Posted: Sunday, March 25, 2012 2:02 pm | Updated: 2:07 pm, Fri Mar 23, 2012.

Work is under way to restore the Chestertown Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Kent Street, which was damaged by fire Feb. 21.

Kevin McDaniel, pastor of the church, said on Monday that demolition of "the burned stuff" was nearly complete. Damaged materials, including the flooring and subflooring of the sanctuary, have been removed from the building. The interior is being dried out, and the contractors are dealing with water damage and mold.

The next step, McDaniel said, is removal and replacement of the roof, which he expected to take place in about a week. He said the main contractor, Paul Davis Restoration, will be using a local subcontractor for the trusses, at the church's request. "We want to include as many local services and contractors as possible" in the work, he said, to support local workers and keep money in the community.

McDaniel offered a "guess-timation" of about eight months for the work to be completed, depending on the many variables that affect construction work. The repairs will include a complete updating of the electrical work; he said the church's insurance policy covers bringing it up to code. Also, he said, this will be an opportunity to replace the building's "old beast" of a heating plant.

Structurally, the church's walls survived the fire in good shape. McDaniel said they were inspected twice, the second time by an inspector who worked on the Pentagon after the Sept. 11 attack on that building. "The walls are fine," he said.

McDaniel said once the building is ready for use, the congregation plans a "grand reopening and thanks to the community." He said he was "overwhelmed by the good people and the good community" in their response to the church's need.

He said the church had received "lots of good offers" of alternate sites to hold services while the building is being repaired. After consideration, the congregation elected to use its church school building in Sudlersville, in part because the rent money can help the school.

McDaniel said the community's donations to help with rebuilding had been "great," but more are always welcome. Donations may be sent to the Chestertown Church Rebuilding Fund, Chesapeake Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, 6600 Martin Road, Columbia MD 21044. For more information, call 410-995-1910 or see http://www.ccos da.org.

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Chestertown church focuses on rebuilding

The choir of Dunns Creek Baptist Church sings Saturday during the groundbreaking for the new church building on See Off Mountain Road in Brevard. In March 2011, the original church was destroyed in a fire, though the cause remains undetermined.

BREVARD-- The sweet sounds of the congregation and guests singing Amazing Grace on Saturday at the groundbreaking for Dunns Creek Baptist Church celebrated the churchs moving forward after a devastating fire almost exactly a year ago.

Though the blaze destroyed the historic building on See Off Mountain Road, it did not take the congregations faith, Pastor Michael Rogers said. And the hymn reflected this feelings about the groundbreaking.

Were excited. Were extremely excited, he said. Amazed. Thats the word. God has put this thing in motion. Im astonished another word for amazed not by how its happened, but how God is making this happen.

The congregation continues to raise funds to rebuild. Rogers said the building will cost around $285,000 and will be completed by October. He added they need to raise about $90,000 more.

Firefighters from four counties had battled the fire last year. The fire destroyed the back of the 140-year-old church, and the sanctuary sustained water damage. The cause of the fire was never officially determined, Rogers said.

The fire happened a year ago on March 23, Rogers said. Were not looking back to the fire but towards the future to what God want us to be a good church.

Rogers said a good church is defined as a Christ-centered church with a congregation thats impacting its local community. Rogers first preached at the church in November and was elected officially as pastor in February.

He said when he first started, there were 12 to 14 congregation members regularly attending services at the community building next to the church site. Now, the congregation is around 35.

They didnt even have a pastor here when the fire occurred, Rogers said.

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Church breaks ground, looks forward

EPHRATA - An Ephrata couple just opened a new Mr. Appliance franchise for Columbia Basin residents.

Adam and Tori St. Mary are the owners of the Ephrata-based franchise at 1322 Basin St. SW. The business employs the couple and a technician.

Adam St. Mary selected the company because of its code of values involving respect, integrity, customer focus and having fun in the process.

"Their goal is to help change your life," he said. "I knew I wanted to do this. It's something I always wanted to do. When I was getting ready to make this move, I gave them a call."

St. Mary spoke of their business model and front-line customer service policies of placing a mat in front of the customers' door to help keep the house clean.

Technicians carry cleaning supplies to ensure the house and appliance are clean.

Customers have the convenience of booking appointments online. Once they schedule their appointment, they receive an e-mail reminder and a video of what kind of service to expect.

At the home, Mr. Appliance technicians work on major household appliances and most major brands.

They offer dryer vent cleaning, which helps prevent dryer fires.

Annually, dryer fires are blamed for about 15,600 structure fires, 15 deaths and 400 injuries, according to the U.S. Fire Administration's website.

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Mr. Appliance franchise opens in Ephrata

New apartment blocks, such as Fifty Albert as seen in an artist's impression, are emphasising communal space.

GONE are the days when a pool or gym would suffice in a new apartment building.

Now nightclubs, bars, shared dining facilities, poker rooms and yoga are being included to create "vertical villages" and provide communal spaces for residents.

As a result, modern apartment blocks are becoming more like pseudo hotels.

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The large array of lifestyle services on offer caters for an increasingly sophisticated set of high-rise dwellers wanting spaces and facilities not found in older buildings.

Developer Hamton's new Fifty Albert building near Albert Park Lake offers residents a health club, day spa, on-site yoga, indoor garden retreat and concierge service at ground level.

On the top floor are a sun deck, hot tubs, fully equipped barbecue, kitchens, dining, lounge, cinema and poker rooms all shared.

Another architecturally striking building about to begin construction in A'Beckett Street called MY80 will feature a private rooftop nightclub-bar and lounge on the 53rd floor.

As well as a pool, residents get a business centre, cinema and barbecue terrace.

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Welcome to the vertical village

GUELPH Local dad Rob Pyper has a deep connection to the Guelph Community Christian School.

I went to the school as a child, Pyper said Saturday as he joined other volunteers in helping extensively renovate the schools new home, the former College Avenue Public School.

The half-century-old religious school is relocating from Waterloo Avenue to larger space as it grows in size and scope.

Pyper and spouse Alison Pyper have four children, two of whom, Sarah and Samuel, currently attend while the younger Leah and Noah will join the student body once theyre old enough.

Pyper had several reasons why he enjoyed the school he went to as a child, where families play an integral role as school community volunteers. (It was) the sense of community . . . knowing the families, the values. You get a real sense the kids are cared for, he said.

On a tour of the non-denominational school under renovation Saturday, parent and businessman Daryl Holmes noted the old location, which has been sold to the Muslim Society of Guelph, has 13,000 square feet compared to the new one which will be 38,000 square feet triple the size.

The Christian school, with more than 120 families, serves 235 students kindergarten to Grade 8. The first school year at the sprawling new 10-acre site is slated for September.

Dozens of volunteers have put in 800 man-hours of work to date, though the work also receives a boost from a project management firm and other contractors.

The surplus site was bought for $3.1 million from the Upper Grand District School Board, with renovations to cost $2 million, all the money garnered through fundraising, volunteers said. Work began last October.

The redevelopment project will retain and enhance the flavour of the architecture, notably a butterfly-style angled front roof portion that will be kept and mimicked elsewhere in the structure. Attractive existing wood-finish features are also to be retained, the gymnasium ceiling, for example.

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Christian school taking shape at new site

A Leading National Provider in the Installed Home Improvements and Home Furnishings Industry Expands Service Into the San Antonio, Austin and Waco-Temple-Bryan Areas

Northlake, IL (PRWEB) March 22, 2012

Empire Today has expanded service in Texas and is now servicing the San Antonio, Austin and Waco-Temple-Bryan areas. Commonly known as Empire Carpet, Empire Today is a full-service provider of quality carpet, flooring and window treatment products for the residential and commercial business segments. For more than nine years, Empire Today has been servicing the Dallas and Houston areas.

We are very excited to expand our service in Texas with the opening of the San Antonio, Austin and Waco-Temple-Bryan service areas, said Steve Silvers, chief executive officer for Empire Today. More customers in the state of Texas can now experience our services and update their homes or businesses with new carpet, flooring and window treatments. We make it convenient and easy with our in-home or on-site consultations, quality products, professional installation and award-winning service.

Empire Today provides customers with free in-home estimates, next day installation, name-brand products, a low price guarantee and financing options. Empire also offers a comprehensive product portfolio of Empire Carpet commercial carpet and flooring, as well as a government purchasing program.

Empire Today has been acknowledged with some of the most prestigious awards for customer service and business ethics. Empire has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. In 2011 and 2010, Empire Today was a finalist for the prestigious national awards for Best Customer Service Organization and Best Overall Company from the American Business Awards.

About Empire Today Empire Today, LLC, known for its iconic Empire Carpet Man television character, has been a leading provider of installed home improvements and home furnishings for Over 50 Years. Empire provides services to residential and business customers with a wide selection of products suitable for homes, small businesses, organizations and commercial applications. Our line of quality, name-brand products includes: Carpet, Hardwood, Laminate, Ceramic, Vinyl Flooring and Window Treatments. The company provides shop-at-home or on-site consultations, next day professional installation on many products, quality products at great prices, and world-class service to more than 55 metropolitan areas in the United States. Empire Today for a greener tomorrow a leader in floor covering recycling. For more information, call 800-588-2300, visit empiretoday.com or follow us: Empire Today Twitter.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/3/prweb9293017.htm

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Empire Today® Expands Next Day Carpet, Flooring & Window Treatment Service in Texas

A debt-free balance-sheet, focus on consulting services, steady orders from government departments and good execution track record make it a safe play.

March 24, 2012:

Stocks in the construction space have underperformed markets in the last couple of years. High debt, poor order book and delays in execution were some of the issues that plagued the sector.

Devoid of these concerns, National Buildings Construction Corporation, a state-owned company in which the government is divesting stake through an IPO, comes as a whiff of fresh air.

Investors with a perspective of three years can invest in this offer for sale by the government in NBCC, a construction project management service provider.

A debt-free balance-sheet, focus on consulting services, steady orders from government departments and good track record of execution make it a relatively safe play on the volatile construction sector.

The offer price of Rs 90-106 discounts the company's annualised FY-12 earnings by a modest 7.2-8.5 times. This is at a steep discount to larger public sector consultancy company Engineers India.

NBCC acts as a consultant from the stage of project conceptualisation to execution and hires a contractor to actually execute the work. It derives over 90 per cent of its revenue from project consultancy for civil construction projects. A small proportion also comes from executing civil infrastructure works for power projects and from real-estate development.

The government will dilute a 10 per cent stake in the company through this offer to raise Rs 127 crore at the higher end of the price band. The company's market capitalisation, on listing, will be about Rs 1,300 crore at the higher end of the price band. That's about half its FY11 sales.

NBCC provides consultancy services for a range of civil construction works, including residential and commercial buildings, hospitals, and educational institutions as well as infrastructure works. The Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and the IITs are some of its clients. NBCC mostly gets repeat orders, even as prospective clients seek its services.

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NBCC - IPO: Invest

by JIM "PAPPY" MOORE Associated Press

Rick restores old things and makes them look the way they once did. People bring him items which are typically anywhere from forty to one hundred and forty years old. The items almost always hold some personal value to the owner which goes far beyond the actual dollar value of the item.

In a typical episode, Rick and his crew may repair and restore several items, and we see parts of each story. Someone has a toy riding horse made in the 1960s. She wants it restored for her brother, who rode it as a child. Rick makes certain it looks and performs like it did the day her brother tore open a Christmas present fifty years ago and found his new riding horse.

Rick is helped by his son, Tyler, an affable if occasionally unfocused high school student. Other key crew members include: Rick's brother, Ron; a friend of Kyle's named Brettley; a cantankerous fellow named Kowboy; a worker named Kyle; and a lady who works in the office, Wendy. She was added to the cast most recently as what I like to call "the Danielle Addition." The History Channel's hit reality show American Pickers saw that their female member, Danielle, developed a following, so Pawn Stars recently added an interesting, attractive, charismatic female member to their staff. On American Restoration, Wendy has fulfilled that role for Rick and his crew.

American Restoration works with museums to repair and restore iconic items from days gone by. The quality of the original workmanship for such properties is usually far beyond what we normally see in today's world. The wood is solid wood with beautiful grain. It is not veneer. There are no plastic components. The metal used is thick and substantial. These are the things that Rick restores to the vitality they once showed.

Children's toys are a favorite, and I have seen a number of them I recognize from my childhood in the 1950s and 1960s. These include little red wagons, mechanical riding horses, and three wheel vehicles that were designed to look like a rocket ship.

Vending machines from the 1950s and 1960s are also big items. Think of how different those early vending machines were from what we see now. Imagine a refurbished Coke or Pepsi dispenser, the kind where bottles, not cans, were dispensed. Those heavy glass bottles full of cola would slide down into their slot, and we would grab one and pull it out. To my personal knowledge, there has never been a better cola out of a machine than those little Coca Colas that were six ounces and in slightly green glass. Pulling one of those out of a machine and drinking it straight down without stopping is one of my fond memories of those times.

American Restoration does a wonderful job of showing us old treasures made new again, and takes us on a little trip down memory lane every week.

2012, Jim Pappy Moore, All Rights Reserved.

Jim Pappy Moore is a native son of East Texas who still makes the piney woods his home. oaktreefm58@juno.com

Continued here:
American Restoration - Reviving America's Home Built Treasures

Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Sunday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

Ad-Diyar

Khlalil: The government is ineffective

Majority: Search for replacement government postponed despite its paralysis and Mikati will not resign

Will the issue of the power-generating boats bring an end to the government?

The question circulated the corridors of power Saturday after Health Minister Ali Hasan Khalil announced from the south that we cannot continue in a government that does not meet the needs of the people in terms of development and does not restore the trust of people.

Energy Minister Gebran Bassil also announced that he would have a thunderous stance next week over the Prime Minister Najib Mikatis rejection to a the proposal of leasing out electricity-generating ships, preferring to build stations instead.

Despite the present atmosphere, sources told Ad-Diyar that the current debate will not lead to the collapse of the government and that the Cabinet will remain in tact for many reasons and that Mikati will not resign.

An-Nahar

Complete report by PM on electricity-generating ships

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Lebanon's Arabic press digest - March 25, 2012

Azrieli Group Ltd. (TASE: AZRG) today laid the cornerstone of Israel's biggest office building, in terms of office space - the Sarona Tower, in Tel Aviv's South Kirya compound. The 50-storey building will have 110,000 square meters of office space and include an 11,000-square meter three-floor mall. At 200 meters, it will be Israel's second tallest building, after the Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat Gan. The tower is located only half a block south of Azrieli Group's flagship Azrieli Center project.

David Azrieli said, "You will undoubtedly ask why now, at a time of recession and uncertainty, I am building a project at an investment of NIS 1.5 billion. People who know the history of my company will see that we're building something for the future, and a good future. We believe that when we will complete this project, the downward cycle will have reversed.

"Remember, almost all my projects since 1983 were begun in hard times and completed in good times. The company's optimism is also reflected in its planning. We'll build another building for the glory of the city and for the glory of the State of Israel. Sarona will become the most beautiful park in Israel."

Construction will take four years, and the building's 1,800-space parking lot will probably be opened before then.

Asked by "Globes" about Antitrust Authority director general David Gilo's decision not to allow Azrieli Group to acquire Netanya's Ir Hayamim Mall, Azrieli replied, "It is Gilo's right to do what he thinks is right. We dont agree with his decision, but the law is the law, and he decides. This does not prevent us from building, expanding and doing things in the country."

"Globes": Does Israel need more malls?

Azrieli: "Commercial space per capita in Israel lags far behind the US, but that's not the issue. The main question is how malls are good and successful. If there are unsuccessful and poorly planned and badly managed malls, the market will decide whether they fall. Competition isn't between malls, it's between mall companies. We welcome competition."

Azrieli Group's share price rose 1.1% by mid-afternoon to NIS 91.08, giving a market cap of NIS 10.9 billion.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - http://www.globes-online.com - on March 25, 2012

Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012

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Azrieli lays cornerstone for biggest office building