NEW ORLEANS (AP) Six years after Hurricane Katrina forced a small Lakeview church to rebuild from scratch, its members have done so in a way few other congregations have matched, creating an ambitious, environmentally green building that embodies the congregation's very theology.

The members of Community Church Unitarian Universalist of New Orleans have a tight, bright church of 4,200 square feet designed from day one to consume as little fossil-fuel energy as possible.

And now comes something like a certificate of success: March's electricity bill totaled $48.83.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the Lakeview congregation's new home is the first house of worship of its kind in the country.

The Unitarian Universalist rebuilders in Lakeview are the spiritual and ethical heirs of Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and the 19th century New England Transcendentalists.

Famously liberal and pluralistic, big-tent Unitarian Universalism describes itself as a creedless religion devoted to seven broad ethical principles. Generally, the denomination celebrates human dignity, equality, peace, social justice, democracy, the right to conscience and each individual's search for truth.

An old joke Unitarian Universalists tell on themselves: "Why did the Unitarian Universalist cross the road?"

"To support the chicken in its search for its own path."

But another unifying principal and the underpinning for the Lakeview church is "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."

"We have in this congregation people who want to walk the way they talk," said the Rev. Jim VanderWeele, the pastor of Community Church since 2002.

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Unitarian church rebuilds with "green" building

Walking from their homes in West Concord to West Concord Village last week, friends Betsy Higgins and Pam Swing stopped in their tracks when they noticed some interesting construction going on at the West Concord Union Church.

We noticed a man was there putting stones in place, Higgins said. We stopped and said hello and asked him about it. Its quite beautiful.

Since the beginning of April, Marty Kermeen, of Labyrinths in Stone, has been busy creating a Petit Chartres Labyrinth, based on the design of the Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth in France.

According to the West Concord Union Church, a labyrinth is a single path of several circuits combining the ancient symbols of circle and spiral. It is a spiritual tool based on ancient patterns that date to pre-Christian times.

West Concord Union Church Deacon David Sedlock said the decision to construct a labyrinth at the church began about a year ago.

We had discussions with members of the congregation about creating a welcome garden and many of them were interested in constructing a labyrinth next to that, Sedlock said. Many of the members were very familiar with walking labyrinths and thought it could be a very spiritual and meditative activity that we could incorporate within the church environment and the Concord community.

After working with a site designer to develop a plan, Sedlock said the church was able to find Kermeen, who operates the labyrinth-making business out of Chicago, Ill., with his wife Debi.

As founding members of the International Labyrinth Society, Marty Kermeen and Labyrinths in Stone, have made temporary and permanent labyrinths all around the country. Kermeen said labyrinth-making has become part of his everyday life.

The business found me, Kermeen said standing outside West Concord Union Church. As a stone sculptor and paver, Marty said he has created paver art around the country for more than 25 years.

The Kermeens labyrinth creations can be found in places including cathedrals, churches, hospitals, schools, museums and private homes.

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West Concord Union Church in Concord constructs stone labyrinth

BAYOU LA BATRE, Alabama -On Wintzell Avenue, a main thoroughfare of this waterfront town, a historic church is temporarily without a steeple. About 40 feet long, gleaming white, the steeple lies in the grass, stretching over the yard of the parsonage.

I have the largest yard ornament in Bayou La Batre, said the Rev. Clint Landry, pastor of First Baptist of Bayou La Batre, standing next to the steeple on a bright May afternoon.

Taken down after a fire that nearly consumed the church, the steeple holds fascination for all.

Children peer around it Its not a play toy, Landry tells kids and folks stop their cars to take its picture.

Its a unique thing to see, Landry agreed, walking around its perimeter. You dont realize how big it is until its on the ground.

It makes a statement, said Jerrie Ackridge, 70, the churchs historian.

When we pass by the church my great-grandbaby says, Oh, the church is broke.

To her husband, Neil Akridge, 75, whose grandfather helped build the church, it symbolizes faith, too.

That the entire church, built of heart pine in the 1890s, didnt explode into flames is nothing short, he said, of miraculous.

It was leap day, Wednesday, Feb. 29, a quiet afternoon with no one in the church, when an electrical fire erupted.

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Church steeple on his lawn, Bayou La Batre pastor tells of fire that almost destroyed historic church

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (NYSE:CHD - News) today reported net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 of $95.8 million or $0.66 per share, compared to last years reported net income of $83.6 million or $0.58 per share. This reflects an earnings per share increase of 13.8%.

First Quarter Review

Reported net sales for the first quarter increased 7.5% to $690.6 million. Organic sales increased 8.4% driven by 10.5% volume growth offset by 2.1% unfavorable product mix and pricing. Organic sales exclude the impact of an acquisition and foreign exchange rate changes, but includes an estimated 1.4% effect of sales resulting from a timing shift in customer orders from the first quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2011, in anticipation of the January 2012 U.S. information system upgrade. The Company believes such sales would have occurred in the first quarter of 2012 were it not for the timing shift.

James R. Craigie, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, We are very pleased with our first quarter business results in what continues to be a difficult economic environment. The organic sales increase of 8.4% reflects strong volume growth. While category consumption continues to be weak in the U.S., we increased market share on five of our eight power brands in the quarter.

Consumer Domestic net sales were $510.6 million, a $39.5 million increase or 8.4% above the prior year first quarter sales. First quarter organic sales increased by 10.1%, primarily due to higher sales of ARM & HAMMER liquid laundry detergent. Other products that contributed to volume growth were XTRA liquid laundry detergent, ARM & HAMMER cat litter, and the introduction of ARM & HAMMER CRYSTAL BURST power pack laundry detergent. These increases were partially offset by lower sales of ARM & HAMMER SPINBRUSH battery-operated toothbrushes, TROJAN condoms and ORAJEL oral analgesic products. Volume growth contributed approximately 13.4% to sales, partially offset by the 3.3% unfavorable product mix and pricing. Organic sales reflect an estimated 1.7% effect of including sales resulting from a timing shift in customer orders in anticipation of the January 2012 U.S. information system upgrade.

Consumer International net sales were $121.4 million, an $11.8 million increase or 10.7% above the prior year first quarter sales. Organic sales increased by 7.2%, primarily due to increased sales in Canada, Australia, and France, as well as increased U.S. exports. Volume growth contributed approximately 8.7% to sales, partially offset by 1.5% unfavorable product mix and pricing. Organic sales exclude a 5.0% benefit from an acquisition and the 1.5% effect of unfavorable foreign exchange rate changes.

Specialty Products net sales were $58.6 million, a $3.0 million decrease or 4.9% below the prior year first quarter sales. Organic sales were lower by 2.5% due to softness in end markets. Lower volumes of 8.1%, were partially offset by favorable pricing of 5.6%. The positive pricing is primarily due to a pass-through of raw material increases to customers. Organic sales reflect an estimated 1.6% effect of including sales resulting from a timing shift in customer orders in anticipation of the January 2012 information system upgrade, and excludes the 0.8% effect of unfavorable foreign exchange rate changes.

Gross margin contracted to 43.8% in the first quarter compared to 44.9% in the same quarter last year. The decrease is principally due to unfavorable product mix. The unfavorable product mix reflects a 14.4% increase in net sales of lower margin consumer domestic household products compared to a 2.6% decline in net sales of higher margin consumer domestic personal care products. Gross margin is also effected by start-up costs related to the Companys new California manufacturing and distribution facility, which is scheduled to begin commercial production of liquid laundry detergent and cat litter products in May 2012 and be fully operational in July 2012. Although commodity costs were higher in the quarter, the increases were largely offset by the effect of cost reduction programs. First quarter gross margin was 50 basis points higher than the fourth quarter of 2011. We expect full year gross margin to increase to the lower end of our 25-50 basis point annual target, which reflects the impact of product mix.

Marketing expense was $68.0 million in the first quarter, a slight decrease of $1.2 million or 1.7% in comparison with the prior year first quarter. Marketing expense as a percentage of net sales was 9.8% in the quarter, a decrease of 100 basis points compared to the prior year first quarter due to timing. We expect marketing support to be approximately 13% of net sales for the full year, which is consistent with the prior year.

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Church & Dwight Reports First Quarter 2012 Results

The St. Petersburg Times

Published: May 5, 2012 (Issue # 1706)

The man's decomposed body was found in an elevator shaft, like the one above in the Ostankino television tower.

The body of a man was found in the elevator shaft of a partially built high-rise apartment building in western Moscow around six months after he died.

The gruesome discovery was made Thursday evening at the building at 2 Ulitsa Tvardovskogo, located between the Strogino metro station and the Moscow Ring Road, Interfax reported.

The damage to the body suggested that the man had died after falling from a significant height, but the remains are so decomposed that it will be difficult to make an identification, the report said, citing a unidentified law enforcement official.

The official said the man was 30 to 45 years old and appeared to have died last autumn.

Police have opened an investigation and are checking the payroll records of the construction company responsible for the building, City 21, to see if the dead man might have been one of its employees, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported on its website.

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Body Found in Elevator Shaft After 6 Months

wwltv.com

Posted on May 4, 2012 at 10:12 PM

Updated yesterday at 10:22 PM

Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News Email: ssatchfield@wwltv.com | Twitter: @satchfield

John Sullens didnt quite know what to think Thursday night, when a termite swarm descended on his Metairie home.

"I had never seen anything like it before, I thought we were getting attacked," Sullens said. "Wings everywhere and then the next thing I saw were all these insects crawling around the inside of the door jamb, up the glass and all over the outside light."

At Jason Lynch's house in Destrehan, it was more of the same.

"They're hitting you in the face, and you feel 'em flying around. You think they're mosquitoes, but they're not. Then I come inside, go to wash my hands and this is what I find," Lynch said, pointing to several dead termites near his kitchen sink.

Viewer photos of termite swarms have been rolling in from across the metro area.

Friday, local pest control companies were swamped.

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Experts say termite swarm doesn't necessarily spell trouble for homes

(Crain's) Dogs will be welcome at more Chicago patios if the City Council passes a new retail food ordinance next week. But while that would be progress in the eyes of some proprietors (and patrons), the action likely won't end the debate over what is allowed when guests brings their pooch to dinner or drinks.

Under the new law, your favorite haunts could become as popular with the canine set as they are with their owners. The ordinance is part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to streamline business licenses to 48 types from 117. If passed, the rules governed by the city's four-year-old dog-friendly area license would be folded into the main food retail license. Aldermen will review the proposal at a May 8 joint hearing between the budget and licensing committees and take a vote with the full City Council on May 9.

I welcome the change because people were not buying the license but yet I'd seen dogs on patios, said Didier Durand, chef and owner of Cyrano's Farm Kitchen, the Barrel Room and Cyrano's Caf on the River Walk. Right now, 98 businesses hold the $450 biennial supplemental permit out of 11,944 licensed retail food establishments.

When Mr. Durand first offered a $5 doggy menu a decade ago at what was then Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar, there were no city regulations and most live animals were banned from food-service locations under state law. He backed former Ald. Gene Schulter, who co-sponsored the law to make legal what had been going on for years anyway. The council passed the dog-friendly ordinance in September 2007. The first license was issued Jan. 16, 2008, to Blackie's restaurant in the South Loop.

Now the chef and owner of two standard poodles, Princess and Duchess, says he gets four to five dog guests a day and up to 25 when a dog cruise sets sail. Legally, all he's allowed to serve them is water.

He doubts that the new ordinance will alleviate the confusion over doggy do's and don'ts. What if the guest brings their own food? How do we enforce that? he said. According to city records, he doesn't have a current dog-friendly license.

Nor do many other outdoor spots. Travel website BringFido.com lists 251 fido-friendly restaurants in the city, many of them submitted by site visitors. The site doesn't check for licenses for the restaurant list, says Melissa Halliburton, founder and president of the Greenville, S.C.-based company.

Even when restaurants have a license, they are fuzzy about the regulations. Bistronomic owner and executive chef Martial Noguier was disappointed to learn that the $10 scratch-made menu for dogs he announced last month was illegal.

Four Treys Tavern in Roscoe Village allows dogs inside the bar. We don't serve food, so dogs are welcome, said Jeanine Richard, daytime bartender, adding that she had three dogs there the other night.

Yet, according to current city code, which is expected to carry over to the new ordinance, other than service dogs, pups can't be inside the premises or where food is made.

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Will Chicago dining go to the dogs under new rules?

-All Dates- Today Tomorrow This Weekend This Week -------------------- Sunday, May 6 Monday, May 7 Tuesday, May 8 Wednesday, May 9 Thursday, May 10 Friday, May 11 Saturday, May 12 Sunday, May 13 Monday, May 14 Tuesday, May 15 Wednesday, May 16 Thursday, May 17 Friday, May 18 Saturday, May 19 Sunday, May 20 Monday, May 21 Tuesday, May 22 Wednesday, May 23 Thursday, May 24 Friday, May 25 Saturday, May 26 Sunday, May 27 Monday, May 28 Tuesday, May 29 Wednesday, May 30 Thursday, May 31 Friday, June 1 Saturday, June 2 Sunday, June 3 Monday, June 4 Tuesday, June 5 -All Event Categories- ARTS AGENDA Classical Music Comedy Film Museums Readings & Signings Spoken Word Theater/Dance/Performance Art Visual Arts COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS Benefits & Fundraisers Clubs & Organizations Family Festivals/Events Gay & Lesbian Health & Fitness Holiday Lectures & Seminars Nightlife Sex & Love Singles Sports & Recreation Support Groups Volunteers/Public Life FOOD & DRINK Culinary Wine/Cocktails MUSIC EVENTS Acoustic Americana Bluegrass Blues Classical Concert Country Covers Dancing DJ/Electronica Ethnic/World Experimental Folk General Hip-Hop Jazz Karaoke Metal Open Jam/Drum Circle Open Mic Party Pop R&B/Soul Record Release Rock Spiritual Variety -All Dates- Today Tomorrow This Weekend This Week -------------------- Sunday, May 6 Monday, May 7 Tuesday, May 8 Wednesday, May 9 Thursday, May 10 Friday, May 11 Saturday, May 12 Sunday, May 13 Monday, May 14 Tuesday, May 15 Wednesday, May 16 Thursday, May 17 Friday, May 18 Saturday, May 19 Sunday, May 20 Monday, May 21 Tuesday, May 22 Wednesday, May 23 Thursday, May 24 Friday, May 25 Saturday, May 26 Sunday, May 27 Monday, May 28 Tuesday, May 29 Wednesday, May 30 Thursday, May 31 Friday, June 1 Saturday, June 2 Sunday, June 3 Monday, June 4 Tuesday, June 5 -All Neighborhoods- General Charlotte Area NORTH CHARLOTTE Concord/Kannapolis Dilworth Lake Norman Midtown North Charlotte/University Uptown EAST SIDE East Charlotte Elizabeth NoDa Plaza-Midwood SOUTH CHARLOTTE Ballantyne Matthews/Southeast Charlotte Myers Park Pineville/Hwy 51 South Charlotte South End SouthPark/Cotswold WEST CHARLOTTE Gastonia Westside SOUTH CAROLINA Fort Mill Rock Hill

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Top 5 patios in Charlotte for good times

SCOTTS VALLEY Half a dozen volunteers sit at fold-out tables or lean against the countertops at campaign headquarters, cell phones pressed to their ears, their voices echoing against the hot pink walls that once housed a now-shuttered yogurt shop on Mount Hermon Road.

Members of Save Our Schools Scotts Valley have been in full-blown campaign mode for the last two months, after Scotts Valley Unified School District officials filed paperwork with the county elections office to place a parcel tax measure on the June 5 ballot. Their voices remain calm, but it's a facade that masks the urgency behind their message.

Their schools are depending on them, they only have four weeks left, and they need to reach as many of the 12,500 registered voters in the district's boundaries as possible.

If passed, the Measure K parcel tax would be in effect for three years starting July 1, tacking on an extra $48 to property tax bills each year with exemptions for contiguous parcels and anyone receiving Supplemental Security Income. It would raise up to $1 million through 2014-15, just enough to keep from having to lay off more teachers and cut more programs.

The state could cut more than $1 million out of next year's district budget, said campaign head Derek Timm, who has two daughters enrolled at Vine Hill Elementary School. If that happens, and we don't have a parcel tax, and the district doesn't come up with additional funding sources to help stabilize

It's not yet clear how much funding the district will receive from federal, state and local sources in 2012-13. But tentative figures presented in late March showed revenue of about $15 million, a drop of more than $2 million from this year.

That figure does not include income from a statewide, education-related tax initiative backed by Gov. Jerry Brown for November's general election. Vickie Clark, who heads the district's business office, has to prepare the budget as though the initiative will fail, triggering cuts of $370 in per-pupil spending.

So far, Timm said, voters have expressed support for Measure K. No one filed an opposition statement with the county elections division.

Only property owners will pay the tax, though the majority of them do not have school-aged children. Timm said many would support the measure because property values are higher in areas with good schools.

I think that's the big benefit that property owners can miss out on if they don't think about it in those terms, he said.

Read more:
Parcel tax supporters out in full force: Effort aims to garner support for Measure K

AVON Chamberlin Granite Co. of Torrington, CT, purveyors of monuments, granite countertops, kitchens and baths, has named John Yates, Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer, its new Senior Designer, to head up its brand new kitchen and bath showroom on Rte. 44 in Avon center. This new location is operating under the name, Chamberlin Kitchen & Bath LLC.

Opening the new showroom in Avon will greatly bolster our efforts to cater to Hartford Countys middle and higher-end kitchen and bath needs, noted Tyson Chamberlin, CEO of Chamberlin Kitchen & Bath. Johns thirty-four years of experience in the kitchen and bath industry will strongly benefit our design team, sales and services, he added.

Prior to joining Chamberlin Kitchen & Bath, Yates designed for Ducci Kitchens in Goshen, Platon Design Group in Englewood, NJ and before that he owned Maine Kitchen Design in Yarmouth, Maine for nearly ten years, where Yates designs were chosen to represent the state of Maine for the nationally recognized book, Leading Kitchen & Bath Designers. Originally from Springfield, MA, Yates was the lead designer for Kitchens by Chapdelaine in East Longmeadow, MA for more than sixteen years. During his many years at Chapdelaine, he became the top sales/designer in the Northeast for Plain & Fancy Cabinetry five years in a row. Ironically, and now coming full cycle, Yates has returned near to his old stomping grounds and Plain & Fancy is one of Chamberlins top cabinet lines.

Mr. Yates kitchen and bath designs have been displayed in numerous newspapers and magazines, both locally and nationally and, among other things, he earned a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from American International College in Springfield, MA.

He and his wife, Eileen Kindl, live in New Hartford, CT.

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Torrington company expands into Avon