recruits were from Nova Scotia. They handled work such as repairing roads, railroads, bridges and trenches, and a few were involved in trench combat.

Ruck noted they came home to face many of the stereotypes they had faced before the war.

The units chaplain, Rev. Captain William White, of Truro, later went to New Glasgow and was founding pastor of Second United Baptist Church.

Its important to remember these men and today, when we see world leaders who speak openly of others being less than, its important to tell this story, said Ruck.

The presentation will be held at the Colchester Historeum on Monday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. and is free to attend.

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The No. 2 Construction Battalion to be subject of presentation in Truro - TheChronicleHerald.ca

POCATELLO (KPVI) Nearly a year after its groundbreaking, construction on a local temple is making progress.

The framing of the structure outlines the shape of what the new temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Pocatello will look like.

Elder Roger Prewitt, who oversees the construction, says that since they broke ground last March, they are right on schedule for the two to three-year project.

Weve done a lot in a year. You can tell that now we have the temple up, so it actually looks like a temple and unfortunately, a lot of the things that have been done now are the things that get done quickly to make it look like a temple and some of the other processes take a lot longer. You wont see as much change in the temple as youre seeing right now, Elder Prewitt says.

RELATED | Latter-day Saint leaders break ground on Pocatello temple

The site for the LDS churchs sixth temple in Idaho is located several miles off the Pocatello Creek Road exit at 2140 Satterfield Drive in a neighborhood overlooking the city.

The announcement for the Pocatello temple was made in April 2017 by then church president Thomas S. Monson. The 67,000-square-foot building will occupy a 12-acre site on the citys east side and serve more than 64,000 members of the church in eastern Idaho.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. A temple, according to a news release from the church, is considered a house of the Lord, where Christs teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism, and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellowman.

Around 80 construction workers are on-site daily. Some are from Idaho and others come from locations around the globe, like Brazil.

Construction workers are placing anywhere from 40 to 550-pound stones onto the temple. The stone they are using is called Temple White Granite and comes here from China. Elder Prewitt says it can be a challenge placing it on the temple.

When the pieces are cut in China, they are cut to fit, each of them are individually numbered and the pieces are put together like a puzzle and so you hope that everything that comes, fits in its place, says Elder Prewitt. Its timeless. Its just a beautiful stone that will look fresh for a long time.

Right now, the temple is 189 feet high, but once the Angel Moroni statue arrives and is mounted on top, it will stand just under 200 feet in the air and will be visible from many locations around the area.

The temple, as its complete, is going to really stand out on the hillside, especially during the day when its bright, or at night when the temple is all lit up. I think its going to be a beacon for people to see, says Elder Prewitt.

Thousands of visitors have visited the construction site of the temple and leave with a small token to remember their visit: A small bag that contains some of the groundbreaking sand, a pebble that represents the foundation of the temple and a picture of the temple.

Its really helped us being far away from home to feel so welcome and the people are so enthusiastic about having a temple built here and were so excited to have them come up and see us. Weve made so many friends here, just in this short time, and it makes us feel like were home, says Rogers wife, Glenda.

Elder Prewitt says you are going to see a continuation of the stonework. The next step will include installing windows on the exterior of the temple and then the roofing.

An exact date of completion has not been announced, but construction is expected to last up to three years. An open house will be held once the temple is built, where members of the community will be able to tour the inside prior to its dedication.

More information on the temples construction is available by clicking here.

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Construction crews making progress on Latter-day saint temple in Pocatello - East Idaho News

SALT LAKE CITY Major renovation work has begun on the St. George Utah Temple, the longest-operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A crane smashed a 20th-century addition off the west side of the sacred 19th-century building, unveiling an exterior window that hasnt been seen since the 1970s and marking the start of a project designed to preserve and retain the historic nature and feel of the temple.

Crews also removed a modern addition on the north side of the building, according to a news release.

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

The St. George Temple opened in 1877, making it the first completed temple in Utah. The church abandoned the two temples completed before it, leaving the Kirtland Ohio Temple in 1838 and the original Nauvoo Temple in Illinois in 1846.

Once the church reached Utah, it again began to build temples. The Salt Lake Temple was announced first in 1847, followed by the St. George Temple in 1871. But the Salt Lake Temple was not completed until 1893.

The church closed the St. George Temple in November. The renovation will include extensive work on the structure and finish as well as mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Plans for the renovation were released in May 2019. The temple renovation is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Following a public open house, the temple will be rededicated.

The Salt Lake Temple also is under reconstruction. A special visitors center is now open in the Conference Center. The Salt Lake Temple renovation is scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Both projects aim to retain and even restore the original pioneer craftsmanship.

The point of all of this is to preserve the building while making it safer and more functional, the churchs historic sites curator, Emily Utt, said in a statement.

The work of historians has uncovered dozens of small details being used in the reconstruction.

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, she said.

Grant Mackay Demolition Company is taking down the additions that are being removed.

It feels amazing to me to have the opportunity to be able to work on temples, to be able to feel the love that the Lord has for His house and for each one of us, said Jason Cobb, a church member who is the companys on-site foreman.

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St. George Temple renovation is underway. See the images - Deseret News