The Akdamar Church of the Holy Cross Photo Exhibition, organized by the Turkish Presidency Communications Office, met art lovers Monday at the Noho Showrooms in London at 7 p.m. for its next stop following shows in Istanbul Hagia Irene Church and New York.

As an important part and witness of the Anatolian lands that hosted the Phrygian, Hittite, Lydian, Urartu, Armenian, Assyrian, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations, the eastern Van province is a bridge to ancient ages with its historical and archaeological riches. The Church of the Holy Cross on Akhtamar (Akdamar) Island in Lake Van is among the most brilliant and unique works of medieval Christian art. The church, which was built between 915 and 921, is one of the most important centers of Armenian history and continues to exist today thanks to detailed renovation and restoration works carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Research and promotional activities have been carried out to increase awareness regarding the Akdamar Church and to make it known worldwide. In addition to a book containing all the detailed information about the church, architectural drawings and photographs, the most detailed digital work on the church has been compiled on the website of the church at www. akdamarchurch.gov.tr. On the website, available in Turkish, English and German, high-resolution VR videos were shot and 360-degree photographs taken from 14 various points were published for the first time utilizing the most recent technology.

The interior and exterior facades, reliefs and frescoes of the construction were, again for the first time, photographed from eye level and presented online on the website. Also, the magnificent natural view of Akdamar is presented to the website's visitors through zzet Kehribar's camera. The introductory film on the Akdamar Church of the Holy Cross, which was another phase of the introductory project, accurately reflects the magnificent grandeur and unique atmosphere of the church.

The glorious monument of Anatolia has now come to light with the photo exhibit in London. Among the participants of the show are Nikitas Eminence, the archbishop of Great Britain, Orthodox Armenians spiritual leader Degabah Sahak Bishop Masalyan, Turkish Armenian Foundations Union President Bedros irinolu, Polycarpus Augin Aydn, Syriac Ancient Beyolu Church Board Chairman Kenan Grdal, Lolita Asili zzet Kehribar and Terry Katalan.

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Akdamar Church introduced to London in exhibition - Daily Sabah

In response to a post on theFixing York Facebook page,we decided to dive in and find out what exactly is happening behind the LCBC Church.

If you've driven along Route 30 recently, you may have noticed a significant amount of construction happening nearthe North Hills Road intersection.

In June, work began on a 352,000-square-foot distribution facility at 693 North Hills Road in Springettsbury Township.

Construction crews work on a soon-to-be 352,000-square-foot distribution facility at 693 North Hills Road in Springettsbury Township on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. The Endurance Realty warehouse is located directly behind LCBC Church near U.S. Route 30. The project is expected to be completed by May 2020.(Photo: Neil Strebig, York Daily Record)

The Delaware County-based Endurance Realty is a real estate developer with 46 buildings and facilities throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. DWS Group is an international-based asset manager.

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What's happening with all the construction behind LCBC Church along Route 30? - York Daily Record

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Midtown business owners launched a holiday party at the Living Stones Church parking lot to support local merchants in the middle of so many orange cones.

Owners in the Midtown area, like Jessica Schneider, said they are not letting the construction bring them down.

"I am in survival mode, construction is brutal, its hard, but I will not go under, I will not fail," said Schneider.

The Regional Transportation Commission and Sierra Nevada Construction are working to provide easier access in midtown, enhance safety, and support economic development.

Owner of Junkee Clothing Exchange Jessica Schneider said after 12 years of having her location open, larger sidewalks, bike racks, and more plants are all necessary.

"I knew this was coming, and it had to come. I mean really my grandma in a wheelchair, you cant fit two people on a sidewalk. Yes, its tough, but it had to happen," said Schneider.

While work is being done on the roads, Midtown has been expanding with many new businesses like The Emerson Bar. Owner Tyler Colton said for many new business owners like himself, they are starting to see the long term impact on the project.

"Happening now for a lot of businesses here Im calling it mid-Midtown by Craft and Junkee is that we are becoming landlocked and the only way to access us will be all through back streets, Haskell, Plumas, so we are all a little concerned," said Colton.

Co-owner of Sup Christian Christensen said he wishes project leaders would listen and actually implement more of the ideas of those directly impacted, but he knows the end result is growth for us all.

"Its been long overdue and so we can not wait to see the final product with the big sidewalks, with trees, art, benches everything, its going to be really good for everyone," said Christensen.

Construction crews are sticking to the timelines for each phase. Business owners said while it's not over they want to make sure the support lasts as long as the work continues.

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Businesses react to Midtown construction - KOLO

Early last Thursday afternoon, Joan Graciale walked from her nearby home to St. George's Church on Washington Street to ask a demolition crew for one or two bricks from the 127-year-old building.

She said she was married at the church in 1980 and that all her children were baptized there.

"Im sad, very sad," she said. "To see it come down ... it was sad even when they closed the doors. It was like, Well I dont have a church now.'"

Graciale, like other people who once attended St. George's Church in the city's Mount Washington neighborhood, will soon witness the construction of low-income housing where their church stood for more than a century.

St. George's closed its doors 21 years ago. Since then, except for an occasional neighborhood use, the building has sat vacant and fallen into disrepair.

The church closed in 1998 when four Catholic churches in the city consolidated into what is now All Saints Church. Mayor James Fiorentini said he originally hoped to see St. George's the church his own grandparents attended preserved, but "after years of it sitting there inactive ... I became all for this (housing) project."

A local organization stepped forward with a proposal to build low-income housing on the church property. The city approved the project and the church was being demolished last week.

Bread & Roses Housing, a nonprofit based in Lawrence, received a special permit last year to proceed with the project, gaining unanimous approval from the Haverhill City Council.

Yesenia Gil, executive director of Bread & Roses Housing, said that due to funding, logistical concerns, management and other considerations, her organization revised its plan and is building three duplexes and one single-family home on the church property, rather than two larger buildings.

She said the changes reduced construction costs from nearly $3 million to about $1.5 million, will make the properties easier to build and manage, reduce density, boost quality of life for the homeowners, and increase open space on the site. The units will still feature off-street parking and fenced-in yard space, she said.

The project earned enthusiastic support from city councilors, the mayor, the planning director and community groups, including the Mount Washington Alliance and Urban Kindness. Everyone who endorsed the project was happy with its two-birds-with-one-stone approach of both removing the abandoned church, which has become a neighborhood blight, and bringing home ownership to the area, which has struggled with absentee landlords and crime in recent years.

Gil said foundations for the project are expected to be poured following demolition of the church, with construction of the first two duplexes taking place over the winter, followed by construction of a third duplex and the single-family home in the spring.

"I hope it sets a standard and serves as a catalyst for additional housing opportunities for the residents of Mount Washington," City Councilor Joseph Bevilacqua said.

The nonprofitBread & Rosesaims to get low-income families into home-ownership by providing newly-renovated or newly-built homes to very low-income, first-time home-buyers at a reduced rate. The goal is to offer those families the benefits that come with being a homeowner and to help them become financially stable.

Bread & Roses maintains ownership of the land through a community land trust, so that more low-income families can move in if the residents who settle there first decide to move. It's also stipulated that the homes must remain owner-occupied and cannot be rented.

Gil said the first homeowners are expected to move into the buildings next summer.

"We've developed units in North Andover and Lawrence,'' she said, "and we're now expanding into Haverhill.''

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Saying goodbye to St. George's Church | Local News - The Harvell gazette

The dispute between the local parish priest and the council is the latest setback for worshippers at the Mar Grigis al-Sawma Church in Neda. The village is located in the Sohag province in Upper Egypt, which covers a region made up of strips of land on both sides of the Nile. The council had originally accepted an engineering plan which included a bell tower with a crucifix on top and granted a building permit.

But the authority has since backtracked on its decision and said the structure will have to be removed from the drawings.

The priest has appealed to President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to intervene and resolve the case, reports persecution.org.

The Court of Akhmim heard the case last weekend but the outcome is not yet known.

Christian worshippers in the North Africa nation have faced threats from Islamic extremists in recent years.

But this week Coptic Catholic Bishop William of Assiut said things are improving.

The church leader told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need: We thank God that the situation is getting better.

The president has goodwill towards the Christians.

READ MORE:Grave-robbers steal crucifix and body of priest - ransom demanded

But he said the ties between Muslims and Christians were strong, despite reports of tensions.

They would like to establish an Islamic State but in Egypt it will never materialise, he added.

Egyptians are close Christians and Muslims are too united for the extremists to cause problems.

Ninety percent of Egyptian citizens are Muslim, predominantly Sunni.

Shia Muslims constitute less than one percent of the figures.

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Christianity crackdown: Church told to remove cross as it is unauthorised construction - Express.co.uk

SALT LAKE CITY - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced in April of this year that the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square would receive extensive renovations.

President Russell M. Nelson announced that the Salt Lake Temple will close on December 29 and will remain closed for four years.

We promise that you will love the results, said President Nelson about the plans for the Salt Lake Temple renovations. They will emphasize and highlight the life, ministry, and mission of Jesus Christ in His desire to bless every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

When the Church announced the renovations, it explained a number of changes and upgrades that would be made: The temple upgrades will help the structure withstand an earthquake; There will also be a new tunnel added underneath North Temple Street. The tunnel gives access to the temple from the Conference Center parking area; The South Visitors Center will be removed from Temple Square and replaced; The plaza in between the temple and State Street and the Church Office Building, Church Administration Building and Joseph Smith Memorial Building will undergo renovation and improvements; There will be new entrances added to Temple Square. A virtual walk-through from the Church showcases these new entrances.

The Salt Lake Temple is expected to open again in 2024, and the Church will host a public open house once the renovations are finished.

This will be an incredible opportunity, said Bishop Dean M. Davies, First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, in a Church News article. For generations, only faithful members have been able to enter the Salt Lake Temple. Now everyonepeople of our faith, other faiths or no faithwill be able to come to the temple.

Davis said that the Church wanted everyone to feel welcome.

We want them to come and see and feel why this temple is so beautiful to us. We want it to be their temple, too. The temple is part of the community.

At the time of the Salt Lake Temple announcement, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert noted that there would be potential traffic problems due to the construction in the area, according to the Deseret News.

So Im hopeful that tourism doesnt wane at all, the governor told reporters at the time. It will maybe increase, in fact, as people come here and see our beautiful capital city and our wonderful state andmost importantlyour wonderful people that reside here.

Brent Roberts, director of special projects for the Church, told the Deseret News that they are considering this a major construction project, and that Church officials will work within guidelines of city noise and ordinances throughout the process.

The following locations will remain open at Temple Square: Salt Lake Tabernacle, North Visitors Center, Assembly Hall, Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Church Office Building

Relief Society Building, Church Administration Building, Beehive House, Lion House and Conference Center.

For more information visit https://www.thechurchnews.com/category/salt-lake-temple.

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How Salt Lake Temple Closure in December Will Affect Area - Rexburg Standard Journal

Photo credit Community Blood Center

St. Joseph Catholic Church hosting blood drive on Monday. St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Community Blood Center are hosting a blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25 at Knights of Columbus Hall, 11221 Johnson Drive. They are distributing Chiefs T-shirts to donors. Those wishing to donate can schedule an appointment by visiting savealifenow.org and use Sponsor Code stjosephcatholic. Walk-in donors are welcome. For more information, contact Virginia Wiedel at 913-268-3874.

Westwoods daytime population grows 900+ on a given workday. The city of Westwood earlier this month shared a report from the Census Bureau that shows the citys daytime population is 900+ greater than the citys residential population estimate, based on the FY 2017 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics data. About 1,700 people commute into Westwood to work, while about 800 Westwood residents work outside the city. Only a few people both live and work in Westwood. Plus the Census Bureau reports that Westwoods estimated July 1, 2018 residential population stands at 1,658 people. Base on collected data, more people than the towns residential population total commute into Westwood on a given work day.

Ridgeview Road project in Lenexa delayed. A wet spring and summer coupled with early freezing temperatures this fall have slowed construction on a new section of Ridgeview Road that will connect K-10 Highway 10 to Prairie Star Parkway. Originally slated to open in late 2019, the road will now open in spring 2020. The project is nearly complete, but because of low temperatures, the final two inches of asphalt must be delayed until spring. Work will resume on laying the final asphalt and striping the road as soon as weather permits and asphalt plants reopen next spring. Work that is not weather dependent, including sidewalks and lighting, will continue throughout the coming months. Temporary access to the Little Mill Creek trailhead will be re-established in the coming weeks as soon as Johnson County Wastewater finishes a main extension project. The new section of road will provide a vital transportation connection and open up the surrounding area to new development opportunities.

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Briefly Noted: St. Joseph Catholic Church hosting blood drive on Monday - Shawnee Mission Post

For millennia, folks assumed that maggots would spring to life spontaneously in rotting meat. The theory that life can spring from non-life was debunked in the mid-19th century by the work of men like Louis Pasteur and John Tyndall.

The U.S. Supreme Court designated Secular Humanism as a religion in the early 1960s for a reason: because it is a system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. Confronted with a world literally crawling with living creatures, a person whose religion teaches that we are undesigned and unintended beings must grapple with an uncomfortable prospect: that at some point in the distant past, life must have sprung from non-life by pure accident.

Darwins vision of a single-cell organism inexplicably coming to life was as simplistic and fanciful as his limited understanding of the structure and functions of a cell. His musings were unrestrained by such worrisome considerations as the unfathomable precision and complexity of the DNA code associated with even the simplest of single-cell organisms.

How unlikely is it that the simplest of living organisms could have formed and come to life spontaneously? Well, just to put things in perspective, it is estimated that the number of atoms in the entire universe is 10 to the 82nd power. That amounts to one-hundred thousand quadrillion vigintillion atoms! Thats a lot! What are the odds of spontaneous generation occurring even once? Harold Joseph Morowitz, noted biophysicist at Yale calculated that the chance of the formation of the simplest of organisms is one in 10 to the 340,000,000 power! No amount of time will account for this event ever occurring! Ever!

Why is spontaneous generation impossible? Because each strand of DNA in every cell represents complex coding that defines every detail of the construction and function of the organism. A.G. Cairns-Smith, organic chemist and molecular biologist at the University of Glasgow, wrote, Mans library consists of a set of construction and service manuals that run to the equivalent of about a million book-pages together. E.H. Andrews, physicist and engineer at Queen Mary University of London, put it best: It is not possible for a code, of any kind, to arise by chance or accidentA code is the work of an intelligent mindThis could no more have been the work of chance or accident than could the Moonlight Sonata be played by mice running up and down the keyboard of my piano!

If you want to devote yourself to the religion of Secular Humanism, that is your business. But there is no justification for ridiculing anyone who refuses to accept the tenets of your faith. The scientific evidence clearly indicates that there is a Code-Writer of immense power and intellect and those willing to acknowledge the obvious have no reason to be ashamed.

Editors Note: Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the editorial opinion of the Murray Ledger & Times.

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The religion of humanism spontaneous generation | Church Page - Murray Ledger and Times

The first of months of weekend closures of the Wiehle-Reston East station on the Silver Line is among Metro disruptions

The first of months of weekend closures of the Wiehle-Reston East station on the Silver Line is among Metro disruptions this weekend, as road work could also cause delays for travelers on this pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

On Metro, Wiehle-Reston East is closed, with shuttle buses to and from the Spring Hill station. Silver Line trains will run normally at other stops. Wiehle-Reston East is scheduled to be closed for 13 weekends through March as part of work to connect the existing portion of the Silver Line to the extension to Dulles International Airport and Loudoun County.

Track work also significantly slows Orange Line riders to and from Vienna and Dunn Loring. Only a shuttle train runs between Vienna, Dunn Loring and West Falls Church about twice an hour this weekend. Orange Line trains will run normally between West Falls Church and New Carrollton.

On the Red Line, single-tracking between Friendship Heights and Medical Center cuts trains to every 16 minutes this weekend. Additional trains run during the day between Glenmont and Van Ness.

There is no major work scheduled on the Blue, Yellow or Green lines.

Construction closures and changes continue on Interstate 295 in the District, along the toll lane construction area on Interstate 66, on Interstate 395 for finishing work related to the new 395 Express Lanes, and in many other areas.

On Interstate 66, closures include detours near Nutley Street for ongoing demolition of the Vaden Drive Bridge. A traffic change is also planned to start this weekend for traffic merging onto Interstate 66 from Route 28 southbound.

A planned closure of the ramp to Interstate 66 eastbound from Route 29 northbound in Centreville that had been scheduled to start this past week has been delayed until next year.

Sunday afternoon, the Redskins host the Lions at FedEx Field, although it is unclear how many people will actually show up.

Traffic is expected to start ramping up this weekend for long Thanksgiving getaways, with Tuesday and Wednesday evening likely to be particularly busy. Marylands tolled bridges and roads are expected to be busiest on Wednesday.

Major ongoing work at the Bay Bridge will mean significant backups for anyone headed to or from the Eastern Shore. The right lane of the westbound span remains closed. Originally, under a more drawn-out schedule, the Maryland Transportation Authority had planned to reopen the lane for holiday travel.

The MDTA warns drivers to expect major delays in both directions for the next week. For anyone who must use the bridge, the best times are very early in the morning or late at night, the authority said.

There will be no two-way traffic on the westbound span.

Wednesday, Nov. 27 through Saturday, Nov. 30, the MDTA will not have any cash toll collectors at the bridge. Drivers can pay with E-ZPass or will get a bill in the mail. Rental car drivers without their own E-ZPass will face extra fees from rental companies.

The authority also suggests traveling very early in the morning or late at night to avoid major delays expected on Interstate 95 through and beyond Baltimore.

In Virginia, VDOT projects the busiest times will be:

Tuesday, Nov. 26: 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Interstate 95 and Interstate 66 in Northern Virginia.

Wednesday, Nov. 27: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Interstate 66 westbound from the Capital Beltway to Prince William Parkway, and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Interstate 95 northbound between Richmond and Fredericksburg.

Thursday, Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving): 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Interstate 95 southbound near Fredericksburg.

Friday, Nov. 29: 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Interstate 95 northbound in Northern Virginia.

Sunday, Dec. 1: The very worst of a bad day for driving is projected to be on Interstate 81 between 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

HOV or tolling rules on Interstate 66 inside the Beltway do not apply on Thanksgiving Day. HOV or toll rules always apply on the 495, 395 and 95 Express Lanes.

On Thanksgiving Day, Metro runs a Sunday schedule on rail and bus with trains only running between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.

The day after Thanksgiving, Metro runs a regular weekday schedule with normal fares and parking rules.

MetroAccess subscription trips are canceled both days.

Riders trying to get to BWI Marshall Airport from the D.C. area using public transit must take MARC on the Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving. Metro has cut back B30 bus service from Greenbelt to only run Monday through Friday when the transit agency is running a regular weekday schedule.

MARC does not run on Thanksgiving Day. The Friday after Thanksgiving, MARC only runs the Penn Line and only on an R schedule.

To Dulles International Airport, Metrobus Route 5A runs between LEnfant Plaza, Rosslyn, Herndon-Monroe Park and Ride and the Airport. On the way out, riders can also instead take the Silver Line to Wiehle-Reston East, where Fairfax Connector 981 and 983 go to the airport or an airport express bus is also available.

Wiehle-Reston East is scheduled to be closed again though Saturday and Sunday as part of the multi-month weekend closures for tie in work.

MTA Maryland Commuter bus does not run Thanksgiving Day or the day after, except Route 201 to BWI Marshall.

The day before Thanksgiving, most commuter bus systems run modified schedules to provide options for people leaving work early.

VRE does not run on Thanksgiving Day, and runs a reduced S schedule the day after Thanksgiving.

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Pre-Thanksgiving weekend Metro work, road closures - WTOP

Ray Welch|Daily News

If you travel throughout Middlesboro, you can see signs of progression with construction happening in several areas. Seen here is construction work happening on 20th Street. According to sources, the future building will be a storage facility.

Ray Welch|Daily News

If you travel throughout Middlesboro, you can see signs of progression with construction happening in several areas. Seen here is construction work happening on 20th Street. According to sources, the future building will be a storage facility.

Ray Welch|Daily News

New Heights Church is located on 15th Street next to the Middlesboro Mall. The new facility was built by volunteers who travel across the United States building new churches for communities. New Heights is waiting for final paperwork from the state to open their doors to the community.

Ray Welch|Daily News

This building is located next to New Heights Church on 15th Street. There is no proposed business that will be going into the building at this time, but the construction of a new building is Middlesboro shows that the city is continuing to move forward.

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Signs of progress: New buildings being constructed in city - Middlesboro Daily News - The Middlesboro Daily News