Those lucky enough to score tickets to President Trumps Tuesday night rally in Wildwood will face traffic, just based on the sheer numbers of people attending, and one bridge construction project in a key location that may likely slow things down.

Those numbers are the 7,400 people the Wildwoods Convention Center holds, a claim from Congressman Jeff Van Drew who Trump is coming to stump for that 100,000 tickets had been issued, and possibly thousands of protesters who are planning to demonstrate. But only three bridges carry traffic on and off the barrier islands that make up the Wildwoods.

The George Redding Bridge that carries Route 47-Rio Grande Avenue is under construction as part of Cape May Countys Rio Grande Avenue Gateway project, which has temporarily reduced the bridge from four to two lanes one in each direction, said Robert Church, county engineer. Route 47 is the most direct route between the Garden State Parkway and the convention center.

Construction work takes place between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. but as of late Thursday, officials have not been asked to stop the project for the rally, Church said. The rally starts at 7 p.m. and convention center doors open at 3 p.m. The city expects there will be an overflow area nearby with screens for viewing outside and rally-goers are already talking about plans to arrive at least by Monday if not earlier.

Originally we had intended on changing the traffic patterns on Jan. 28 for the next phase of the project, but were asked to delay this until Jan. 29, due to the Presidents visit, so that there would no confusion with the new traffic patterns leading up to the event, Church said.

Route 47, which is normally two lanes in each direction, connects the Garden State Parkway and the Wildwoods. Sinkholes closed a small section of Route 47 located west of the Parkway and Route 9 which is an area that isnt used by most people traveling to Wildwood from other parts of the state.

Headed into Wildwood, those two lanes will merge into one at the top of the bridge. Drivers leaving the rally will also have to funnel into one lane on Rio Grande at Arctic Avenue until the top of the George Redding Bridge about a half-mile distance when it opens back up to two lanes headed west, Church said.

The project, which began in 2019, includes elevating a portion of the roadway above flood level and widening it, Church said.

Drivers thinking about taking a short cut through North Wildwood and into Stone Harbor and Avalon to leave will also face a closed bridge. The Ingrams Thorofare Bridge will be closed from 7 p.m. through 5 a.m. due to ongoing construction between Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, Avalon police said in a Facebook post. Avalon Boulevard also will be closed during those hours.

For the trip to the rally on the Garden State Parkway or Route 9, it should be smooth sailing as far as encountering any construction.

Im not aware of any additional closures around the time of the event on any NJDOT-maintained roads, said Steve Shapiro, a DOT spokesman.

Once supporters arrive, parking may not be an easy task. All the parking lots surrounding the convention center are not going to be available, said Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron. Drivers may have to go at least two or three blocks away. Some commercial establishments that are typically closed for the off-season and a sizable parking lot may reopen just for the rally parking.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters

Originally posted here:
Roadwork could snarl traffic on bridges near Trumps rally in Wildwood - NJ.com

Peconic Estuary Program has devised a preliminary plan to construct a 1.2-acre wetland to filter road runoff entering Meetinghouse Creek in Aquebogue.

Meetinghouse Creek has been identified as an impaired water body with low dissolved oxygen levels, Peconic Estuary Program program coordinator Sarah Schaefer told the Riverhead Town Board at its work session Thursday morning. Its impairment is the result of past agricultural practices and road runoff. Currently, a 24-inch drainage pipe discharges road runoff collected by drainage structures on Church Lane onto a 2.6-acre town-owned parcel on the south side of Main Road in Aquebogue at the headwaters of Meetinghouse Creek.

To improve the creeks water quality and its ability to support marine life, PEP is proposing to create a new 1.2-acre wetland on the town property. Wetlands already exist on the site but they are choked by phragmites and are not functioning to adequately filter stormwater runoff before it enters Meetinghouse Creek, Schaefer said.

Peconic Estuary Program paid for a watershed management plan for Meetinghouse Creek that was completed in 2006, Schaefer said. In 2017, PEP funded a conceptual design plan, which it presented to the town board Thursday.

The plan is to build a meandering wetland that will provide sufficient transit time to filter out sediment and physical structures to filter out trash before runoff passes under an berm and enters the Meetinghouse Creek system.

PEP will pay the estimated $154,000 in engineering design costs for the new wetland construction, Schaefer said.

Construction costs will run an estimated $530,000, according to the presentation. PEP and the town would apply for state grant funding for the actual construction, she said. The project stands a good chance of being funded, according to Schaefer.

The towns role in the wetland construction and its potential responsibility for the cost of the project will have to be worked out, Schaefer said after her presentation to the board. An operation and maintenance plan will be developed by the engineering firm. The towns share of the project cost could be in-kind services associated with maintenance, she said. The terms of a grant usually address that, she said.

The firm hired to undertake the project will obtain all necessary permits, including permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, the N.Y. State Department of Environmental Conservation, the N.Y. State Department of Transportation and the Town of Riverhead.

Construction is anticipated to take place in 2023.

The Peconic Estuary Program is a cooperative effort between the state, Suffolk County, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the scientific community, and the citizens of the Peconic Estuary watershed, according to the State DEC.

The Peconic Estuary is the body of water between the two forks of eastern Long Island, comprising more than 100 distinct bays, harbors, embayments and tributaries, including Flanders Bay, Great Peconic Bay, Little Peconic Bay, Shelter Island Sound, and Gardiners Bay. It was designated an estuary of national significance by the EPA in 1992.

PEP is responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive management plan to protect the Peconic Estuary. Its first Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) was formally approved by the EPA administrator in 2001.

The CCMP promotes a holistic approach to improving and maintaining the estuary. Priority management topics include Brown Tide, nutrients, habitat and living resources, pathogens, toxic pollutants, and critical lands protection, according to the PEP website.

The Peconic Estuary Program is working to update the 2001 CCMP to address the most current threats.

This story is free to read thanks in part to the generous support of readers like you. Keep local news free. Become a member today.

See the original post here:
Peconic Estuary Program proposes wetland construction in Aquebogue to improve health of Meetinghouse Creek - RiverheadLOCAL

If you drive in the heart of Salt Lake City, the downtown building boom is about to get very real.

City crews, meanwhile, will also embark on several major street repairs as part of a $87 million road reconstruction bond approved in November including upgrades to 200 South from downtown eastward to the University of Utah.

Fourteen cranes over the city on six different projects, said Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, an arm of the Salt Lake Chamber. There are lots of moving parts here."

Traffic planners with Salt Lake City and business leaders at the chamber are focused on detailed and constantly evolving plans to manage the intermittent lane closures and spates of heavy truck traffic along many of the citys go-to thoroughfares.

Pedestrians, bicyclists, e-scooter riders and other street travelers will also be dealing with covered sidewalks, fencing and temporary diversions for safety reasons.

Some congestion and inconvenience will be inevitable in light of the unprecedented surge in commercial development in Salt Lake City as the states population continues to grow and downtown gains new residents.

The important thing for people to know is that were aware of it and were coordinating it, said the citys transportation director, Jon Larsen.

Dozens of city experts, developers, construction managers and officials with the Utah Transit Authority are meeting regularly on ways to minimize bottlenecks and set up alternate UTA bus routes around construction sites.

There are plans for traffic signs to help drivers cope and for regular updates online. Officials are also offering early advice to the nearly 200,000 drivers who flow in and out of the city each day. Theyll need to be patient and, at times, creative.

Key messages are: Use TRAX and FrontRunner more often, plan alternative routes and parking spots well ahead of time, and stay up-to-date via various media outlets.

There are worries, nonetheless, that hassles of navigating cramped downtown streets could lead some to steer elsewhere.

We want the millions of people that visit, shop, dine, play and work downtown to continue to enjoy the vibrancy, art and experiences that can only be found downtown, said Brewer.

The alliance is in something of a lead role, officials said, with a full-time construction ombudsmen on staff to coordinate among building site managers, the citys experts and businesses and residents near construction sites.

The business group is also adding a construction and development page at its website, downtownslc.org

Officials at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are already warning motorists and pedestrians to expect occasional lane closures westbound on North Temple between State Street and West Temple, as drilling between now and February presages what will be four years of work overhauling the 126-year-old temple.

Throughout this entire project, we will do all we can to limit traffic or other disruptions, a spokesman with the churchs Public Affairs Department said.

We want to be good neighbors, church spokesman Daniel Woodruff wrote via email. Our community wants to be part of this project and while this may be uncomfortable for some of us at times, we will do all we can to limit and communicate about disruptions.

Parts of West Temple and South Temple near that project will be closed temporarily for utility work, as will some of the sidewalks around Temple Square, Woodruff said.

Church officials also plan to set up several viewing areas around Temple Square where the public can observe construction.

But between that project and another high-rise development going up one block west in what is known as The West Quarter at 300 West and 200 South, congestion could get hairy on those blocks at times, forcing drivers onto adjacent east-west streets sporadically over the next three years, officials said.

For a sense of magnitude when thinking of the skyscraper construction, Larsen pointed to the week after Thanksgiving, when what seemed like an unending parade of mixers poured tons and tons of concrete for a new office tower known as 95 State at City Creek, just west of Harmons Grocery City Creek.

It was insane, he said of the impressive scale. There were just hundreds of concrete trucks flowing through there in like a 36-hour period.

Multiply that several-fold and you get a picture of potential traffic peaks from now until mid-2023 or beyond.

95 State at City Creek, being built by City Creek Reserve, a real estate development firm owned by the LDS Church, is one of three skyscrapers now being pursued within a three-block stretch of State Street between South Temple and 300 South with potential to aggravate future headaches on that north-south route through downtown.

As if thats not enough, at least two more residential skyscrapers both potentially exceeding 25 stories are in the early planning stages in the same general neighborhood.

Though neither of those towers has a firm construction schedule yet, either or both could conceivably start within the next three year, judging from city documents.

Though the new decades downtown building rush is unprecedented, officials say theyve seen the transportation piece coming.

Using information that developers are required to submit to obtain their demolition and building permits, Larsen said, traffic managers are coordinating street signals and staggering any closures, limiting them to one lane at a time.

Theyre also spreading truck hauling over the citys chief routes for getting excavated materials, equipment and building supplies in and out of the downtown area.

The city will bar any lane closures during peak holiday shopping and downtown sightseeing between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.

Thanks to early LDS Church leader Brigham Young and other urban planners, Salt Lake Citys latticed street network provides a variety of alternative routes to most city locales. Theres mass transit to boot.

We have a really good street grid, Larsen said. We have the best multimodal network and the best well-connected street grid in the state. So theres a lot of options for people to still get around.

In downtowns looming tsunami of orange barriers, patience and advance planning will come in handy, too.

Correction: 10:40 a.m., Jan. 23, 2020 A massive concrete pour in downtown Salt Lake City in early December was for the skyscraper project called 95 State at City Creek. A prior version of this story incorrectly attributed that to another project.

Here is the original post:
Salt Lake City braces for traffic problems as five skyscrapers rise amid a wave of downtown construction - Salt Lake Tribune

New commercial

RESTAURANT: 5301 Johnston St., Lafayette: Burger King, owner; David Ruiz, applicant; Innovative Building Solutions LLC, contractor; $1,220,719.

Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

BAR/LOUNGE: 944 E. Simcoe St., Lafayette; Good Ole Daq's & More, owner; Jonathan Dugas, applicant; self, contractor; $20,000.

APARTMENTS: 200 Oak Crest Drive, Building E, Lafayette; University Place Apartments, owner; description, new bathrooms, relocating kitchens; The Thrasher Group Inc., applicant; Castle Row Construction LLC, contractor; $100,000.

RESTAURANT: 2312 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette; Deano's Pizza, owner; description, renovations; CM Miciotto & Son Inc., applicant and contractor; $87,000.

CHURCH: 2426 La. 93, Carencro; Vatican Baptist Church, owner; description, parking lot expansion; Chad Thibodeaux, applicant; self, contractor; $5,000.

RECREATION: 443 Jefferson St., Lafayette; Lafayette Natural History Museum, owner; CM Miciotto & Son Inc., applicant and contractor; $20,000.

OTHER: 1113 Lee Ave., Lafayette; First Baptist Church, owner and applicant; description, accessory building; Jared Richard, contractor; $5,000.

144 Gable Crest Drive, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $198,000.

146 Gable Crest Drive, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $198,000.

100 Steeplestone Lane, Lafayette; Tommy Pullig LLC; $513,000.

142 Gable Crest Drive, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $198,000.

227 Gable Crest Drive, Lafayette; Shivers Brothers Construction; $261,000.

122 Rena Drive, Lafayette; Breezeway LLC; $162,000.

122 Rena Drive C, Lafayette; Breezeway LLC; $162,000.

609 Greyford Drive, Lafayette Parish; Colony Homes LLC; $459,000.

108 Waterhouse Road, Lafayette Parish; Magnolia Construction & Roof LLC; $315,000.

129 Gentle Crescent Lane, Lafayette; DSLD LLC; $193,500.

1113 Eleventh St., Lafayette; Lemoine Disaster Recovery LLC; $193,000.

415 Biltmore Way, Lafayette; Laviolette General Contracting Inc.; $598,500.

201 Sparrowhawk St., Broussard; DSLD LLC; $220,500.

302 Stanwell Ave., Lafayette Parish; DSLD LLC; $207,000.

215 San Domingo Drive, Youngsville; Triple D Homes LLC; $247,500.

118 Gentle Crescent Lane, Lafayette;DSLD LLC; $198,000.

119 Gentle Crescent Lane, Lafayette;DSLD LLC; $171,000.

104 Hatfield Drive, Lafayette Parish;DSLD LLC; $193,500.

405 Ambergris Lane, Broussard; Platinum Homes Inc.; $369,592.

110 Carriage Lakes Drive, Broussard; Bon Maison Builders LLC; $334,373.

306 Channel Drive, Broussard; DP Construction LLC; $267,565.

607 Easy Rock Landing, Broussard; Hart Homes LLC; $227,232.

103 Lillian St., Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $211,561.

808 Deer Meadow, Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $257,255.

1010 Deer Meadow, Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $289,917.

1012 Deer Meadow, Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $257,255.

1100 Deer Meadow, Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $208,426.

112 Chloe St., Broussard; DSLD Homes LLC; $202,818.

230 Whispering Meadows, Broussard; AM Design Inc.; $225,417.

Lafayette native and longtime entrepreneur Ruth Ann Menutis has vowed to scale back on her frenetic business pace.

b1Bankis acquiring Houma-based Pedestal Bankin a $211 million deal that will make it the third-largest bank headquartered in Louisiana and a

With 2019s Acadiana housing sales inching out last year to become our latest record-setting year in both the reported number of home sales an

The LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center has selectedJames P. Roy Sr., a senior partner and managing member of Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards L

Shoppers Value, which filed for bankruptcy restructuring in late 2019, plans to close its Jones Creek grocery store after more than four years

Read more from the original source:
Who's building where in Acadiana? Here are the building permits issued Jan. 13-17 - The Advocate

Construction company Skanska U.S.A. halted work on the church in December 2017 when the archdiocese ran out of money to complete the project. The half-finished church has been covered in white tarp since then.

NEW YORK (AP) Two years after a lack of funds halted construction of a marble-clad Greek Orthodox church at New York's World Trade Center site, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Greek Orthodox officials announced plans to resume construction with the goal of finishing the rebuilding by the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The completed St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, will welcome visitors from all faiths while also replacing an Orthodox church that was buried in the rubble of the trade center's south tower.

"This house of worship will serve as a reminder that our collective faith is something we can always count on to move past our painful memories and build a better tomorrow," Cuomo said in a statement.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, the head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, pledged that the rebuilt church will be "open to all women and men of goodwill who wish to honor the memory of all who perished on Sept. 11."

The cost estimate of the church just south of the rebuilt trade center's memorial pools has ballooned from $20 million when the design was announced in 2013 to $80 million, of which $40 million remains to be raised, said the Rev. Alex Karloutsos, vicar general of the archdiocese.

Construction company Skanska U.S.A. halted work on the church in December 2017 when the archdiocese ran out of money to complete the project. The half-finished church has been covered in white tarp since then.

Karloutsos said archdiocesan officials expect construction to resume by early March.

"We have a full understanding of the cost and we have a construction manager named," he said. "We're going to be very transparent and accountable."

The design for the church by Calatrava, also the architect responsible for the trade center's bird-shaped Oculus train hall, features a central dome flanked by towers like the two Byzantine shrines that inspired it, the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora. The concrete structure will be sheathed in marble, and its dome will be lighted from the inside at night.

Officials with the archdiocese have acknowledged financial mismanagement during the tenure of the previous archbishop, Demetrios, who recently retired last year at age 91.

The new archbishop, Elpidophoros, said last June when he was installed as the first new leader in 20 years for the 1.5-million Greek Orthodox worshipers in the United States that completing the St. Nicholas shrine at the World Trade Center was his top priority.

Elpidophoros and Cuomo said an independent 13-member board called Friends of St. Nicholas will lead the fundraising effort to complete construction. The board will be chaired by Greek-American businessman Dennis Mehiel, former chairman of New York's Battery Park City Authority.

Elpidophoros led a ceremony at the shuttered construction site on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas' feast day, calling the rebuilding of the church "the single most important public affirmation of our Orthodox faith in our American nation" since the late Archbishop Iakovos marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama in 1965.

The rest is here:
Rebuilding of Church Lost in 9/11 Attacks to Resume - Construction Equipment Guide

Through its long history, Chatham has been known by many monikers, and now it may be acquiring a new one.

Without doubt, Chatham will be the organ town, says the Rev. Joseph Marchio, pastor, director of music and organist at the First Congregational Church of Chatham.

The church, celebrating its tercentennial this year, is joining St. Christophers Episcopal Church and the First United Methodist Church in upgrading their organs. The Congregational organ will be what Marchio calls a world-class instrument.

One blustery cold morning last week Marchio led a visitor on a tour of the church at 650 Main St., which is undergoing a renovation. Since November, Marchio and administrative assistant Mary Lou Foley have been using offices at the Methodist church up the street until the renovations are complete, scheduled for Sept. 1. The congregation moved its weekly services to St. Martins Lodge Hall. To provide music during the church services, the church has rented a digital organ.

The $700,000 upgrade to the organ is very much tied in with the churchs $2.5 million renovation. Renovations include improving handicap access and installing a new elevator that will run from the basement up three floors to the churchs attic and be large enough to hold a gurney in an emergency.

The entire project, known as Vision 2020, is all about improving the accessibility, functionality and hospitality of the church, Marchio says.

In the sanctuary, the northern wall will be pushed out 24 feet and a room will be created behind the sanctuary. The organ cabinetthat is the place where the organ pipes are housedwill be pushed back several feet into a recessed chamber, adding much-needed space to the chancel. Previously, the chancel was crowded as the organs console, the choir, the minister and more shared space there. Yet when the project is complete, when you sit in a pew in the sanctuary very little will look different.

The churchs organ was built in 1972 and donated by Robert Harned, a local physician who was then the choir director.

The organ served us well until recently when it was showing its age, says Cam Koblish, a member of the capital campaign committee who is overseeing the overall construction project. Marty Koblish, Cams wife, is, along with Bob Hessler, co-chairing the capital campaign. Parts like leather seals and valves start to show age.

The 48-year-old organ, built in Saint Hyacinthe, Quebec by the firm of Casavant Freres, had 1,200 pipes which were housed behind the chancel. In the front, known as the faade, 18 large metal pipes were visible while the rest were hidden behind a latticed screen. In 2007 the church acquired a new electrified consolethat is the key and footboard portion of the organ. The console can be moved around to various places for worship and concerts.

The new organ will have 1,550 pipes. Of these, about 850 will be reconditioned while the remainder will be new. Added will be stops such as an oboe, three or four flutes and a herald trumpet.

The bride comes down the aisle, she wants the trumpet tune, Marchio says. The trumpet will also be used for festive hymns and concerts.

Now, heres how Chatham will become an organ town. While the new Dobson Pipe Organ that will be installed at St. Christophers is of French design, Marchio says, and the organ installed at the Methodist church a few years ago is of German design, the new organ at this church will be a little English cathedral organ.

No two organs are alike, and any given church will choose the one that sounds best in its sanctuary, says Marchio, who worked summers during high school and college with an organ builder.

In the Protestant tradition, hymn singing is fundamental, Marchio adds. The organ needed at this church is one to accompany the human voice. It will do more than great justice.

Down in the churchs fellowship hall, the construction crew is taking a coffee break. Along the side of the room the organ pipes that will not be reconditioned are standing in racks against a wall. Pipes range from the size of a pencil to 16 feet. Marchio picks one up and blows into it, creating a sound somewhat like a trumpeting elephant, startling everyone in the room.

Each pipe has a price tag as they will be sold as a part of the fundraising effort for the new organ. If additional funds can be raised, the organ can eventually have 1,800 pipes and even more stops.

People who are into history and want a little piece of ithow fun to have an organ pipe from a church thats going to be 300 years old, Marty Koblish says. She suggests the pipes could be blown at the towns annual noise parade during First Night celebrations.

In another commemorative effort, Forest Beach Design has designed a custom charm or pendant in sterling silver and 14-karat gold that shows the exterior of the church. The charm and the organ pipes will be sold through the church.

When the organ is completed this summer, Marchio will travel up to Saint Hyacinthe, about 50 miles from Montreal, and test-play the organ. When the pipes finally arrive in Chatham, it will take about five weeks to unpack, install and voice them.

For information on donating to the Vision 2020 project and the organ, visit http://www.chathamcongregational.org.

Go here to read the rest:
New Organ Will Be Centerpiece Of Congregational Church Renovation - Cape Cod Chronicle

It will be able to host up to 40 thousand faithful and will be dedicated to Sofia Divine -Wisdom. Its construction was commissioned by Fr. Ilja Nozdin, spiritual father of the same patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev). It will be financed by some spiritual sons of the starets Sergij Romanov. The church already attracts many Chinese. It is an Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia. It will rise in the area where the family of Tsar Nicholas II was killed. It could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - The largest Christian (or at least Orthodox) church in the world will be built in the territory of the female monastery dedicated to the icon of the Mother of God "Bread Dispenser", capable of gathering almost 40,000 faithful.

The starets of the monastery, the skhiigumen Sergij (Romanov - see photo 1), announced the project to the Znak.com website. He is an almost legendary and rather mysterious character, with an (apparently) criminal past, with links to many Russian public figures: the Duma deputy Natalja Poklonskaja (ex-Crimean prosecutor), the hockey champion Pavel Datsjuk, the singer Aleksandr Novikov and others, including several entrepreneurs and oligarchs, all ready to finance the grandiose project.

Zhanna Rjabtseva revealed some details of the building plan. Ryabtseva is president of the regional parliament in Sverdlovsk, the Ekaterinburg area, and also a parishioner of Father Sergij. He states that the idea of the super-church was approved directly by another famous Igumen, father Ilja (Nozdrin), spiritual father of the same patriarch of Moscow Kirill (Gundjaev). The church will be dedicated to Sofia, Divine Wisdom and will reach 77 meters in height, with a dome of 22 meters in height and 33 meters in diameter (the vaults of St. Peter's in Rome are 45 meters high, even if the Michelangelo dome reaches 133 meters).

The entire complex will be arranged in three large naves and will contain two churches, a lower one of 11 thousand square meters for 20 thousand people, and an upper of 6.5 thousand square meters for over 18 thousand faithful (photos 2 and 3). According to Rjabtseva the construction of the stylobate, the overall base, will begin this year and the foundations will be extended over 100x100 meters. The completion date, according to his words "are in the hands of God, but it will be a great popular event". When asked who the financiers of the project are, the only answer was that "they will be some of Father Sergij's spiritual children."

Again according to Rjabtseva, many Chinese would also be interested in the construction, fascinated by the events that led the members of the imperial family of Nicholas II to conclude their earthly journey on the Urals, and would have asked to receive baptism in these places, while now Chinese converts must go to other parts, such as the Diveevo monastery (founded by St. Seraphim of Sarov) or to the Lavra della the Holy Trinity of Saint Sergius, to reach the sources of the great Russian spirituality; over a thousand baptisms of Chinese per day are expected in the new church. " In this way, the church of St. Sophia would become the main Orthodox outpost on the outskirts of Asia.

An entrepreneur interviewed, but under anonymity, explained that the fundraising had already been underway for the past couple of years, and that it took only a year and a half to determine the land on which to build the church, three and a half hectares of countryside owned by the Krekov family, whose members were initially unwilling to divest. President Rjabtseva then managed to convince them to sell it to the diocese of Ekaterinburg, for a sum that remained reserved, presumably close to 5 million euros. The Krekovs reject all request for interviews, declaring only that "our silence was one of the conditions of the agreement".

Even the diocese has so far not commented on the project, but has promised to convene journalists on the matter shortly. In the circles of the Muscovite Patriarchate there is no precise information on the future "super-cathedral", but for some time now it has been discussing various devotional and architectural initiatives to honor the memory of the tsar-martyr and his family in the Ekaterinburg area.

On the site of the assassination of Nicholas II, the so-called "Ipat'ev house", the large church "on Blood" has already been raised, of over 3 thousand square meters for a capacity of about 2 thousand faithful. The other major churches of Russia are the patriarchal cathedral of the Holy Savoir in Moscow, planned for 10 thousand faithful, and that of St. Isaac in St. Petersburg for over 11 thousand, even if it currently is still being used as a museum, despite the Churches request it be returned. The great Ural church could become the largest pilgrimage destination in all of Russia.

View post:
RUSSIA The largest church in the Orthodox world will rise on the Urals - AsiaNews

By Dennis Mehiel and Michael Psaros January 25, 2020

Michael Psaros. (Photo by TNH/Costas Bej)

We were shocked by the appearance of a paid advertisement in the National Herald a few days ago urging our Omogeneia to abandon the St. Nicholas National Shrine. The completion of the Saint Nicholas Church and National Shrine is a singular priority for our community as we approach the one hundredth anniversary of the Archdiocese of America. The National Shrine will be the only religious institution on Ground Zero, a symbol and beacon of global Orthodoxy, and the most visited Church in New York (up to ten million people per year visit the World Trade Center).

It will also stand as an immortal monument to the memory of the 3,000 people who were murdered and martyred on September 11, 2001. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros has stated with conviction that completing the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine is the single most important civil act of the Orthodox Church in America, since Archbishop Iakovos marched across the Bridge at Selma with Dr. King.

His Eminence also believes that the completion of the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine will be a symbol of the resurgence of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, resulting in the re-engagement of our Faithful, the Nation, and the world with renewed vitality.

The National Shrine will also be a symbol to the world of New Yorks and Americas resilience, a living icon of American values and value system, and a declaration of Americas commitment to freedom. Governor Cuomo said that St. Nicholas is not just a national shrine, but a rather a global shrine. St. Nicholas is a symbol of peace and unity to a country that is desperately divided and to a world which is in chaos.

His personal conviction was not just clear, but moving, and he pledged the unconditional support of the State and the Port Authority to our effort. Friends, with the extraordinary support of our Omogeneia, together will pick up the Cross with faith, humility, and prayer to complete the construction of the St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine. We, are confident that we, the Church militant, will prove ourselves worthy of the Church triumphant.

*Dennis Mehiel and Michael Psaros are Chair and Co-Chair of The Friends of St. Nicholas

Here is the original post:
Have Faith in Saint Nicholas! - The National Herald

A group of volunteers were busy Saturday as they wrapped up construction on a Habitat for Humanity home.

First United Methodist Church volunteers partnered with Habitat for Humanity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Just about every room of the house was occupied as seven volunteers cleaned, painted and used an electric saw machine and nail gun.

While each volunteer worked separately or in pairs, they all did it for one common goal: to complete a house that will soon be turned over to a family.

"We are in the final stages of this particular house build," said Josh Beshears, repairs manager for Habitat for Humanity. "We are set to dedicate this one Thursday, Jan. 23, so we have about six days."

As a spiritual-based organization, Habitat for Humanity leans on church partners to provide volunteers, Beshears said.

"In essence, the way that we build is with volunteer labor, so the more people we can have come out to give a hand, the faster and better the product becomes," Beshears said.

In addition to the seven volunteers at the construction site, four volunteers spent part of their day at ReStore, Habitat for Humanity's home improvement store.

With over 2,000 volunteer hours put into the house, Beshears said he hopes helping build gives the volunteers a sense of community and accomplishment.

"We always want to empower people to do new things, to help not only themselves but help others," Beshears said. "Volunteers learn skills, they learn the building component. We always like to say, 'Hey, if there's something you really wanted to do, come here we will teach you how to do it.' Our entire house, with the exception of all the trade work, is done by volunteer labor. So all this dry wall you see hung, the flooring, the cabinets, the closets we teach people how to do all of those things."

Natalie Barbee, a volunteer, worked in the house's basement Saturday morning cleaning and organizing the storage room. This was her first time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

"My dad has always worked in the construction business for many years, and my son also has done it so I thought it was my turn," Barbee said.

Barbee hopes to leave with a sense of giving back.

"A home is such a comforting feeling, and I hope that (the family) feels the love that we put into this," Barbee said.

Visit link:
CapFed Best News: Church volunteers give back in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day - The Topeka Capital-Journal

Six Voorhees College students pose together for the colleges announcement in June 2019 that they were selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the colleges paid internship program. Photo: Voorhees College

[Episcopal News Service] Christina Donovan considers herself a nontraditional undergraduate student. At age 27, she is older than many of her classmates at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Yet she exemplifies, with her personal background and academic interests, the type of student whom administrators say they strive to serve at Voorhees, a historically black college whose ties to The Episcopal Church date to 1924.

With about 500 students, the colleges faculty can devote greater attention to nurturing students academically than what pupils could expect at a large university, Donovan told Episcopal News Service. And as a young black woman from Brooklyn, New York, she appreciates being joined by other African American students as they spend these years focused on their education.

Christina Donovan, a senior at Voorhees College, served last year as president of the Student Government Association. Photo: Voorhees College

On campus, everybody knows everybody, she said, like a family. I love it. The fact that I was able to be around people that looked like me was a little easier because youre not competing or not dealing with a lot of the issues.

Those issues often center around race and racial tensions, which sometimes become distractions in multiracial learning environments, Donovan said. Instead, her academic career has flourished since she left New York in 2017 for Voorhees, including a stint last year as the colleges Student Government Association president and a fellowship this year with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Behind the success of students like Donovan is a range of assistance financial, administrative, spiritual provided to the college by The Episcopal Church, Voorhees President W. Franklin Evans said in an interview with ENS. He became president in 2016 and has been encouraged since then by the churchs solidification of its financial support. The churchs last two triennial budgets included more than $1.6 million for Voorhees and Saint Augustines University in Raleigh, North Carolina, another historically black school with Episcopal roots.

Having support from The Episcopal Church is paramount, Evans said, and the importance of that connection to the church goes beyond the direct payments that help Voorhees and Saint Augustines keep operating. Church staff, particularly in its development office, have helped the colleges improve their financial controls and increase their own fundraising capacity.

Its really critical that we have donors, and we are able to tap into folks who can really help us financially, he said.

The church also is in its third year raising money for the two schools through its Absalom Jones offering, named for the first black Episcopal priest. The campaign has collected more than $75,000 in the past two years, and this years campaign is underway, leading up to Joness feast day on Feb. 13. Donations can be made online here.

Such assistance, as well as the churchs administrative guidance, has been critical to ensuring that Voorhees and Saint Augustines maintain their accreditations after the uncertainty of previous years.

That uncertainty was particularly acute at Saint Augustines, which just two years ago was operating under the cloud of probation and the threat of losing its accreditation due to past financial struggles and enrollment decline. In December 2018, however, the university announced it had turned a corner after implementing its improvement plan; its accrediting agency removed Saint Augustines from probation and granted it a 10-year accreditation.

W. Franklin Evans has served as Voorhees Colleges president since 2016. Photo: Voorhees College

Voorhees received its 10-year accreditation in 2011, though it was still working to bring some of its operations up to standards, such as in record-keeping and financial management, Evans said. Shortly after he became president, the college completed a five-year review, and its accrediting agency responded favorably, without identifying any concerns. The college now is preparing for its next 10-year reaccreditation, in 2021.

The Episcopal Churchs recent work with historically black colleges and universities, also known as HBCUs, coincides with a greater emphasis on racial reconciliation under the leadership of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who was elected in 2015 as the first African American bishop to head the church. Evans said Voorhees is looking forward to welcoming Curry to speak on campus this April 7 as part of the colleges 123rd Founders Day celebration.

Historically black colleges and universities are essential institutions that help prepare people from diverse backgrounds for success in an array of vital professions, Curry said in a news release this month announcing the Absalom Jones offering campaign. It is fitting that we honor his memory by lending our support to two schools that continue to form new African-American leaders.

Historically black colleges and universities like Voorhees and Saint Augustines were founded in the post-Civil War period to provide educational opportunities to black men and women who were excluded from white institutions of higher learning because of segregation. Saint Augustines was established in 1867 by The Episcopal Church and opened its doors the following January. The school that later would become Voorhees College was founded in 1897, and The Episcopal Church has supported it since 1924.

The Rev. Martini Shaw, chair of the HBCU committee of The Episcopal Churchs Executive Council, thinks the church stepped up its support of those two schools in 2015 at a critical time, particularly given the uncertainty at Saint Augustines.

Having the support and the partnership of the church really helped the school attain accreditation, said Shaw, rector at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Absalom Jones first served as rector.

The HBCU committee also is encouraged by recent enrollment and fundraising gains at Voorhees. The church continues to serve as a partner and a supporter of the institution, Shaw told ENS. His committee has scheduled an in-person meeting on the campus in April, which he explained, is our way of letting them know at Voorhees that the church is in full support of that institution.

The churchs financial support in recent years has included hundreds of thousands of dollars through various grant programs, including Educational Enterprise Grants, Sustainability Grants and the United Thank Offering program. The UTO grant of $73,700 that was awarded to Voorhees in 2019 is supporting a renovation and construction project on campus that includes an admissions center and a community wellness complex.

We believe in the mission of educating young people in order that they might become all that God intends for them to be, as positive, productive citizens of our nation and the world, Episcopal Church Chief Financial Officer Kurt Barnes said by email. By enabling a healthy, continuing and independent Voorhees, we hope the relationship promotes racial healing, justice and reconciliation.

When Donovan graduates this spring with a bachelors degree in mass communications, shed like to find an opportunity to continue working in Washington but doesnt yet have firm plans. She will leave Voorhees with memories for a lifetime, like the time she served as the thurifer on Absalom Jones feast day in the campuss St. Philips Chapel and smoked it out with an intense level of incense.

The colleges affiliation with The Episcopal Church was one reason she was drawn to Voorhees. Im able to still have my church life and be at school, she said, also recalling childhood Sundays when she would serve as an acolyte at Christ Church in Brooklyns Bay Ridge neighborhood, near her home in Sheepshead Bay.

Donovan will remember feeling initially apprehensive at moving to a small Southern city but then quickly right at home as a part of the campus community. Her memories also will include listening to Voorhees professors who shared with students their experiences traveling to Ghana and seeing firsthand the vestiges of the transatlantic slave trade.

Shell also remember her first visit to campus when she learned about Voorhees founding in 1897 by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, whose mission was to improve black lives through education. And the college continues to keep her spirit alive for new generations of students like herself, Donovan said.

Its a place for you to find who you are and what you can do for the world or in your community.

David Paulsen is an editor and reporter for Episcopal News Service. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

Read the original here:
Voorhees College draws on strong bond with Episcopal Church to live into educational mission - Episcopal News Service