PUPILS at Gurnard Primary School have returned to a shiny new school after the half-term holiday.

The old school had become very expensive and time consuming to maintain, with a leaky roof, blocked drains and temperamental boiler.

The new building has larger classrooms, benefits from the latest facilities and is fully accessible for children and adults with disabilities.

Headteacher Vanessa Hicks said: "We are lucky enough to have two halls, two library spaces, music practice rooms and a specialist science lab.

"The learning environment in the new school is outstanding.

"The children are now designing our new back garden which will be created on the site of the old school (formerly Solent Middle School).

"This will include a natural playground, pond, wildflower meadow, forest school, orchard and allotment so were all very excited to see it develop."

According to the Isle of Wight Council, it upgraded or refurbished six schools last year and many more are set to benefit from millions of pounds of government funding.

In total, almost 2 million was invested by the council in major projects that have included modern classrooms, replacement roofing and windows, heating systems and electrical works.

However, a further estimated 12 million is set to be spent on the Island over the coming years through the government's Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP).

The programme has already seen the refurbishment of Barton Primary School, Newport, and a new build at Queensgate Primary School, East Cowes which opened last week with major works also planned for Binstead, Brading, Dover Park (Ryde), Greenmount (Ryde), Wootton and Wroxall primary schools.

Cllr Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children's services and education, said: "We are continually investing in our schools to ensure our children have the best possible learning environment.

"Thanks to the strong working relationship between the Department for Education (DfE) and local authority, many Island schools are also benefitting from significant investment from the government's PSBP.

"Our push on improvements is helping to boost school results on the Island with outcomes improving at a much faster rate than schools nationally."

Godshill Primary School has recently undergone a 640,000 transformation with the council investing a further 790,000 in Cowes and Broadlea primary schools, with the latter benefitting from a brand-new roof.

Around 200,000 has been spent at The Bay Church of England School, Sandown, as part of a series of works which has included the refurbishment of the school dining hall.

Meanwhile, further investment has been made at St George's special school and Medina House School, both at Newport, to enhance fire safety.

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School's cool! Gurnard pupils return to a shiny new building after half term - Isle of Wight County Press

Published 11:00pm CST, Saturday, February 22, 2020

The entire crew at Amstill Roofing commits to supporting HomeAid and their non-profit homeless care agencies who need roof repairs at no cost to the charites.

The entire crew at Amstill Roofing commits to supporting HomeAid and their non-profit homeless care agencies who need roof repairs at no cost to the charites.

The entire crew at Amstill Roofing commits to supporting HomeAid and their non-profit homeless care agencies who need roof repairs at no cost to the charites.

The entire crew at Amstill Roofing commits to supporting HomeAid and their non-profit homeless care agencies who need roof repairs at no cost to the charites.

Amstill Roofing commits to roof repairs for HomeAid nonprofits

Amstill Roofing, a family owned residential re-roofing and roof repair company has committed their services to HomeAid Houston. Amstill has offered to replace up to five roofs for HomeAids homeless care agencies within their service area. These agencies experience damage and wear and tear just like residential homeowners. The agencies can call Amstill at any time to perform a weather integrity evaluation of the roof. If the roof was damaged by natural means, they will assist the non-profit in filing a claim. Amstill will provide all the resources necessary to make sure that the property can be restored correctly. If the roof has met the end of its life cycle, Amstill will replace up to two of these a year at no cost.

Sam Stilley, the companys second generation owner has taken a personal interest to make sure that HomeAid and our agency partners are not burdened with costly repairs and replacement costs to restore these properties correctly when the time comes, said Jim Muska, president of HomeAid Houston. HomeAid and our agencies are grateful for this commitment, and are honored they want to partner with us to give back to a community that has served them well for nearly 50 years.

Amstill Roofing was started by Frank Stilley in 1974. He and his son Sam have built Amstill Roofing into one of the largest residential re-roofing and roof repair companies in the area, taking care of thousands of homeowners needs.

We believe our success for our staff and our company is directly due to our local communities, said Sam Stilley. Its hard enough living in a world where there are not enough people that wish to do good for others. We are proud to reach out to non-profits that could use assistance. The last thing we want them to worry about is a leaking roof over their heads when they have so many other things on their plate. We are looking forward to working with HomeAid and their agencies when the need arises.

Amstill has already provided services to one of HomeAids newest nonprofit partners, VitaLiving, with a roof in 2020 that was damaged in a storm. VitaLiving is a 37-year-old nonprofit that provides long-term comprehensive care and support for adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Our company has been blessed by so many people whom have chosen us to do their roofing work and we believe in passing that blessing on, added Stilley. We are honored to be a partner in the process of making Houston an even better community.

HomeAid was established in 2003 to work with Houston homeless care providers to build and renovate shelters that transform lives. Since 2003, HomeAid Houston has completed 54 projects that added more than $14 million in real estate to Houstons homeless community.

For more information on HomeAid Houston visit http://www.homeaidhouston.org or call 281-970-8970

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Amstill Roofing commits to roof repairs for HomeAid nonprofits - Chron.com

ZANESVILLE, Ohio Hearth, Home and Away closed its doors on another year at the Colony Square Mall.

At the event was an Columbus founded roofing company. Mathew Mahone for Roof Maxx says the product is the first of its kind.

Roof Maxx is the worlds first all natural roof rejuvenating treatment. Its the first of its kind option aside from roof replacement. The product was actually founded by Mike and Todd Feezle from Feezle Roofing in Columbus, Ohio. So it is a locally funded product. It supports local farmers. It is a USDA bio-preferred product and has been researched by the Ohio State University who has released a research study on it showing Roof Maxx does exactly what it says it does.

The treatment is a spray made of soybean oil. The oil restores the flexibility of a shingle which will extend its roof life by at least five years.

Most people havent really planned on replacing their roofs. They havent saved up the money. Roof Maxx is about 80% less than a roof replacement and can get you at least five years. And you can do three treatments and get up to another 15 out of most roofs.

Mahone says the oil does not include the allergen found in soybeans.

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Hearth, Home and Away showcases Columbus business - WHIZ

After 18 long months of work, the Buena Vista Historic Preservation Commission has reached the stage where it shared some of its findings with Buena Vista Trustees during a Feb. 11 work session. But the work is not done; the commission will incorporate Trustees edits for re-release by March 20, for public review and comment during an open public meeting. It hopes to deliver the formal draft recommendation document by early April 2020.

The historic roof lines and cupola of the Buena Vista Museum recently went through a historic restoration, returning the cupola to its original appearance. (Photo by Jan Wondra)

The commission was formed in 2018, because of the towns interest in preservation and desire for real guidelines to fulfill the mandate of the Buena Vista Comprehensive Plan.

The goal: to maintain the architectural heritage of the community, protecting sightlines and the integrity of both historic structures, as well as the historic character of the main downtown area.

The process, begun in Sept. 2018 by commission leader Dan Cartwright, has been extensive and transparent. There have been four public hearing sessions, social media and email interaction from the public and input from Main Street property owners.

The boundaries of the historic area covered by the proposed guidelines are East Main, from U.S. 24 to the intersection with South Main, and one block north of Main to include the alleyways. The area roughly overlays the old town zone. The thinking here was to start small, protect the key assets, and protect the old town before going bigger, explain the commission members.

The document presented during the work session compared the proposed architectural design guidelines for the downtown area, against the unified development code (MU-MS). The draft recommendations from the Historic Preservation Commission:

Among the topics during the hour-long discussion, was a healthy debate over building heights of new construction on Main Street. Some members of the public advocated for more height, and others made the case to follow the commissions recommendation to limit building heights for new construction to 30 feet. The rationale for that recommendation; it minimizes the difference between the historic one-story structures along the street, such as the Lobeck Bakery, and new buildings taller than two stories.

Those advocating for at least 35 ft. building heights (with a few asking for a maximum of 40 ft. for front-facing parapets) said that limiting new construction to 30 ft. buildings do not make economic sense for property owners. They pointed out that at that height, it was difficult to place a second-story apartment or condo unit above a retail space, which is important to the business decision to build in the first place.

Proponents of the draft guidelines talk about mass and scale describing it as the human scale of buildings. They raise the feeling of walking down East Main and getting a sense of welcome. Commission members say they have studied building heights in 20 historic municipalities across the state and the scale averages about one and one-half stories tall.

Historically, Buena Vistas building heights on Main Street have been limited to preserve sightlines to the majestic mountains to the west, as well as not to overwhelm the rooflines and cupola of the Buena Vista Museum, which began life as the Chaffee County Courthouse.

At present, say, commission members, the only local landmark buildings on East Main that are protected on historic registries are the old Jail House and Town Hall, the Court House and the old Mothers Building. The only structure that is 100 percent protected is the Jail House.

The Historic Preservation Commission points out that the guidelines concerning existing landmarks intend to provide information to those property owners about accepted best practices, to help preserve their historic asset and its value. The guidelines are not at this time perceived to be mandatory.

Following feedback during the work session with Buena Vista Trustees, the commission is incorporating their comments and plans to have a draft recommendation ready by March 20. At that point, it will be released to the public, and a public meeting and comment period will begin.

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Buena Vista Historic Preservation Commission Presents Draft Protection Guidelines for East Main St. 'Historic Oldtown' Area - by Jan Wondra - The Ark...

By Tia Lynn Ivey

managing editor

For over 35 years, the Clothes Closet has served families in need throughout Madison and Morgan County by providing free clothes and household items donated from the community. But now, it may be up to the community to help the Clothes Closet, located in downtown Madison directly behind the Morgan County Courthouse.

The building, owned by Morgan County, is in dire need of a new roofa project expected to cost anywhere from $30,000 to upwards of $50,000. Currently, the several dedicated volunteers at the Clothes Closet have buckets set up to catch leaks from the roof while gaping holes in the roof are visible on the outside and inside of the building. While the county is currently collecting bids for the project from local roof contractors, the county has not yet committed to footing the bill for the new roof replacement.

It all depends on the cost, said County Manager Adam Mestres, who noted completed bid packages will be presented to the Morgan County Board of Commissioners for review at the Feb. 18 meeting. We are looking for community partners to help with the cost, whether it be the city of Madison, the religious community, or others. But the roof is in bad shape will need to be completely replaced.

Bernice Davis, 91, founded the Clothes Closet over 35 years ago and still volunteers every week, along with other long-time volunteers Dottie Kurtz, Lena Cole, Julia Osaby, and Pat Nesbitt.

When we moved into this building, I thought Thank God, we will never have to move again, but here we are, said Davis as she sorted through donations at the Clothes Closet. This is just such a convenient location for people to get to when they are in need. You would be surprised how many people we have come through herethe families and the children who are helped by what we give out. People truly need this.

Dottie Kurtz recounted helping a young a man find a new shirt for a job interview and single mothers with children find school clothes. Kurtz wrote a letter to the county stressing the Clothes Closets need for help.

Right now its hard to imagine where we would go and still have the space we need and convenience to those who need us, wrote Kurtz, who stressed the important work the Clothes Closet does for the local community. Whether its a 4-year-old child who visited us weekly with her grandmother and watching her learn the value of volunteering with us, a homeless man coming in from the cold and being fitted for new socks and shoes, a group from a local church gathering clothes for a family whose home has burned to the ground, a young man seeking a nice shirt and slacks to wear to a job interview or a teacher at the Crossroads Alternative School seeking old shirts that can be repurposed to create their yearly public art project now installed at Farmview Market. Of course everyone coming through our doors doesnt have such a need but we have been able to help them with clothing, books and small household items so they can have a little extra money saved for their food and shelter.

Kurtz also stressed the importance of the Clothes Closets current location.

Our central location behind the Courthouse has been vital for those who seek our help and many walk or ride with others to visit us. Over the years these people have become extended family to the few of us who regularly volunteer our time each week, wrote Kurtz.

Davis is hopeful that the county and community will come together to keep the Clothes Closet open and at the same location.

We are very hopeful help will come through, said Davis. You know, when I started this all those years ago, it was just about helping people in need. Thats what we do here, what we have always done. It makes you feel good to know you have done good for somebody else. We just want to keep on doing that.

The Clothes Closet is open to public on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Clothes Closet is located in a small brick building directly behind the Morgan County Courthouse, off East Jefferson Street in Madison.

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Time To Help Is Now - Morgan County Citizen

Casagmo condominiums unit owners association has objected to First Selectman Rudy Marconi's suggestion that condos in Casagmo and Fox Hill might, with certain deed restrictions, count with the state as affordable housing.

Casagmo condominiums unit owners association has objected to First Selectman Rudy Marconi's suggestion that condos in Casagmo and Fox Hill might, with certain deed restrictions, count with the state as

Photo: Macklin Reid / Hearst Connecticut Media

Casagmo condominiums unit owners association has objected to First Selectman Rudy Marconi's suggestion that condos in Casagmo and Fox Hill might, with certain deed restrictions, count with the state as affordable housing.

Casagmo condominiums unit owners association has objected to First Selectman Rudy Marconi's suggestion that condos in Casagmo and Fox Hill might, with certain deed restrictions, count with the state as

Ridgefield condo owners insist their units arent affordable housing

Casagmo is in an uproar, triggered by First Selectmen Rudy Marconis suggestion that units in the Main Street condominium complex might help the town meet the states affordable housing requirements.

As you may know, unit owners at Casagmo have invested heavily in recent years to renovate, repair and upgrade the complex, James Hulbert, president of the Casagmo Phase II and Master Associations, said in a Jan. 17 letter to Marconi. We have spent millions of dollars on siding and roofing replacement and are in process of completing a costly drainage/paving project. There have been other projects as well and future projects are planned.

These projects have been initiated to protect and increase the value of the property to the benefit of all unit owners as well as to improve the quality of life for our residents, the letter reads. These investments coupled with the prime location off historic Main Street, within walking distance of all the downtown amenities, is making Casagmo a more sought after and desirable place to live.

Marconi discussed the 307-unit Casagmo and the 287-unit Fox Hill condominiums off Danbury Road at a Jan. 7 public hearing of the Planning and Zoning Commission, concerning revisions to the Town Plan of Conservation and Development.

Speakers at the hearing decried how the towns affordable housing law allows developers to circumvent local zoning if 30 percent of the units in their proposed projects would meet state affordability guidelines. Marconi noted that the town would be exempt from this provision if 10 percent of all housing units in town were deemed affordable by the state, and deed restricted so that theyd remain affordable for the next 40 years.

Marconi had said many units in Casagmo and Fox Hill might be in a price range that would meet the state guidelines, but theyd need to be deed-restricted to satisfy the state requirement and count against the 10 percent needed to get out from under the towns affordable housing law.

The Casagmo owners took umbrage with this.

We want to let you know that we are caught off guard by your recent comments suggesting that the town should encourage units at Casagmo to become deed restricted as affordable so they can count toward the town having 10 percent of its housing stock meet state affordability standards, Hulbert wrote.

Your comments made to the Planning and Zoning Commission during discussion of the draft Plan of Conservation and Development for Ridgefield have been published by the local newspapers (Danbury News-Times, Ridgefield Press), the letter reads. Casagmo is a private community and we are disappointed these comments were made without first letting us know or contacting us to discuss.

One of the concerns at the complex appears to be a fear that prices could be hurt just by being mentioned as a location where units might count against the state affordable housing requirement.

We understand there is a real need for affordable housing in Ridgefield, Hulbert wrote. However, we also have a concern that your published comments could have a negative impact on the overall value of our property and of our unit owner investments.

For example, these comments introduce an unknown regarding the future of Casagmo and unknowns tend to concern potential buyers, leading them to wait and see what happens. Markets generally react negatively to uncertainty, Hulbert said. We also believe that the town government has no standing to force or encourage individual unit owners in a private condominium association to add deed restrictions which could change market value.

Hulbert asked Marconi to publicly retract his comments.

Asked by The Press if he had a response, Marconi said the comments were just an example of what we might consider.

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Ridgefield condo owners insist their units aren't 'affordable housing' - The Ridgefield Press

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Jacksonville, Florida, roofing contractor for fall hazards at three construction sites and is seeking $1,007,717 in penalties. OSHA cited Florida Roofing Experts, Inc., owned by Travis Slaughter, under its egregious citation policy with eight willful violations of the fall protection standard.

Tong_stocker / Shutterstock.com

Days earlier, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit found Slaughter; Florida Roofing Experts; and its predecessor firm, Great White Construction, Inc., in contempt of court for failing to pay $2,202,049 in penalties for earlier safety and health violations. Slaughter could face federal incarceration if he and his company fail to pay the outstanding penalties plus interest and fees.

Employers that ignore multiple court orders requiring correction of violations and payment of penalties will be held accountable, Solicitor of Labor Kate OScannlain said in a Department of Labor statement.

This enforcement action demonstrates that OSHA will utilize every resource available to ensure that safety and health standards are followed to protect workers, OScannlain said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission issued 12 final orders to pay penalties for multiple egregious, willful, and repeat violations for lack of fall protection and other safety and health hazards cited October 2, 2017, and June 5, 2018, at worksites in Florida.

The court held the companies and Slaughter in civil contempt on January 3, 2020.

On January 9, OSHA cited Florida Roofing Experts for four new fall protection violations at a worksite in Middleburg, Florida, and four new violations at two jobsites in Fleming Island, Florida.

New fall protection violations cited included:

This employer has an extensive OSHA history with willful, serious, and repeat violations that has demonstrated an egregious disregard for the safety of their workers, OSHA Atlanta, Georgia, Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer said in an agency statement.

The employer continues to allow employees to work without fall protection and has made no reasonable effort to eliminate the risk, Petermeyer said.OSHA has investigated Florida Roofing Experts and its predecessor, Great White Construction, 19 times within the past 7 years, according to the agency, resulting in 42 citations related to improper fall protection, ladder use, and eye protection.

The agency now has placed Florida Roofing Experts in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) due to the high-gravity willful, egregious violations related to fall hazards.

The SVEP replaced an earlier Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP) deemed ineffective because agency personnel failed to consistently conduct follow-up inspections. Employers in the more narrowly focused SVEP are subject to mandatory follow-up inspections.

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Over $1 Million in Fall Hazard Penalties Sought by OSHA - EHS Daily Advisor

There are at least 13 candidates jockeying to replace the late City Commissioner Nick Fish in May.

Yesterday, one of them, Tera Hurst, the executive director of Renew Oregon, a clean energy group, picked up a valuable endorsement from NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon, the group formerly known as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws.

"Tera Hurst will be an incredible addition to City Hall. [At Renew] she has redefined what an environmental leader looks like, and inspired NARAL to support Clean Energy Jobs, with the understanding that reproductive justice includes environmental justice," says the endorsement, which goes out to 13,000 NARAL Oregon members and probably many more than that on social media.

Although endorsements don't always mean a lot, NARAL's pick is helpful in a crowded field in which candidates don't have much time to distinguish themselves from each other before the May 19 primary election. It also comes at a time when abortion rights are under threat around the country and in the federal courts.

NARALPro-Choice Oregon positions itself as a key player in that fight. "NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon is the leading grassroots pro-choice advocacy organization in Oregon," the organization says on its website. "We educate our members and identified supporters, provide strategic advice to candidates, mobilize get out the vote efforts, and ensure that pro-choice policies are a top priority in local and state government."

Typically, before groups active in Portland city electionssuch as public employee unions or business groupsissue endorsements, they ask candidates to fill out questionnaires, come in for interviews, or both.

Hurst says the choice makes sense. "It is common for an organization to quickly endorse its chosen candidate, who they know is an uncompromising champion of their mission," Hurst says in an email. "NARAL was not only confident in my candidacy for City Council but also invested in sending a strong message of early support in an open election."

One of the other candidates in the race, Margot Black, the founder of Portland Tenants United, expressed disappointment that NARAL endorsed without interviewing other candidates.

"I'm a little puzzled why an organization like NARAL would make such an impactful endorsement without any process at all," Black says. "There are a number of progressive women in this race and I think it make sense to conduct and endorsement process. I imagine people on NARAL'S mailing list would assume there was a process."

Former Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith, perhaps the best-known candidate in the race, declined to comment directly on NARAL's decision, although Smith noted she'd worked closely with the group at the county and hopes to do so again if elected.

"I appreciate the work they do," Smith says. "My campaign is going to be about povertyputting roofs over people's heads and put food on their tables." (Julia Degraw, who ran against Fish in 2018 and is running again, could not be reached for comment.)

Although NARAL recently released a slate of statewide endorsements which mentioned NARAL's political action committee was "meeting with amazing candidates every day," Christel Allen, NARAL Oregon's political director, acknolwedges in the case of the City Council race that didn't happen.

"In this case, we didn't [interview candidates]," Allen said in a statement. "We take our endorsements seriously, and this was a unanimous decision. We recognize Tera Hurst as a true reproductive freedom champion and a leader in our organization. We are proud that pro-choice voters trust us to support candidates like Tera who will go above and beyond to champion our mission. We know she will be an extraordinary partner in City Hall."

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In Crowded Race to Replace Nick Fish, NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon Endorses One of its Own Board Members Without Interviewing Other Candidates - Willamette...

Project: A seven-story building containing 440 rentals at 57 Alexander St.in downtown Yonkers may be one step closer to becoming a reality. Rose Associates, the developers behind the proposed building, closed on the property two months after securing a tax incentive package from the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency.

Planned amenities in the luxury rental project includean outdoor swimming pool, a roof deck, coworking spaceand 44 affordable housing units, to name a few, as part of the tax incentive agreement.

Rendering of 57 Alexander Street proposal(Photo: Yonkers Industrial Development Agency)

Rose Associates has also agreed to develop a 0.5-acre park 25,000 square feet fronting the Hudson and 443 parking spaces. Construction costs willexceed $177 million.

Location: 57 Alexander is a 6-acre site two blocks from the Yonkers train station and Avalon Yonkers.

Motion picture firm Lionsgate will occupy a $100 million studio across the street from 57 Alexander.

The site is also located within walking distance to a 20-acre, $502 million development by real estate firm Extell Development.

RELATED:Yonkers waterfront apartments, park win tax incentives; when work will start

WESTCHESTER:Developers place bets on riverside development

YONKERS: Real estate is 'white hot'; see all the housing projects in the works

Aerial view of 57 Alexander in downtown Yonkers(Photo: B6 Real Estate Advisors)

Latest Development: The owners of 57 Alexander have agreed to sell the site for $23 million.

B6 Real Estate, the brokerage behind the transaction, said the Altman family agreed to sell the site in December to make way for the development.

Altman Stage Lighting Co occupies a 75,000-square-foot warehouse at 57 Alexander.

Rendering of 57 Alexander proposal in Yonkers(Photo: Rose Associates)

Up next: Rose Associates needs to secure construction financing. The developer told The Journal News/lohud that construction would begin in January back when the IDA granted its tax incentive package.

Construction is expected to wrap up by mid-2022. Rose Associates told theYonkers IDA the project wouldyield 631construction jobs and 10 full-time jobs in the city. No word yet on what rents will be.

Read or Share this story: https://www.lohud.com/story/money/real-estate/2020/01/30/yonkers-waterfront-apartments-park-proposal-moves-forward/4608754002/

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Luxury apartments to replace waterfront warehouse in downtown Yonkers: the latest - Lohud

It is a crisp winter morning and the area around Notre Dame is sealed off as it has been since the fire last April that devastated the cathedral.

Those in the know, however, especially those with the keenest of eyes, might spot some small movement high up to the south of the stricken and blackened structure.

The bees of Notre Dame, whose escape from the inferno seemed almost miraculous, are thriving and conserving their energy ready to produce honey this summer, just as they have every year since they took up residence on the sacristy roof in 2013.

Nearly 10 months after the Paris cathedral was ravaged by fire, the three colonies are healthier than ever, according to their beekeeper.

Sibyle Moulin, who looks after the hives, spoke to the Guardian after she visited them for the first time in six months. Access to the site is restricted because the severely damaged 13th-century stone structure is still unstable and there is a risk from lead particles from the roof that was turned into dust in the blaze.

Moulin, who had to undergo a health and safety course to resume visits to the honey bees, said the 30-45,000 insects in the three hives are absolutely fine.

Theres nothing wrong with them at all. The behaviour of the colonies is perfectly normal, she said. Theyre not very active at this time of the year, but thats how it should be. They seem fine.

When fire tore through the cathedral last year, most people feared the bees, which can number up to 50,000 per colony, had perished.

Moulins company, Beeopic, received calls of support from well-wishers all over the world, who were moved by reports that the bees had not abandoned their queens in the face of danger, but had gorged on honey and hunkered down to protect their colonies.

Although untouched by the flames which destroyed the cathedrals famous roof structure, Moulin says she was initially worried the heat might have damaged the hives, given their position on the sacristy roof on the south side of the cathedral and approximately 30m (98ft) below the main roof. Another concern was that firefighters, whose priority was to control the fire, might have disturbed them in their frantic efforts to put out the blaze.

Of course, my first thought was for the cathedral itself. My second was for the bees. I kept watching the television footage of the fire but the captions at the bottom always hid the sacristy roof, which is below the main roof, so I couldnt see if theyd been touched, Moulin said.

Drone footage in the aftermath of the fire showed the hives were intact, but it took several weeks of detective work to establish if the colonies had survived the proximity to temperatures estimated to have reached 800C(1,470F) at their peak.

An ounce of hope. The three hives are still in place and visibly intact, Nicolas Gant, head of Beeopic, tweeted hours after the fire was put out. As for the occupants the mystery remains. All that smoke, heat, water.

We will have to see if our brave bees are still with us as soon as were given access to the site, which may take some time, he added.

Two days later, Gant announced: Our bees at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral are still alive.

Moulin says beekeepers had to piece together clues in film footage taken of the cathedral.

We examined satellite images and we saw the hives were intact and hadnt been knocked over and there were no puddles of wax underneath them. As the wax melts at around 70C we knew they hadnt been affected by the heat. We werent worried about the smoke, because we use it to sedate them so we knew theyd just go to sleep around the queen.

Then we were sent some film from some of the people working on securing the cathedral and we could see bees going in and out of the hives. We studied their behaviour and saw they were carrying balls of pollen on their feet which meant they were building up stocks of protein to feed the young.

As soon as we knew there were baby bees we knew it meant the queens were fine since they were producing them.

It was good news, but Moulin could not be 100% sure of the health of the colonies until she was given permission to visit the devastated cathedral in July, three months after the fire.

They didnt seem to have been affected at all. Of course, theres lots of noxious material all around them, including the lead dust, but theyre not like children; they wont be licking walls or touching anything other than flowers. The only thing they might come into direct contact with that might be contaminated is the water they drink.

In July, Moulin retrieved 66kg of honey from the three hives, samples from which have been sent to laboratories in Canada to be tested for lead.

Beeopic maintains the hives and bee colonies, but the honey produced from those on the roof of Notre Dame, and the 350 other hives in Paris that the company looks after of a total of 700 dotted around the city belongs to the owners of the buildings on whose roofs they sit, including that of Louis Vuitton on the Champs Elyses and the nearby Grand Palais on the north bank of the Seine.

The urban honey bees, of the Brother Adam Buckfast variety, were developed for their mild temperament in the 1920s by a Benedictine monk. The Notre Dame hives were installed on the cathedral roof in 2013 as a gesture to promote biodiversity.

There are also hives managed by other companies on the Paris Opera buildings, the Comdie Franaise, Coca-Colas French headquarters and several banks.

Moulin, who normally visits each hive at least once a month, hopes to remove the queens from the three Notre Dame hives this summer and replace them with younger royals. The queen bees can live for five years, while their worker bees have a lifespan of around 45 days.

We usually do this every year because when the queen bee is older there is a tendency for the colony to swarm, which tends to frighten people in the city, so we try to avoid it. The problem is that anything leaving the site has to be washed down and decontaminated, and I cant see myself putting the bees into the shower, she said.

At first the authorities wanted us to remove the hives, but theyve seen [the cathedral through the catastrophe and theyre still there, so it seemed more intelligent to leave them alone.

Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features

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They survived fire and toxic fumes. So what happened next to Notre Dame's bees? - The Guardian