Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Under a string of new deals, the content line-up on STV Player will be bolstered by drama programmes East West 101, Striking Out and Devils Dust. They will join what the firm described as an already stellar line-up which includes the likes of Catching Milat, The Bridge and Janet King.

The catch-up window on network content has also been extended, meaning hit dramas like Des and Honour will be available on the player platform for longer.

The group is also adding 140 hours of new sport to the video-on-demand service as part of the latest catalogue expansion. Weekly football analysis shows Lifes a Pitch and The Football Review lead the new additions, alongside petrolhead-friendly titles Garage Dreams, The Racing Years and Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman.

STV said it had ordered a wealth of new content from distribution partners DCD Rights, Fred Media, Inverleigh and Broken Arrow.

In total, STV Player now offers some 1,750 hours of exclusive content with seven live channels. The latest programme additions follow a year of accelerated digital growth for STV, with online streams up 66 per cent year-on-year, and the number of minutes watched rising from 719 million to 1.32 billion an 84 per cent year-on-year increase.

The past year has also seen the player being launched UK-wide on Freeview Play, Virgin Media and YouView, making it automatically available in around half of the UKs 42 million internet-enabled TV devices.

Richard Williams, managing director of digital at STV, said: Its been a truly landmark year for the STV Player in which weve not only seen a surge in viewers watching the fantastic network content on offer, but also a rapidly increasing number of viewers from across the UK enjoying our diverse selection of Player-exclusive content.

Our focus on bolstering our Player-only offering is being well-received by viewers and with 1,750 hours of content now more easily accessible than ever, we hope they will continue to make STV Player their go-to destination for free on-demand TV from around the world.

A new partnership with Fred Media sees a range of lifestyle, reality and factual titles being launched, including true crime series City of Evil and The Trouble with Murder, international food series Peter Andres Greek Odyssey and Lee Chans World Food Tour, and hit Australian reality format Tattoo Tales.

Last month, STV pointed to a recovery in advertising revenues and added another producer to its growing studios portfolio after the pandemic dragged the group to a first-half loss.

Releasing results for the six months to the end of June, the broadcaster said it had seen its highest audience growth ever, up 12 per cent, with all time viewing share of 19.2 per cent. That growth had continued as lockdown measures were relaxed, it added.

While total advertising revenue slumped 20 per cent as the industry was battered by the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, the group pointed to an improving picture.

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These are the 250 hours of drama, sport and reality TV being added to STV Player this autumn - scotsman.com

Work on the base began on Olavsvern in 1964, at which time it was seen as a vital future facility to support naval operations in the Barents Sea and surrounding areas in the event of a major conflict with the Soviet Union. Building the base, which is situated less than 300 miles from Russia, deep underground offered added defense against an initial onslaught if war were to break out.

Building the base, plans for which were initially a closely-guarded secret, was an immense undertaking for Norway and was completed with significant financial assistance from the NATO Alliance. It ultimately took 30 years for the facility to be completely finished, by which time the Soviet Union had collapsed.

Of course, it's worth noting that Norway is hardly the only country to have built large subterranean military facilities, including underground naval bases capable of accommodating submarines, as well as other warships. China's Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea is one of the best known examples, which you can read about in more detail in this War Zone piece.

However, the Norwegian government subsequently determined that the base was extraneous to its post-Cold War needs. Two years after formally shuttering it in 2009, authorities in that country put it up for sale on the open market, with an asking price of around $17.5 million. The eventually winning bid from Olavsvern Group Limited was just under $6.5 million. This was a fraction of the cost to build the base in the first place, which was reportedly some $500 million, in the end, a figure that may not fully account for inflation after construction began in the 1960s.

To add insult to injury, one of the first entities that Olavsvern Group rented the base to after that was an operator of underwater seismic survey ships that was linked to Russia's partially-state-owned energy company Gazprom. It's not immediately clear how long that arrangement lasted, but it would have been increasingly politically untenable as Norway, among others, hit Russia with sanctions after the Kremlin illegally seized Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.

Whatever the case, in 2019, Norwegian firm WilNor Governmental Services Limited acquired a controlling stake in the Olavsvern Group and subsequently announced its intention to make the base available to the Norwegian military, as well as those of Norway's allies. Four years earlier, WilNor had received a wide-ranging contract from the Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization to provide logistics support to the Norwegian Armed Forces.

This deal with WilNor could make it relatively easy for Norwegian authorities to reopen Olavsvern and make it available to American submarines, as well as other ships. How long it might actually take for the U.S. Navy to begin operations there and what improvements or additions the facilities might need to support nuclear-powered submarines is unclear. Whether or not American submarines will actually be able to fit inside the base, or will simply dock outside, with internal areas simply providing operations and storage space, remains to be seen, as well.

NRK's report also indicated that Norwegian officials may be looking to offer Olavsvern as an alternative to above-ground berthing in ports in and around Tromso. In September, shortly after USS Seawolf's unusually public appearance the Malangen fjord, authorities in Norway announced plans to expand facilities in that city to accommodate American submarines. Local authorities have reportedly voiced concerns about the potential safety risks of having nuclear-powered submarines in their ports.

"The decision to use Grtsund harbor [near Tromso] was made after consultation with the American authorities," Norwegian Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen told NRK. He declined to confirm or deny any plans for the U.S. Navy to use Olavsvern and had also previously told the state broadcaster that the Defense Ministry reserved the right to overrule any local objections to basing arrangements.

"When it comes to Olavsvern, there is currently talk of storing equipment for the Norwegian army and HV [Heimevernet; the Norwegian Home Guard]," he added. NRK further reported that the U.S. Navy did not appear to be interested in giving up its ability to use above-ground facilities in the area, though it was open to using the underground naval base, as well.

"The U.S. and Norway have a great relationship, and our ability to use facilities in and around Tromso would provide a strategic location for our visits," a U.S. defense official had told Breaking Defense in September. "It would give us flexibility for not only the U.S. but allied countries to exercise in the High North."

The Navy is particularly interested in ways to expand its presence in the Barents Sea and the Arctic amid growing Russian activity in the region, which includes a significant uptick in Russian Navy submarine operations and the notable physical expansion of a constellation of air and other bases across Russia's territory in the far north. The Barents Sea is a major transit point for Russian submarines and other warships heading from their bases in the northwestern part of the country toward the Atlantic via the so-called Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.

The U.S. military's interest in the ability to operate from naval and other facilities in this general region is only likely to increase in the near future, in general, as well. The U.S. Marine Corps actually already uses another underground bunker complex in Norway, near the city of Trondheim, to store vehicles and other equipment to support rapid deployments.

This broad area has seen a large amount of military activity, in general, both on the Russian and NATO sides, in recent years. Norwegian authorities have also accused Russian forces of conducting mock attacks on its territory, including simulated strikes on a secretive radar facility in Vardo, on multiple occasions as part of exercises.

Depending on how discussions between U.S. and Norwegian officials proceed now, American submarines operating out of the caves at Olavsvern could become a new addition to the strategic equation in this region.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com

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This Is The Cave Facility In Norway That US Navy Submarines Could Soon Operate From - The Drive

A majority of the St. Joseph City Council voiced their support Monday for a behind-schedule project that will see a new fire station built on Missouri Western State University property.

The new station will include a shell for an emergency operations shelter to replace a cramped space serving as an EOC inside another firehouse.

We need about another $200,000 to get to the $3 million that weve negotiated the price (of the new station) down to, St. Joseph Mayor Bill McMurray said.

The project originally was budgeted for $2.9 million, though the city has paid a penalty to the associated contractors because the project is a year behind schedule, and some funds already have been spent on preliminary issues. The $200,000 shortfall will be paid by money found in a Tax Increment Funding account.

To pay for the EOC, the city will draw some $285,000 from a Capital Improvement Plan account. In total, the new firehouse and EOC will cost about $3.3 million. The EOC will only be roughed in, according to McMurray, meaning it will be functional but still needing additional work.

The new station will be built on Mitchell Avenue near Interstate 29, on Missouri Western property. Originally, the firehouse was to include a police station for the university, though officials backtracked on that plan after an acrimonious process in which planners couldnt accommodate the police departments needs, according to St. Joseph Fire Chief Mike Dalsing.

St. Joseph will pay the university $275,000 for a 99-year lease of the land where the station will sit.

McMurray and council members Madison Davis, Kent ODell, Russell Moore, PJ Kovac and Brenda Blessing voiced their support for the project. Gary Roach and Brian Myers were absent, though their votes wouldnt be enough to stop construction.

Construction on damaged bridges in St. Joseph will begin next year, city officials told council members at the work session Monday. Voters approved $20 million in bonds to finance the project during a

The Corby Pond will be drained later this year following an agreement between the city and state. City officials told council members Monday that the pond will be drained and then rebuilt to accommodate more water. It will also receive a new retaining wall. The city and state are under an agreement that the project will finish by the end of 2021.

Originally posted here:
Deal reached to build new fire station | Government - News-Press Now

A woman and her son died and two others suffered injuries when boulders came rolling down the hill slope following heavy rain, crashed onto the retaining wall, resulting in the rubble falling into their house, at Ganapathi Nagar under Gajuwaka Police Station limits, here late on on Sunday night.

The concrete retaining wall fell on the asbestos roof of their house and it collapsed. K. Ramalakshmi, who was eight months pregnant, and her two-year-old son Gyaneswar were trapped under the rubble and died on the spot. Ramalakshmis husband Lokanadham and her mother Parvathi sustained injuries, according to the Gajuwaka police.

The bodies were extricated from the rubble by the police with the help of Fire Service personnel, and shifted to the mortuary.

The continual downpour due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal led to rainwater overflowing on the roads at some places and flooding of low-lying areas. The strong winds resulted in the snapping of cable and telephone lines and falling of branches and trees at some places on Monday.

In some areas like Sankara Matam, the movement of traffic was disrupted for some times as trees fell across the roads. They were cleared by people of nearby areas and GVMC staff. Some of the low lying areas in the city were flooded due to the heavy rain but the water receded later.

GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana said the clogged drains were being cleared on a war-footing.

Rainwater overflowed on the streets and entered the cellar of an apartment near the Ayyappa Swami temple at Sheela Nagar. The residents of the area staged a protest demanding a permanent solution to the problem. They alleged that the unauthorised shops and constructed on the drains, were obstructing the flow of water.

Motorists had a tough time driving through the rainwater, which collected on the road below the railway bridge at Chavulamadhum on Monday.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam West MLA PGVR Naidu (Ganababu) visited the Ganapathi Nagar on Monday and met the family members of the victims and expressed his condolences. He appealed to the government to provide relief to the bereaved family members. He advised the officials concerned to initiate relief measures in the low-lying areas submerged due to incessant downpour due to the depression in the Bay of Bengal.

He felt that it was unfortunate that the government and officials had not taken preventive measures, though there was prior information about heavy rains, which resulted in the deaths.

TDP corporator nominee Lalam Lavanya, TDP leaders Nakka Lakshman Rao, Rambabu, Sattibabu, Ram Shankar, Prabhakar and Rammohan Naidu were among those who accompanied the MLA.

Link:
2 die, 2 injured in roof collapse due to heavy rain - The Hindu

In both bedrooms the windows on two walls meet at a corner, affording a 180-degree view of the woods beyond, which are home to deer and several barred owls.

An acre lot allows the outdoor pool to be offset from the back of the home, where it becomes a destination. The walk to the water first passes a large patio enclosed by a low stone wall accentuated by built-in planters at the corners. The walk continues through a second small patio and down a hill before arriving at the pool gate.

We were fortunate the previous owner left us 10 pieces of John Salterini wrought iron furniture, Lara says. He was a well-known midcentury furniture designer whose work is still sought by collectors.

Laura enjoys collecting area rugs, and the daughters bedroom displays two on the floor layered on top of each other. The owls on the walls are paper cutouts Lara created before their daughter was born.Several real barred owls live in the woods nearby.

Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com

The couple spent a month last summer removing overgrown shrubbery and taking down a collapsed stone retaining wall in front of the home. Reusing the same stone, they reconstructed the wall themselves, and then landscaped the area anew. It was a lot of work, but we are happy with how it turned out, Ehren says.

The residence features exceptionally large windows in the front and back, and from the street passersby can clearly see through the residence into the backyard. When it is snowing, it looks like we are living inside a snow globe, Lara says laughing.

Ehren and Lara Leonberger, in their Affton mid-century ranch home, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com

Lara and Ehren Leonberger

Continued here:
At home: Her midcentury home in Lakeshire is one she used to know as a child - STLtoday.com

A 22 -year-old man is facing charges of impaired driving and refusing the breathalyzer following a collision with a parked car in St. Johns early Saturday morning.

The RNC say the charges were laid after the vehicle the man was driving collided with the car on The Boulevard at about 5 a.m. and then hit a rock retaining wall.

The man was originally taken to hospital but the RNC say he was not injured.

The male was released to appear in court at a later date.

EARLIER STORY:

One man was sent to hospital early Saturday morning after the car he was driving struck a parked vehicle and a retaining wall in St. Johns.

It appears the westbound car crossed over to the wrong side of the road on The Boulevard just before 5 a.m.,struck the parked vehicle and then swerved back to the right side of the road where it then hit the stone retaining wall. The parked car was moved several meters from its original location.

The owners of the car that was hit say this is the second time their car has been hit by another vehicle while it was parked near their home. The first time was when they lived at a different address.

Both carswere extensively damage.

The mans injuries were not thought to be serious.

The RNC is investigating the incident and more details will be provided as they become available.

Keith Gosse

The Telegram

keith.gosse@thetelegram.com

@TelyPhotoGosse

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Man charged with impaired driving after car crashes into parked vehicle in St. John's early Saturday morning - The Telegram

METUCHEN The movement to fix the ongoing problem with trucks striking the Main Street Amtrak railroad bridge, which has an 11-foot, 2-inch clearance, began with a call from a borough police officer to the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority.

We looked at the crash data and conversations began with Middlesex County, which is responsible for the roadway, said Christine Mittman, manager of safety programs for local project development at North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA). From that, we developed an application and the project moved into the program.

A total of 444 crashes occurred during a five-year period. More than 24% of all crashes occurred along Main Street and 64% of the 444 crashes occurred at four particular locations intersecting Main Street Route 27/Middlesex Avenue with 110 crashes, Pennsylvania Avenue/North East Corridor (NEC-Amtrak Bridge) with 57 crashes, Woodbridge Avenue Train Station/Post Office with 57 crashes and Amboy Avenue with 61 crashes.

The borough saw 55 bridge strikes at the NEC-Amtrak underpass from 2012-16.

To help with the ongoing problem that has plagued the borough for years, the borough is in receipt of a $9.3 million grant from the NJTPA to the County of Middlesex, which borough officials announced in January 2018.

The grant for the project is through the NJTPAs fiscal year 2017-18 local safety program, which is federally funded in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). It is funded through the Federal Highway Administrations Highway Safety Improvements Program, which advances safety improvements on county and local roadways.

Representatives from NJTPA, Michael Baker International, engineering and consulting firm based in Pittsburgh, and Middlesex County hosted a virtual public information center meeting on Oct. 7 to inform local residents, officials and businesses of the safety improvement project along Main Street between Talmadge and Brunswick avenues.

The project is in its preliminary design phase, which is expected to be completed by winter 2020-21.

The grant includes funding $800,000 for design and $8-$9 million for construction and construction inspection services, Mittman said.

The funds will be used to support Metuchens efforts to improve public safety, pedestrian safety, traffic signals and eliminate trucks from striking the Main Street railroad bridge, which is overseen by Amtrak, NJ Transit, the county and the borough.

The approved project will cover a 1.1-mile stretch of Main Street and is one of 14 throughout the state, but the only one approved in Middlesex County.

When looking at the entire borough there are only three streets that provide any significant north-south mobility, Brad Miller of Michael Baker International said. Right in the middle is Main Street, the longest [roadway] that provides access from north down to Route 287, Route 1 and indirectly to the New Jersey Turnpike. Its a significant corridor that draws a variety of significant types of traffic and different types of needs.

Representatives from Michael Baker International said each section of Main Street is unique and needs its own improvements. Work is expected to begin at the intersection of Talmadge Avenue with a gateway type improvement letting motorists know they are entering into a downtown area.

Infrastructure improvements to address the bridge strikes call for the implementation of a pole-mounted overheight vehicle detection system, which identifies and diverts overheight vehicles at selected intersections to suitable alternative routes with electronic and static Overheight Vehicle and Low Clearance signage and Bridge Ahead signs.

The improvements are proposed at eight locations southbound at Elm Avenue, Durham Avenue, Highland Avenue, Hillside and New Streets, northbound at Spring Street, Amboy Avenue, Clinton Place, Woodbridge Avenue.

Improvements to the underpass itself include the railings, retaining wall, sidewalk, lighting and storm drainage.

Other improvements along Main Street include new and upgraded traffic signal infrastructure Main Street at New Street and Hillside Avenue with upgraded equipment, Main Street at Woodridge Avenue with a proposed new signal, Main Street at Amoy Avenue with upgraded equipment and Main Street at Brunswick Avenue and Myrtle Avenue with a proposed new signal.

Up to five new or upgraded flashing pedestrian beacons are proposed. A proposed new rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) are proposed for Main Street at Elm Avenue, Main Street midblock between Highland Avenue and Hillside Avenue/New Street, Main Street midblock between Charles Street and East/West Walnut Street and upgrades to the existing RRFB at Main Street and Lincoln Avenue.

All upgrades will be made to Americans Disabilities Act (ADA)/Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) standards.

Main Street is too narrow for dedicated bicycle lanes or paths, officials said. Proposed plans call for a shared-lane design with the proposal of sharrow symbols every 100 feet, which are already on Amboy and Woodbridge avenues.

Curb extensions are proposed in front of the Forum Theater in efforts to bolster the area in the future as well as the bus stop locations along Main Street and in front of St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral.

Main Street, also known as Route 531, serves as the boroughs downtown commercial business area. It is one of the main arteries feeding traffic in and out of the borough. The corridor sees significant pedestrian traffic and includes a NJ Transit rail station.

The corridor is ranked 13th on the NJTPAs list of high-crash pedestrian corridors in the county. The intersection of Main Street and Amboy Avenue is ranked ninth on the list of high-crash pedestrian intersections in the county.

After the completed preliminary design, the next steps include NJDOT approval of the environmental document by fall 2021, authorization to commence final design by spring 2022, anticipated federal authorization to construct by winter 2022-23, construction to begin by spring 2023 and construction substantially completed by winter 2023-24.

The presentation made at the meeting on Oct. 7 is on the boroughs website at http://www.metuchennj.org.

Written public comment and suggestions can be sent to Ron Sendner, county engineer with the Office of Engineering, NJDOT up to Oct. 30. A suggestion form available at http://www.njtpa.org/Get-Involvded/Info-Resources/Calendar/2020/October/Public-Meeting-Metuchen-Safety-Improvements.aspx can be sent to 75 Bayard St., New Brunswick 08901 or emailed to Ronald.Sendner@co.middlesex.nj.us or faxed to 732-745-8852.

Continued here:
Infrastructure improvements for one-mile stretch of Metuchen's Main Street in preliminary design phase, public comment accepted through Oct. 30 -...

Different than an automatic pool cover, a swimming pool enclosureallows you to use the pool while it is protected from the elements. If you have been considering a way to cover the pool area but still be able to use the pool and patio.

In this post we are taking a closer look into the world of swimming pool enclosures.

A pool cover is different than a pool enclosure. You cant use the pool when its covered by a conventional cover, and thats what makes a pool enclosure different, and in most cases, better.

and most of us want all of the above!

Turns out there are several types of swimming pool and patio covers & pool enclosures on the market that can address all of these concerns in their own way.

Do you want to enjoy being able to swim at almost any time during the year? A poly-carbonate swimming pool enclosure will allow you to take a warm dip or keep up with your swimming routine even when its 32 degrees outside.

FULL LIST OF POOL ENCLOSURE BENEFITS HERE

Do you want a clean pool at all times, even after a storm? A screened pool enclosure will protect your pool from the surrounding trees and dust, reducing your pool maintenance and cleaning to the bare minimum.

Do you worry about children wondering off into the pool area when youre not around? Both pool covers and pool enclosures provide the peace of mind knowing that your pool is locked up when otherwise accidents can happen.

Do you want to swim longer without getting sun burned? Both a screened or poly-carbonate pool enclosure will reflect much of the harmful rays and heat from the sun. A pool enclosure offers the maximum amount of shade and protection against the sun.

VIEW ALL FEATURES OF POOL ENCLOSURES HERE

We are talking pool enclosures that dont have to be removed before using the pool, these pool enclosures create a protected outdoor pool & patio area worth spending some time within.

The most popular enclosures that offer these conveniences are:

Either of which is built upon an aluminum framework around the pool area, and can be adapted to just about any architectural layout, and even built as detached from the main house as free-standing structures.

Screen enclosures are typically made entirely of aluminum material. Lightweight and durable, swimming pool screen enclosures can have many useful benefits. This usually comes down to the individual homeowners preference since this is not necessarily the best idea forallswimming pools. dengarden article

Advantages Screened Pool Enclosures

Disadvantages Screen Pool Enclosures

The swimming pool and spa enclosures are fitted with 8mm or 10mm thick polycarbonate panels (solid, twin-walled or triple-walled). There are four colors of transparent/translucent polycarbonate panels available: clear, light blue, milky, and brown. Customers often choose 4mm thick solid polycarbonate panels which have clear-glass optical properties. pool spa enclosures

A glass pool enclosure is actually made from polycarbonate, which is made to look like glass. One of the best advantages to this type of pool enclosure is that it often will not obstruct great views beyond the pool.

Having the ability to open up your pool enclosure is an extremely convenient feature. When the weather is good open the panels, and if it rains you can keep on swimming just close the panels back again!

In our opinion, yes, swimming pool enclosures are worth the investment. From the practical sense to the memories you will enjoy it just makes sense to enclose your pool.

In the long term, you will save money that would have gone into things like chemicals and pool repairs that if you had installed a pool enclosure would not be spending so much on.

Just being able to use the pool all year long regardless of the temperature (with the polycarbonate version) is totally worth the money.

If youre ready to take the next step, we can help locate the qualified pool enclosure specialist to help in your area.

Please complete the below contact form to obtain a pool enclosure quote. Please write as much information as you can to narrow your quote and attach a photo if available.

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Pool & Patio Enclosures | What's Protecting Your Backyard ...

To the editor:

Hingham is once again facing a potential sale and development of the historic Old Ship Church Parish House property. The historic single-family property, located in the Bachelors Row Local Historic District and the federally created Lincoln National Register Historic District, was listed for sale for several years. Despite being located in a single-family zoned neighborhood, it was marketed primarily to developers in order to facilitate construction of a new parish house across the street next to the historic Old Ship Church Meeting House. In October of 2019, the congregation expressed its desire to abandon the sale and voted 44-23 to take the property off the market and focus on renovation and maintenance. However, the Board of Trustees continued their efforts to sell the property, disregarding the will of its parishioners, conducting business at the expense of preserving the historic Parish House, and excluding from the decision process dissenting or questioning views from within the parish.

Hingham has always been proud of its history as one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts, with numerous carefully preserved and maintained antique homes, buildings, and green spaces. Hingham's Historic Districts Commission was created and has worked diligently and faithfully for many decades to serve the wishes of Hingham's citizens and voters, by the virtually unanimous vote of Town Meeting, by encouraging the preservation of priceless architectural resources located in the ten local historic districts throughout our community. It is no coincidence that Hingham has one of the country's largest inventories of surviving antique homes and properties.

Two of these historic properties are owned by Old Ship Church: the Parish House and the Meeting House. The Church's priority has always been the historic Meeting House. Because of its landmark status, the parish has received many national, state, and local grants to fund its preservation, in addition to donations from the residents of Hingham. The Parish House, however, does not qualify for the same level of public funding for its upkeep. Its maintenance is largely the responsibility of the parish, and despite the will of the majority of the congregation to create a plan for its renovation and maintenance, the Board of Trustees continues to maintain that they are unable to manage the fundraising related to the care of the property. Why is the only solution to sell this historic property to a developer, despite the wishes of the congregation?

The Old Ship congregation clearly expressed its wish to continue its stewardship of the beloved historic Parish House property, rejecting the need for a brand new parish house next to the Meeting House. Efforts by parishioners to engage with the planning process for renovation and maintenance have been met with resistance. A general lack of transparency during the investigative process for renovation, leading up to the introduction of the anonymous developer and his proposal for the Parish House and Meeting House properties, has characterized the course taken by the Board of Trustees over the past year.

There are many available resources to fund the renovation and preservation of the Parish House. Why won't the Board work with the members of their parish, their historic district, and their neighbors to develop a plan to renovate and preserve the Parish House property? Selling the property to Atlantic Development, with its history of litigation against both respected land preservation charities and civic-focused charitable organizations, is questionable and seems inconsistent with the tenets of the Old Ship Church. Changing the zoning of this single-family neighborhood in a local and federal historic district to accommodate the development of two historic properties would create a negative precedent for the destruction of Hingham's historic districts. Resources for renovation and preservation funding include, but are not limited to, the neighborhood community, Hingham's Community Preservation Committee, a capital campaign, in-kind donations, as well as private donors who have expressed interest in donating significant funding to save the existing Parish House. Neighbors of the Parish House remain committed and willing to partner with the Old Ship Church community to do the work and raise the funds to restore and maintain the existing Parish House so that it may continue to serve the needs of the parishioners and community while preserving its historic integrity and architectural beauty within the historic neighborhood.

Our hope is that the Church's pledge of stewardship and the democratic process based in conscience will prevail. We ask the Board of Trustees to engage in transparent, productive dialogue with parishioners, neighbors, and community members. We hope that the Church will decide to access the many resources available to preserve the Parish House and the integrity of its historic property and neighborhood. We ask this in the spirit of openness and fellowship within our historic district.

Marisa and Terrence Ronan

Whitney and Stephen Jiranek

Foster Aborn and Sara Holbrook

Ellen Mitchell and Charles Byrne

Jennifer Hunt

Written on behalf of ProHingham

More here:
Letter: our collective responsibility to preserve the Old Ship Church Parish House - Wicked Local Hingham

Letters to the Editor: October 8 14, 2020

F.C. City Must Push Through With The Downtown Project

Editor,

No matter what decision the Falls Church City Council makes about the Broad and Washington development, there will be people who are unhappy.

Some people will never support the project, no matter what accommodations are made.

A Yes decision on the Broad and Washington development will provide the following to everyone in Falls Church:

We support moving forward with the Broad and Washington project and all the benefits it will provide the City, its residents, and the surrounding communities that visit, work in, and regularly patronize businesses in the Falls Church City.

Gina Caceci, Martha Meserve, Michael Diener, Mark Werblood, Rich and Elizabeth Meade, Nicole Johnston, David Ortiz, Nicholas Benton, Laura Connors Hull, Andrea Robles, PhD, Solon Simmons, PhD, Rob Donovan, Jeff Thiebert, Becky Manicone, Andres Jordan, Sharon Van Duizend.

Falls Church

Quote In School Name Change Story Not Accurate

Editor,

Since I feel that my words stated in the past weeks article were taken out of context, I wish to state for the record what my stance is. The new high school being built in Falls Church should have a new name. One that inspires humanity and decency, as well as one that denounces the sins of the past and crimes against humanity. The problem with honoring the Southern Founding Fathers and the Founder of the Confederacy is that they both viciously and brutally denied African Americans their humanity. Creating a false narrative as to why they should do so and justifying their actions and torturous tactics.

We must not continue to honor a past that we now recognize is not true to our better nature. The history of slavery and the lessons learned from the Confederacy are not who we say we are. If we say we are, the land of the free and the home of the brave. And if we also say that we have, liberty and justice for all, we cannot honor those who would deny humanity to someone based on the color of their skin or the race, sexual orientation or religion they belong to.

Change the names so that we can find names that inspire and advocate an honorable future.

Edwin Henderson

Falls Church

Letters to the Editor may be submitted toletters@fcnp.comor via ouronline form here.Letters should be limited to 350 words and may be edited for content, clarity and length. To view the FCNPs letter and submission policy, please clickhere.

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Letters to the Editor: F.C. City Must Push Through With The Downtown Project - Falls Church News Press