Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella has recommended that instead of a renovation of the city's current police station, a new one should be built instead. (SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / FILE PHOTO)

LEOMINSTER -- Members of the City Council were urged by Mayor Dean Mazzarella Monday night not to move forward with substantial renovations to the city's current police station and instead held an executive session to discuss several properties the city could acquire to build a new station.

Following a presentation of designs for how the existing station at 29 Church St. could be changed, Mazzarella told the council: "At the end of the day, it's probably not the recommendation. It's not the recommended approach."

Mazzarella also told the council that there are "two or three" sites being considered for construction of a new police station. The exact locations of these sites were not shared with the public as they were discussed during the meeting's closed executive session.

The three plans for adding onto the current Church Street station were presented by project architect Janet Slemenda of the firm HKT Architects. Options included building an addition on top of the department's garage, building additions on top of the department garage and administrative offices, or building on top of the municipal parking structure at the corner of Church Street and Merriam Avenue, which would then be connected to the current station.

Even with any of these proposed additions, Slemenda explained that the building would still not be able to meet the department's space needs.

Cost estimates of the project were not presented as they would have likely been outside the amounts the city is able to pay.

"Just adding a third floor would be the only way to fit the whole program, but the structural engineer couldn't even imagine the amount of money it would take to do that," Slemenda said. "The real question is 'Does it work for the police? Does it work for the community?' and I don't think it does."

Portions of an architectural review of the Church Street station that were presented by Slemenda suggested the building repair or replace its roofing, insulation, doors, and windows, as well as its mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems.

Mazzarella later maintained that, despite the updates the building would need, it's still a "strong" building.

"It is a strong and stable building and is by no means ready for demolition by any stretch of the imagination," he said. "This is a strong, functioning building, but it does not function as a police department."

Though public discussion on the plans presented Monday night were limited among the council, councilors previously advocated for building a completely new station when they unanimously voted against converting the former National Plastics Center & Museum on Lancaster Street in December.

Mazzarella told the council that the city is moving forward with evaluating new locations and that a new design for a station won't be created until a site has been chosen.

"We're hoping to have a property identified and at least have a piece put down on a deposit by the first [day of 2018]," he said.

Follow Peter Jasinski on Twitter @PeterJasinski53.

Here is the original post:
Leominster mayor recommends building new police station - Sentinel & Enterprise

Builder Magazine

Savvy Storage Tips for a Garage Builder Magazine Most homeowners could do with more storage space in the garage, where tools, bikes, and equipment all need their own designated space. With a couple small additions, Remodeling contributor Kacey Bradley says you can transform a client's garage into a ...

See the original post here:
Savvy Storage Tips for a Garage - Builder Magazine

The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the City and Diocese of Washington, commonly known as Washington National Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.[1][2] Of Neo-Gothic design closely modeled on English Gothic style of the late fourteenth century, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world,[citation needed] the second-largest in the United States,[3] and the highest as well as the fourth-tallest structure in Washington, D.C. The cathedral is the seat of both the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Bruce Curry, and the Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, Mariann Edgar Budde. In 2009, nearly 400,000 visitors toured the structure. Average attendance at Sunday services in 2009 was 1,667, the highest of all domestic parishes in the Episcopal Church that year.[4]

The Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, under the first seven Bishops of Washington, erected the cathedral under a charter passed by the United States Congress on January 6, 1893.[5] Construction began on September 29, 1907, when the foundation stone was laid in the presence of President Theodore Roosevelt and a crowd of more than 20,000, and ended 83 years later when the "final finial" was placed in the presence of President George H. W. Bush in 1990. Decorative work, such as carvings and statuary, is ongoing as of 2011. The Foundation is the legal entity of which all institutions on the Cathedral Close are a part; its corporate staff provides services for the institutions to help enable their missions, conducts work of the Foundation itself that is not done by the other entities, and serves as staff for the Board of Trustees.

The Cathedral stands at Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in the northwest quadrant of Washington. It is an associate member of the recently organized inter-denominational Washington Theological Consortium.[6] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2007, it was ranked third on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.[7]

In 1792, Pierre L'Enfant's "Plan of the Federal City" set aside land for a "great church for national purposes." The National Portrait Gallery now occupies that site. In 1891, a meeting was held to renew plans for a national cathedral. On January 6, 1893, the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia was granted a charter from Congress to establish the cathedral. The 52nd United States Congress declared in the act to incorporate the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia that the "said corporation is hereby empowered to establish and maintain within the District of Columbia a cathedral and institutions of learning for the promotion of religion and education and charity."[8] The commanding site on Mount Saint Alban was chosen. Henry Yates Satterlee, first Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, chose George Frederick Bodley, Britain's leading Anglican church architect, as the head architect. Henry Vaughan was selected supervising architect.

Construction started September 29, 1907, with a ceremonial address by President Theodore Roosevelt and the laying of the cornerstone. In 1912, Bethlehem Chapel opened for services in the unfinished cathedral, which have continued daily ever since. When construction of the cathedral resumed after a brief hiatus for World War I, both Bodley and Vaughan had died. Gen. John J. Pershing led fundraising efforts for the church after World War I. American architect Philip Hubert Frohman took over the design of the cathedral and was thenceforth designated the principal architect. Funding for the National Cathedral has come entirely from private sources. Maintenance and upkeep continue to rely entirely upon private support.

The United States Congress has designated the "Washington National Cathedral" as the "National House of Prayer."[9] During World War II, monthly services were held there "on behalf of a united people in a time of emergency." Before and since, the structure has hosted other major events, both religious and secular, that have drawn the attention of the American people, as well as tourists from around the world.

State funerals for three American Presidents have been held at the cathedral:[10]

Memorial services were also held for the following former presidents:

Presidential prayer services were held the day after the inaugurations for the following U.S. Commander-in-Chiefs:

Other events include:

It was from Washington National Cathedral's "Canterbury Pulpit" that the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the final Sunday sermon of his life on March 31, 1968, just a few days before his assassination in April 1968.[13] A memorial service for King was held at the cathedral later the same week.

The cathedral was damaged in August 2011 during the Virginia earthquake. Finial stones on several pinnacles broke off, and several pinnacles twisted out of alignment or collapsed entirely. Some gargoyles and other carvings were damaged, and a hole was punched through the metal-clad roof by falling masonry. Cracks also appeared in the flying buttresses surrounding the apse. Inside, initial inspections revealed less damage, with some mortar joints loose or falling out.[14] The cathedral, which had no earthquake insurance, was essentially leaderless and struggled to cope with the cost of the damage.[15]

Washington National Cathedral closed from August 24 to November 7, 2011,[14] as $2 million was spent to stabilize the structure and remove damaged or loose stone.[15] Safety netting was erected throughout the nave to protect visitors from any debris that might fall from above.[16] The cathedral reopened for the consecration and installation of Mariann Budde as the ninth Bishop of Washington on November 12, 2011.[17] At that time, estimates of the cost of the damage were about $25 million.[17]

Identifying the full extent of the damage and construction planning and studies over the next two years consumed another $2.5 million.[15] In 2011, the cathedral received a $700,000.00 preservation work matching grant from the Save America's Treasures program, a public-private partnership operated by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation. The program, which is federally funded, required the cathedral to match the grant dollar-for-dollar with private funds and use the money solely for preservation work.[18] Whether the provision of such aid violates the First Amendment, on the ground that frees up, for religious work, funds that otherwise would have been spent for the restoration, historically has been a controversial topic.[19]

The Reverend Canon Gary R. Hall was chosen to be the 10th dean of Washington National Cathedral in August 2012.[20]

Although fundraising to repair the damage began soon after the earthquake, it took the cathedral three years to raise the $15 million to complete the first phase of repairs.[15] In August 2013, the cost of the repairs was re-estimated at $26 million. About $10 million had already been raised by this date to pay for the repairs, half of that coming from the Lilly Endowment.[21] The cathedral began charging a $10.00 admission fee for tourists in January 2014, and started renting out its worship and other spaces to outside groups to raise cash.[22] The cathedral also transformed the Herb Cottage (its old baptistry building adjacent to the cathedral) into a for-profit coffeehouse operated by the Open City caf chain.[23]

Phase I of the restoration, which cost $10 million,[15] repaired the internal ceiling's stone and mortar and was completed in February 2015. The planned 10-year, $22 million Phase II will repair or replace the damaged stones atop the cathedral.[24]

In June 2015, Washington National Cathedral leaders said the church needed $200 million, which would both complete repairs and establish a foundation to give the cathedral financial stability. The cathedral began working on a capital fundraising campaign, which The New York Times said was one of the largest ever by an American religious institution, to begin in 2018 or 2019. Rev. Hall said that the cathedral also planned to reopen its continuing education college and its Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage (a space on the cathedral's crypt level dedicated to prayer, meditation, and devotional practice). After three years of deficit spending, however, the cathedral also announced additional cuts to music programs to balance its budget.[15]

In June 2016, after an examination by a five-person task force it was announced that two Confederate battle flag images would be removed from stained glass windows commemorating the lives of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The windows were installed in 1953 after lobbying by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. In its report, the task force wrote that it "is unanimous in its decision that the windows provide a catalyst for honest discussions about race and the legacy of slavery and for addressing the uncomfortable and too often avoided issues of race in America. Moreover, the windows serve as a profound witness to the Cathedral's own complex history in relationship to race."[25]

In January 2003, the Reverend Nathan D. Baxter, dean of the cathedral, announced his retirement effective from June 30, 2003. Baxter had led the cathedral since 1991.[26] After an 18-month search, Samuel T. Lloyd III was named dean and began his tenure on April 23, 2005. Lloyd was charged with helping to enlarge the church's congregation and make the cathedral a center for Christian thought and spiritual life.[27] Using a $15 million bequest the cathedral received in 2000, Lloyd rapidly expanded the cathedral's programming.[28][15] Meanwhile, the cathedral deferred maintenance and declined to make needed repairs.[15] Construction also began in 2004 on a $34 million, four-level, 430-car underground parking garage. The structure was pushed by John Bryson Chane, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and was funded primarily by debt. It opened in 2007.[15][29] Debt payments on the garage were $500,000.00 a year, with a major increase in the annual debt service beginning in 2017.[30] In early 2008, the National Cathedral Association, the church's fundraising donor network, was disbanded after cathedral leaders concluded that the building was "finished" and it was no longer necessary to raise significant funds for construction.[15][31]

The 20082009 Great Recession hit the cathedral hard. By June 2010, the cathedral cut its budget from $27 million to $13 million (more than half), outsourced the operation of its gift shop, shut its greenhouse, and ceased operation of a college that had provided Episcopal clergy nationwide with continuing theological education. The cathedral also laid off 100 of its 170 staff members (about 60 percent of the total), including its art conservator and its liturgist (who researched and advocated the use of liturgies at the cathedral).[32] It also significantly cut back on programming, music performances, and classes.[33] To help stabilize its finances, the cathedral began an $11 million fundraising campaign and used $2.5 million of its $50 million endowment to plug budget holes.[32] The National Cathedral Association was recreated as well.[30]

In June 2010, the cathedral announced that it was exploring the sale of its rare book collection, the value of which was estimated to be several million dollars.[32] It sold a number of books to a private collector in 2011 for $857,000.00[15] and in 2013 donated most of the remaining collection to Virginia Theological Seminary.[15][34]

As the economic downturn continued, a report by cathedral staff identified $30 million in needed maintenance and repairs at Washington National Cathedral.[15] Among the problems were cracked and missing mortar in the oldest sections of the building; broken HVAC, mechanical, and plumbing systems throughout the structure; extensive preservation needs; and a main organ in disrepair. Repointing the building was estimated to cost at least $5 million, while organ repair was set at $15 million.[30]

In July 2011, Lloyd announced his resignation, effective in September.[33]

Its final design shows a mix of influences from the various Gothic architectural styles of the Middle Ages, identifiable in its pointed arches, flying buttresses, a variety of ceiling vaulting, stained-glass windows and carved decorations in stone, and by its three similar towers, two on the west front and one surmounting the crossing.

Washington National Cathedral consists of a long, narrow rectangular mass formed by a nine-bay nave with wide side aisles and a five-bay chancel, intersected by a six bay transept. Above the crossing, rising 91m (301ft) above the ground, is the Gloria in Excelsis Tower; its top, at 206m (676ft) above sea level, is the highest point in Washington.[35] The Pilgrim Observation Gallerywhich occupies a space about 3/4ths of the way up in the west-end towersprovides sweeping views of the city. In total, the cathedral is 115m (375ft) above sea level. Unique in North America, the central tower has two full sets of bellsa 53-bell carillon and a 10-bell peal for change ringing; the change bells are rung by members of the Washington Ringing Society.[36] The cathedral sits on a landscaped 57-acre (23-hectare) plot on Mount Saint Alban.[37] The one-story porch projecting from the south transept has a large portal with a carved tympanum. This portal is approached by the Pilgrim Steps, a long flight of steps 12m (40ft) wide.

Most of the building is constructed using a buff-colored Indiana limestone over a traditional masonry core. Structural, load-bearing steel is limited to the roof's trusses (traditionally built of timber); concrete is used significantly in the support structures for bells of the central tower, and the floors in the west towers.

The pulpit was carved out of stones from Canterbury Cathedral; Glastonbury Abbey provided stone for the bishop's formal seat, the cathedra. The high altar, the Jerusalem Altar, is made from stones quarried at Solomon's Quarry near Jerusalem, reputedly where the stones for Solomon's Temple were quarried. In the floor directly in front of that altar are set ten stones from the Chapel of Moses on Mount Sinai, representing the Ten Commandments as a foundation for the Jerusalem Altar.

There are many other works of art including over two hundred stained glass windows, the most familiar of which may be the Space Window, honoring mankind's landing on the Moon, which includes a fragment of lunar rock at its center; the rock was presented at the dedication service on July 21, 1974, the fifth anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.[38] Extensive wrought iron adorns the building, much of it the work of Samuel Yellin. A substantial gate of forged iron by Albert Paley was installed on the north side of the crypt level in 2008. Intricate woodcarving, wall-sized murals and mosaics, and monumental cast bronze gates can also be found. Most of the interior decorative elements have Christian symbolism, in reference to the church's Episcopal roots, but the cathedral is filled with memorials to persons or events of national significance: statues of Washington and Lincoln, state seals embedded in the marble floor of the narthex, state flags that hang along the nave, stained glass commemorating events like the Lewis and Clark expedition and the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima.

The cathedral was built with several intentional "flaws" in keeping with an apocryphal medieval custom that sought to illustrate that only God can be perfect.[dubious discuss] Artistically speaking, these flaws (which often come in the form of intentional asymmetries) draw the observer's focus to the sacred geometry as well as compensate for visual distortions, a practice that has been used since the Pyramids and the Parthenon.[citation needed] Architecturally, it is thought that if the main aisle of the cathedral where it meets the cross section were not tilted slightly off its axis, a person who looked straight down the aisle could experience a slight visual distortion, making the building seem shorter than it is, much like looking down railroad tracks.[citation needed] The architects designed the crypt chapels in Norman, Romanesque, and Transitional styles predating the Gothic, as though the cathedral had been built as a successor to earlier churches, a common occurrence in European cathedrals.[citation needed]

Numerous grotesques and gargoyles adorn the exterior, most of them designed by the carvers; one of the more famous of these is a caricature of then-master carver Roger Morigi on the north side of the nave. There were also two competitions held for the public to provide designs to supplement those of the carvers. The second of these produced the famous Darth Vader Grotesque which is high on the northwest tower, sculpted by Jay Hall Carpenter and carved by Patrick J. Plunkett.[39]

The west facade follows an iconographic program of the creation of the world rather than that of the Last Judgement as was traditional in medieval churches. All of the sculptural work was designed by Frederick Hart and features tympanum carvings of the creation of the sun and moon over the outer doors and the creation of man over the center. Hart also sculpted the three statues of Adam and Saints Peter and Paul. The west doors are cast bronze rather than wrought iron. The west rose window, often used as a trademark of the cathedral, was designed by Rowan leCompte and is an abstract depiction of the creation of light. LeCompte, who also designed the clerestory windows and the mosaics in the Resurrection Chapel, chose a nonrepresentational design because he feared that a figural window could fail to be seen adequately from the great distance to the nave.

The cathedral contains a basement, which was intentionally flooded during the Cuban missile crisis to provide emergency drinking water in the event of a nuclear war.[40]

The cathedral's master plan was designed by George Frederick Bodley, a highly regarded British Gothic Revival architect of the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and was influenced by Canterbury. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. contributed a landscaping plan for the cathedral close and Nellie B. Allen designed a knot garden for the Bishop's Garden. After Bodley died in 1907, his partner Henry Vaughan revised the original design, but work stopped during World War I and Vaughan died in 1917. When work resumed, the chapter hired New York architecture firm Frohman, Robb and Little to execute the building. Philip Hubert Frohman, who had designed his first fully functional home at the age of 14 and received his architectural degree at the age of 16, and his partners worked to perfect Bodley's vision, adding the carillon section of the central tower, enlarging the west faade, and making numerous smaller changes. Ralph Adams Cram was hired to supervise Frohman, because of his experience with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, but Cram insisted on so many major changes to the original design that Frohman convinced the Cathedral Chapter to fire him. By Frohman's death in 1972, the final plans had been completed and the building was finished accordingly.

The cathedral is both the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Washington (currently the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde) and the primatial seat of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (currently the Most Reverend Michael Curry). Budde was elected by the Diocese of Washington in June 2011, to replace Bishop John Bryson Chane; upon her confirmation in November 2011 she became the ninth bishop of the diocese and the first woman to fill the role.

In May 2016, Randolph Marshall Hollerith was named as the next Dean of the Cathedral.[42][43] Hollerith comes to the National Cathedral from St. James Episcopal Church (Richmond, Virginia), where he was rector from 20002016.

Former deans:

The National Cathedral Association (NCA) seeks to raise and provide funds for and promote the Washington National Cathedral. Across the United States, it has more than 14,000 members, more than 88 percent of whom live outside the Washington area, and who are divided into committees by state. Visitors to the cathedral provide another significant source of funds, through donations and group touring fees. Every year, each state has a state day at the cathedral, on which that state is recognized by name in the prayers. Over a span of about four years, each state is further recognized at a Major State Day, at which time those who live in the state are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to the cathedral and dignitaries from the state are invited to speak. American state flags were displayed in the nave until 2007; currently the display of the state flags alternates throughout the year with the display of liturgical banners hung on the pillars, reflecting the seasons of the Church year.

The budget, $27 million in 2008, was trimmed to $13 million in 2010. Staff was reduced from 170 to 70. There was an endowment of $50 million.[44]

The worship department is, like the cathedral itself, rooted in the doctrine and practice of the Episcopal Church, and based in the Book of Common Prayer. Three services are held each weekday, including the daily Eucharist. Sunday through Thursday, the Cathedral Choirs sing Evensong. The forty-minute service is attended by roughly fifty to seventy-five people (more on Sunday). Three services of the Eucharist are held on Sunday, along with Choral Evensong.[45]

The cathedral also has been a temporary home to several congregations, including a Jewish synagogue and an Eastern Orthodox community. It has also been the site for several ecumenical and/or interfaith services. In October 2005, at the cathedral, the Rev. Nancy Wilson was consecrated and installed as Moderator (Denominational Executive) of the Metropolitan Community Church, by its founding Moderator, the Rev. Dr. Troy Perry.

Each Christmas, the cathedral holds special services, which are broadcast to the world. The service of lessons and carols is distributed by Public Radio International. Christmas at Washington National Cathedral is a live television broadcast of the 9 a.m. Eucharist on Christmas Day. It is produced by Allbritton Communications and is shown on national affiliates in most cities around the United States. Some affiliates broadcast the service at noon. The Christmas service at the Cathedral was broadcast to the nation on television from 1953 until 2010 and is still webcast live from the Cathedral's homepage.

The Washington National Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, founded in 1909, is one of very few cathedral choirs of men and boys in the United States with an affiliated school, in the English choir tradition. The 1822 boys singing treble are of ages 814 and attend St. Albans School, the Cathedral school for boys, on vocal scholarships.

In 1997, the Cathedral Choir of Men and Girls was formed by Bruce Neswick, using the same men as the choir of the men and boys. The Choir consists of middle and high school girls attending the National Cathedral School on vocal scholarships. The two choirs currently share service duties and occasionally collaborate.

Both choirs have recently recorded several CDs, including a Christmas album; a U.S. premiere recording of Stle Kleiberg's Requiem for the Victims of Nazi Persecution; and a patriotic album, America the Beautiful.

The choirs rehearse separately every weekday morning in a graded class incorporated into their school schedule. The choristers sing Evensong five days a week (the Boys Choir on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Girls Choir on Mondays and Wednesdays). The choirs alternate Sunday worship duties, singing both morning Eucharist and afternoon Evensong when they are on call. The choirs also sing for numerous state and national events. The choirs are also featured annually on Christmas at Washington National Cathedral, broadcast nationally on Christmas Day.

The Great Organ was installed by the Ernest M. Skinner & Son Organ Company in 1938. The original instrument consisted of approximately 8,400pipes. The instrument was enlarged by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in 1963 and again between 1970 and 1975, during which time more than half of the original instrument was removed. The present instrument consists of 189ranks and 10,647pipes. It is the largest organ in the city of Washington and one of the 20 largest organs in the world.[46][47]

Specifications:

Michael McCarthy is the Director of Music, Benjamin Straley is the Cathedral Organist and Associate Director of Music, and Jeremy Filsell is the Artist-in-Residence. The carillonneur is Edward M. Nassor.[48] Former organists and choirmasters include Edgar Priest, Robert George Barrow, Paul Callaway, Richard Wayne Dirksen, Douglas Major, Bruce Neswick, James Litton, Erik Wm. Suter, and Scott Dettra.

The resident symphonic chorus of Washington National Cathedral is the Cathedral Choral Society.

The cathedral is unique in North America in having both a carillon and a set of change ringing bells.

The ring of 10 bells (tenor 32longcwt0qr4lb; 3,588lb or 1,627kg in D) are hung in the English style for full circle ringing. All ten were cast in 1962 by Mears & Stainbank (now known as The Whitechapel Bell Foundry) of London, England.[49]

The carillon has 53 bells ranging from 17 pounds (7.7kg) to 24,000 pounds (11,000kg) and was manufactured by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, England in 1963. The bells are hung dead, that is rigidly fixed, and are struck on the inside by hammers activated from the keyboard.[50]

Several notable American citizens are buried in Washington National Cathedral and its columbarium:

The rest is here:
Washington National Cathedral - Wikipedia

SUNBURY As the saying goes, the family that prays together, stays together.

The people that have been a part of Klinesgrove United Methodist Church, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this month, will tell you its true.

Brian Moyer, who is in his fourth year as pastor of the church, said they live out the mission statement they developed prior to his arrival: Where you are a part of the family of God.

That truly defines the characteristics of this congregation, he said. They truly believe in the family nature of the church and the community, of being a part of the family of God. I see that very much in the types of outreach, ministry, and service that they do.

I think we have a strong family, echoed member Ray Shipe, who has been attending Klinesgrove since the early 80s, and who is also serving on the 150th anniversary celebration committee. We have lots of fellowship.

Well known in the area for their annual fall apple butter boil, which goes way back into the churchs history, and the huge amounts of coconut and peanut butter Easter eggs they make each year, the churchs members, though few in number, are also known for the love and support they pour out on the community around them.

Community connection

The thing about this church that affects me the most, Moyer said, is the level of activity of its youth group.

Thats something that is often not seen in many churches nowadays, he explained. But the young people of Klinesgrove are busy not only enjoying fun activities with each other, but completing effective mission work in their local community, volunteering regularly at AGAPE in Bloomsburg, Elijahs Bowl, and Haven Ministries, among other outreaches.

The church also provides food on a regular basis to people living on fixed incomes.

Their connection with each other and their connection to the community, Moyer said, is what has kept the church going for 150 years.

A lot of times, a church starts to falter and fail when its just internally focused. The more successful churches are the ones that are externally focused.

Historical connection

Currently in seminary, Moyer was taking a recent history course when he decided to write about Klinesgrove United Methodist Church for one of his assignments. During his research, he discovered the building was soon to reach its 150th anniversary. Upon that realization, the church in the winter began planning a celebration, with numerous activities this month including visits from previous pastors and historical talks. Today, Shipe said, they are celebrating with a meal, entertainment, and some re-enactors during a tour of the adjacent cemetery that is more than 210 years old. Someone is even planning to arrive at the celebration on horseback, portraying a circuit-riding preacher who had ministered to the people of the area who met in each others homes before the church was built.

The 60- by 40-foot brick structure that still stands today was built in 1867, just after the Civil War, at a cost of $9,000. Previously the Klinesgrove Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the families of the church played a direct part in its construction.

The Campbell family, who lived on a farm near the soon-to-be location of the church on donated land, used clay from their property to make bricks, which they cooked in their kiln and hauled to the construction site. Another family, the Klines from which the church gets its name also had a big part in building the church.

Even all the way back to the grassroots of this church, Moyer said, it was truly a family-oriented and family-based congregation.

Mission connection

I believe all churches have one mission, Moyer said, to make disciples for Christ for the transformation of this world.

When Moyer became pastor at Klinesgrove, he encouraged the members to start adding to their mission statement with action words to create a vision for the churchs future.

They use the words offer, love, grow and serve to steer everything they do.

It keeps us focused on the purpose and reason that we are the church, Moyer said. And that is to be the hands and feet of Christ here in the community to which we belong.

Thats our goal, Shipe added, to offer Christ to others.

Read more from the original source:
Church prepares to celebrate 150th anniversary - Sunbury Daily Item

GRACETON A stretch of cooperative weather has enabled contractors to regain lost time and move up the target date for finishing a bridge construction project west of Homer City.

The Center Township board of supervisors reported Thursday that the crews completed five 12-hour workdays last week on the replacement of a culvert that carried Bethel Church Road over Aultmans Run.

The road has been closed since the start of work early this summer.

Were still holding on to Sept. 1, Chairman John Bertolino said. And we will notify the 911 center and fire departments if we are able to open the road sooner.

A long stretch of wet weather, including heavy storms and flooding that affected the work site, at one point had authorities looking at mid-September to complete the project.

The supervisors also reported Thursday, in a biweekly business meeting, that the township has asked county and state offices to allow Center Township to redirect a grant that had been intended for work on streets in the Coral area.

Instead, the supervisors plan to spend the $106,063.40 grant and the townships required local share of $31,819.02 for reconstructing Six Flat Road.

The supervisors decided that a tar-and-chip application wouldnt be suitable for resurfacing Six Flat Road following extensive storm drain pipe and waterline replacement projects this year.

The township has already advertised for contractors bids on the project. The supervisors will hold a pre-bid meeting at 10 a.m. Aug. 24 to explain the project for prospective bidders.

The board will open bids and possibly award a contract at 3 p.m. Aug. 31, at the next meeting.

In other business, the supervisors reviewed a proposed site plan for relocation of the Fastenal company to a new building planned on Old Route 119 just north of Lucerne Road Extension.

Fastenal now operates in a building shared with Nicks Bullseye Firearms along Route 119 south of Lucerne Road.

Engineer Terry Johnston presented the plan on behalf of developer Earl Hewitt, who owns the current and future locations of Fastenal.

Although the plan doesnt require formal site approval because the township has no zoning code, Bertolino offered a letter of approval that Johnston could submit with the plan for county construction-code approval.

The supervisors agreed to have the letter ready at the next biweekly meeting on Aug. 31.

The board continued to heap accolades on Trinity Energy Services, of Argyle, Texas, a company that has temporarily stationed its workforce at the new Route 119 Business Park along Luciusboro Road.

Trinity is a contractor on a cross-stat gas product pipeline construction project on behalf of Sunoco Logistics. The multi-billion-dollar project cuts a path along the Route 22 corridor in southern Indiana County.

Theyve been ideal neighbors, Bertolino said.

Trinity donated heavily to the Independence Day fireworks display held in early July in the Coral-Graceton area.

The company also sent its helicopter to hover over a rain-soaked ball field to help dry the ground for a statewide American Legion baseball tournament in late July.

We know of no other company that would come together and do these kinds of things for the community, Bertolino said.

NOTE: This story edited at 12 noon to correct the name of the waterway.

Staff writer/Web Editor, The Indiana (Pa.) Gazette

Read the original here:
Work progressing on Bethel Church Road bridge project - Indiana Gazette

The congregation of East Highway Baptist Church will celebrate its 70th anniversary during Sunday morning service. Flanked by cotton fields, the church building sits east of Temple on State Highway 53, just across the road from its first location.

Originally the Czech Baptist Church, the first building was constructed around 1936 by the churchs first pastor, Joseph F. Rundus, who came to Texas from Blue Rapids, Kan. Services were done held Czech until the mid-1940s, when the church changed to English.

It was a very small church. Just an auditorium and two small classrooms, said the Rev. Ernest Thompson.

Thompson, a former pastor for East Highway Baptist, now serves as pastor emeritus. He said he has seen a lot of change during his time with the church, including the construction of a new building after the congregation outgrew its original structure.

We built on it all the way around as far as we could, Thompson said. And 64 filled it back then. I mean, I had them sitting in the aisle, had them sitting everywhere.

In 1990, the old building was moved from its foundation to land across the street that had been donated to the church.

Thompson retired as the full-time pastor in November after 49 years of ministry. He said he would have gone to 50 years, but his health wouldnt allow it. He still serves the church whenever he can.

We still have three services a week out there, he said. A lot of them dont have that, you know? Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. And then we have our fellowships and everything.

Thompson said the East Highway congregation is one of the friendliest groups hes dealt with.

When new people come through the door, they make them feel at home, he said. I trained them years ago, and I told them When someone comes through these doors, you be sure theyre made welcome at home.

He said the church members love everyone and are committed to serving the Lord.

Thompson said some smaller churches are shutting their doors, but he doesnt want to see that happen to his church.

We dont want to do that, he said. Its like I tell them, Its not the name of the church. Its what where there to do: worship and praise the Lord.

Thompson said the church is in good hands with its new pastor, the Rev. Duane McCoy.

McCoy said the 70th anniversary celebration will begin with Sunday service at 10:30 a.m. He said there will be presentations on the history of the Czech Baptist Church and history up through the building of the new church.

Three groups will sing, including students from the childrens ministry. McCoy said Thompson will deliver a sermon, and Dr. Tom Henderson, Bell Baptist Association director of missions, will bring a closing message and charge for the future.

A congregational luncheon will follow the service.

The rest is here:
East Highway Baptist Church celebrating 70th anniversary - Temple Daily Telegram

School district spent nearly $9 million this summer on upkeep | Local News | gillettenewsrecord.com

You are the owner of this article.

Contractors work Monday in a classroom under renovation at Twin Spruce Junior High School, one of a number of schools in the Campbell County School District that saw changes over the summer through about $9 million worth of work.

The kitchen at Rozet Elementary School got some upgrades over the summer.

Work on a former office that will become a pair of student bathrooms is near completion Monday as part of renovations at Twin Spruce Junior High School.

'+sPosTitle+'

Contractors work Monday in a classroom under renovation at Twin Spruce Junior High School, one of a number of schools in the Campbell County School District that saw changes over the summer through about $9 million worth of work.

The kitchen at Rozet Elementary School got some upgrades over the summer.

Work on a former office that will become a pair of student bathrooms is near completion Monday as part of renovations at Twin Spruce Junior High School.

In more than 20 extensive summer construction projects or upgrades at Campbell County schools, only one risks not being completed before the start of school for students Tuesday.

Those projects done through component or major maintenance money provided by the state of Wyoming range from boiler replacement to facelift improvements and remodeling of school wings. It includes HVAC work at Meadowlark Elementary, new phones and security systems at three schools, skylight replacements at Paintbrush Elementary and concrete and parking lot repairs and overlays throughout the Campbell County School District.

Almost $9 million worth of work has taken place this summer on those smaller capital projects, not including Thunder Basin High Schools additions or new track/soccer/football stadium.

The one project that may not be completed before the start of school is the first phase of the remodeling of the science and math wings at Twin Spruce Junior High. District officials and Kirby Eisenhauer, associate superintendent of instructional support, are keeping their fingers crossed that the work will be done on time.

It includes adding bathrooms to the second and third floors at Twin Spruce, with the second phase taking place next summer.

Heres a look at some of the projects, costs and work this past summer in Campbell County, much of it through local companies:

Campbell County High School

Next for the stadium may be some work on remodeling and upgrading the press box. Eisenhauer told trustees.

Wright Junior-Senior High

See the rest here:
School district spent nearly $9 million this summer on upkeep - Gillette News Record

After pondering and in some cases wrestling with the proposed bond issue, the Ector County Independent School District Board of Trustees approved calling a Nov. 7 bond issue election for $291,172,291 during a special meeting Thursday.

A separate item on the ballot is a tax ratification election that would raise the total tax rate to $1.28 per $100 valuation.

The board voted to approve both items unanimously. Trustee Ray Beaty did not attend the meeting.

This is $4.5 million more than was initially proposed and would go for girls locker rooms at Permian High School, upgrade the weight room at Odessa High School and renovate all of the bathrooms at Ratliff Stadium.

The addition was proposed by board member Steve Brown who said he had comments brought to him about these items. During the Bond Advisory Committee meetings this summer, athletic improvements were discussed but not made part of the priorities.

ECISDs current total tax rate is $1.15 per $100 valuation. This includes $1.04 for maintenance and operations and 11 cents for interest and sinking, which goes to service the districts debt.

If it passes, the tax ratification election would bring the maintenance and operation rate to $1.17 per $100 valuation for 2017. This would add $130 a year on a $100,000 home for 2017, Chief Financial Officer David Harwell said.

The bond would add about 17 cents to the interest and sinking rate, Harwell said.

The tax impact on a $100,000 home would be $170 per year, or $14.23 a month. Harwell said the earliest this would be levied would be 2018.

For a $104,244 home, the average home in Odessa, it would be $14.23 a month, or $170.75 per year.

Trustees also voted 6-0 to approve a budget amendment, contingent on a successful tax ratification election, to increase appropriations by $20,335,675, the board recap said.

On June 20, the board adopted a budget that included cuts totaling almost $18 million dollars, the recap said.

Some of the items cut were half of vacant teaching positions; district supply budgets; and raises for all staff members. District officials also cut approximately $13 million from the budget during the 2016-17 school year, the recap said.

Harwell said this would include raises for staff.

Board Secretary Donna Smith said the board has to prioritize getting people money. Smith added that employees cant go multiple years without raises.

Doyle Woodall, vice president of the board, said he had wrestled with whether to vote for the bond, but talking to Crowe Thursday afternoon helped him.

Its revised because if we tell the people were going to do it then we have to do it. I think that were going to be able to knock (off) 30 percent. Thats going with hard bids and working with the architects like I have been promised that were going to do, Woodall said.

He said he has extensive construction experience and board member Nelson Minyard has some and he has a friend with lots of construction experience, as well.

We can get these drawings down to where we still have a good building thats going to last us 50 years, but it doesnt have all of the unnecessary things that many school buildings have attached to them, Woodall said.

I think were going to be able to cut the cost by going this route by 30 percent, Woodall said.

He added that he thinks $30 to $60 million could be reduced from the cost.

I really think we can reduce this by a tremendous amount, but since weve promised to do all these things we have to vote on a number that we know can accomplish all these things, Woodall said.

As for sticker shock, Woodall said he had some initially, but after realizing the cost could be brought down, he thinks the bond projects are doable. He said going with hard bids is going to be essential.

Last time, the district went with a construction manager at risk which was a decision made before he got on the board. Woodall said he always felt uncomfortable with that. This time, if it goes over the construction company would have to eat the cost, he said.

Woodall said this is something ECISD should have done back in 1982.

Smith said she had struggled with her decision on voting to call the bond.

There were a lot of unanswered questions. I really want us to have the two high schools, Smith said. She added that she wanted to honor the legacy of Ector High School by converting it from a middle school.

She wants to see enthusiasm generated to come out and vote for the bond.

We are potentially changing the face of education far beyond our lifetimes, Smith said.

Board President Carol Gregg said she also struggled with how to vote. She said she is going to support this request to the public and everything in the bond will be beneficial to students and the community, but at the same time the board has to make sure the funds are wisely spent.

Gregg added that the board is aware that there are other entities asking for money. There are lots of needs. We just had a bond issue, but those schools are already filled. Our community is growing. These are things that should have been done a long time ago. , she said.

Trustee Delma Abalos said everything in the bond will help the district.

This is only touching the surface of what we need to fix in our district, Abalos said.

Bond committee member Gene Collins said he was pleased with the result of Thursdays meeting.

I appreciated the comments by the board even more, Collins said. Some of them were surprising to me. The fact each one of them said they thought deeply about it means that maybe the committee did its job in identifying some of the issues and challenging them to make a commitment. But they were unanimous and that was pleasing. I know we have a lot of work to do. Were just up for the task. Its been a long time coming.

Texas State Teachers Association President Chris Barlett also voiced support for the bond issue.

See the original post here:
Board approves calling bond for revised total - Odessa American ... - Odessa American

Advertisement

Company chares are trading at $49.08 significantly lower than $53.20, the 50 day moving average and which is significantly below the 200 day moving average of $55.36. The 50 day moving average was down by -7.75% and the 200 day average went down by -11.34%. Apogee Enterprises, Inc. shares had a trading volume of 113K on Friday. Trading volume was down 36.77% under the stocks average daily volume.

The following firms have also recently changed their position in APOG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc added to its ownership by buying 1,195 shares an increase of 17.1%. Goldman Sachs Group Inc now controls 8,197 shares worth $489,000. The value of the position overall is up by 30.4%. As of quarter end Macquarie Group Ltd had sold 2,619 shares trimming its stake by 0.4%. The value of the companys investment in Apogee Enterprises, Inc. went from $32,987,000 to $36,557,000 a change of $3,570,000 quarter over quarter.

Horizon Investment Services, LLC augmented its position by buying 23,075 shares an increase of 152.2% as of 03/31/2017. Horizon Investment Services, LLC claims 38,240 shares with a value of $2,279,000. The total value of its holdings increased 180.7%. State Street Corp expanded its investment by buying 37,383 shares an increase of 3.5% from 12/31/2016 to 03/31/2017. State Street Corp currently owns 1,099,051 shares valued at $65,517,000. The total value of its holdings increased 15.2%.

The company is down from yesterdays close of $50.56. Additionally Apogee Enterprises, Inc. recently declared a dividend for shareholders that was paid on Tue Jul 25, 2017. The dividend payment was $0.140 per share for the quarter or $0.56 annualized. This dividend represents a yield of $1.11. The ex-dividend date was set for Thursday the 6th of July 2017.

The company currently has a P/E ratio of 16.81 and the market cap of the company is 1.42B. In the last earnings report the EPS was $2.92 and is expected to be $3.38 for the current year with 28,848,000 shares now outstanding. Analysts expect next quarters EPS to be $0.99 and the next full year EPS is anticipated to be $4.18.

Apogee Enterprises, Inc., launched on July 12, 1949, is involved in the design and development of glass solutions for enclosing commercial buildings and framing art. The Company operates in four segments: Architectural Glass, Architectural Services, Architectural Framing Systems and Large-Scale Optical Technologies (LSO). The Architectural Glass segment fabricates coated glass used in customized window and wall systems comprising the outside skin of commercial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings. The Architectural Services segment designs, engineers, fabricates and installs the walls of glass, windows and other curtainwall products making up the outside skin of commercial and institutional buildings. The Architectural Framing Systems segment designs, engineers, fabricates and finishes the aluminum frames used in customized aluminum and glass window, curtainwall, storefront and entrance systems comprising the outside skin and entrances of commercial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings. The Large-Scale Optical Technologies segment manufactures glass and acrylic products for the custom picture framing and fine art markets..

Read more:
Apogee Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:APOG) Stock Closed Well Below Its 50 Day Average - Modern Readers

You probably saw we recently wrote about three new research resources from InfoComm International and NSCA in the past week or so and we trust youve started to read through at least one of those reports to stay on top of the latest data and information about your industry.

Whether its InfoComms Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) report on the Americas or the monthly Pro-AV Business Index or the summer edition of NSCAs Electronic Systems Outlook, theres plenty of great information out there and lots of numbers and trendspast and futureto digest.

So what are you going to do with all of it? Does it just become another email in your inbox? A makeshift coaster for your coffee? Part of a large pile of reports you never look at again? Or will you actually read it, try to understand what it means for you, your company and your industry and make changes to your business as a result?

The IOTA report provides insights into the pro AV integration market and sales forecasts through 2022 of AV products, services and solutions and joins similar reports for Europe and Asia-Pacific and will be paired with a global report in September.

InfoComms pro AV Business Indexwhich is modeled after the American Institute of Architects Architectural Billings Indexhighlights monthly employment and sales trends in the industry. It launched in September and the July report showed modest growth in both areas for June.

NSCA has been following construction data as it relates to the pro AV integration market for over 20 years and uses that information as the basis of its Electronics Systems Outlook.

InfoComm, in particular, seems to be making more of a concerted effort to trumpet the release of its new research in the wake of executive director and CEO David Labuskes saying in June that the organization hadnt been good about that in the past.

That transparency and the willingness to invest in research is being done in large part because InfoComm members say they want and need guidance for their companies. Now that they have that guidance, will they use it and do things that will help them run their businesses better?

Were in an era of an overabundance of data. Data is everywhere. There are too many statistics for athletes and business executives to possibly digest unless that became their full-time job. Data analysts and jobs like that are becoming more important than ever because the truth is the data is useless unless you know how to use it and actually put it into practice.

Its interesting and useful to know that a panel of InfoComm members has confidence about the direction of the pro AV industry, but what will you do with that finding? Will it drive you to invest in real estate by opening a new office? Upgrade your infrastructure? Hire new staff? Or just roll in the extra cash?

As a longtime journalist, I embrace transparency and applaud InfoComm, NSCA and any other organization thats willing to put money into collecting information it believes can make a big difference for its members. I hope more groups do the same in the future.

Related:12 Classic Movies with a Message for Your Business

But Im sure if they find dust-covered reports strewn across CEOs desks or repeatedly have to tell someone who calls for advice that they already put out a report that includes that answer, youll see less of this great information and insightful research coming out of these organizations. That would be a shame.

Sure, its my job to synthesize the reports for our readers and help them understand what all those numbers mean for them, but its on the CEOs and other company leaders to put them into practice. In this age of Big Data, what are you doing with all the information InfoComm and NSCA are giving you?

Read more from the original source:
Research Is Only Worthwhile If You Use It - Commercial Integrator (blog)