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Newsflash: Food critics are people, too. Do we love exciting, expensive, exotic meals served on white tablecloths in atmospheres of equipoise and refinement? We do. But equipoise and refinement dont count for much when youre stuck in traffic on the LIE, ravenous and hangry. At moments like that OK, not just moments like that theres only one thing to do: Detour into the nearest strip mall for a quick dose of carbo-comfort from Americas chain restaurants.

Youll never see us give out stars to the following establishments, but each produces at least one menu item that even critics are powerless to resist. Herewith, a few foodstuffs we pretend not to like, but devour when nobodys looking.

Do you remember the first French fry you ever had? Of course you dont. Your memory is obscured by all the millions youve swallowed since. Expect to have it jogged mightily, however, by that temple of fast-casual hamburger-ness called Five Guys, where the fries are so good, its like youre eating them again for the first time. Their potato planks are thin-thick and crunchy-soft, and every order comes with roughly 500 of them. That extra scoop they throw on top of the cupful thats already in the bag makes for a meal-sized side order, pushes calorie counts into the four figures and requires no less than 5 percent of Idahos annual potato crop.

Originally modeled after the boardwalk fries at Thrashers in Ocean City, Maryland, Fives Guys method involves power-washing the starch off of fresh-cut unskinned potatoes before frying them in 100% peanut oil to create a strong outer layer. Next, the fries are allowed to rest, which lets the insides cook to a mashed-potato softness without burning the outsides, and then fried again to produce a divinely crisp result. Steak fries, shoestrings, crinkle cuts and wedges are all fine, but if there are French fries in heaven, Ill bet they come in a red checkerboard, grease-stained paper bag. Scott Vogel

Later this year, the world will mark the 35th anniversary of what to my mind is one of the most spellbinding smells to ever becloud an airport terminal or shopping mall. No mere foodstuff could ever deliver on the promise of that fabled aroma, but the Cinnabon cinnamon roll continues to be my guiltiest of guilty pleasures nonetheless. And Im far from alone. That 880-calorie spiral of pancreatic assault in which a flypaper-sticky, impossibly sweet blend of molten spices finds a perfect foil in slicks of tart cream cheese frosting is now for sale in 50 countries worldwide. Theres a Cinnabon flavored Cream of Wheat, K-cup, creamer, toaster strudel and popcorn. There are Cinnabon candles, mugs, aprons, onesies, socks, pajamas and shirts (including a Bon in the Oven tee thats just perfect for expectant mothers or, for that matter, anyone who eats too many cinnamon rolls.) They are such stuff as dreams are made of. Literally. I once dreamed I was walking a labyrinth as a Zen monk when suddenly my dizzying path morphed before my eyes, enveloping me in a giant coiling Cinnabon. I awoke in shock, but also strangely at peace. Scott Vogel

Its hard to convey how monumental P.F. Changs felt when it firstdebuted in the mid-1990s. Outside of big cities, most Americans conception of Chinese food had been shaped by their local takeout spots; in bounced P.F. Changs, a slightly kitschy but soaring palace of dark woods, gianthorse sculptures and fusions pan-Asian dishes re-engineered for broad appeal, yet still incrediblyfresh tasting.(As an aside, co-founder Philip Chiangs mom, Cecelia Chiang, opened the country's first influential Chinese restaurant, The Mandarin, in San Francisco in 1961). The P.F. Changs on the edge ofWestburys Source Mall had a buzzyenergy, its bar and half-moon boothsalways packed. From the very beginning, thelettuce wraps were the most-ordered menu item (still are), an appetizer thatbasically paved the way for every keto-friendly wrap in their wake: A chocolate-hued crumble of gingery, soy-splashedground chicken that you spooned onto crisp petals oficeberg lettuce and dripped all over as you reduced them to nothing.Nowadays,P.F. Changs often feels half-empty, a sad state that mirrors the malls where they're usually found, but I still stand for the lettuce wraps; they're always a little too salty but their sameness over the decades is both acomfortand a feat of consistency. pfchangs.com Corin Hirsch

Choosing the Shackburger feels like a little bit of a cop-out, because universal love for Shake Shack crosses multiple class and coolness borders. I'm allergic to lines, so I never had one of these back when theoriginal Shake Shack opened in Manhattan's Madison Square Park in the early 2000s I could see the fits of bliss as I walked through the park, though, where the chain's famous hot dogs were devoured by the thousands. Years later, I had my first (single) Shackburger, neatly wedged into a brown paper sleeve with a romaine leaf peekingfrom its side, and was propelled headlong into love. The slightly tangy, secret "ShackSauce" smeared onto eachcheeseburgerhelps it vault above its competition; the LaFrieda patty is always drippy; and it's basically about asperfect a quick lunch that exists. Washing it down with anything less than a chocolate (or salted caramel)shake is heresy, and so is waiting on line. Embrace the app: Your quarry will be waiting when you show up. shackshack.com Corin Hirsch

If theres a Chipotle around, it means that there is a source of fresh, wholesome, responsibly sourced and delicious food, prepared to my individual specifications and rarely topping $10. My go-to order (and I go to it a few times a month) is brown rice (here, delicate and subtly cilantro-ed), grilled chicken (always and only dark meat, which is why I fell in love in the first place), pinto beans (which I think go a bit better with chicken than do the equally accomplished black beans), mild salsa (whose tomatoes are always red) and a final filip of medium salsa. Corn salsa, crema, guacamole might also find their way into my bowl. I very occasionally swap out the rice for salad. The coup de grace? They give me a cup that I can fill with seltzer for free. Erica Marcus

Now this is a guilty pleasure. But consider that all fried chicken is, for me at least, a very occasional treat. Certainly Popeyes is better than the fried chicken at that other national chain. The truth is its better than the fried chicken at many better restaurants too. The crust, whether regular or spicy, is crunchy and substantial, but always in the service of the meat beneath, which is juicy whether thigh, leg, wing or even breast. Its also worth pointing out that at a proper restaurant, you have to content yourself with whatever combination of parts the kitchen has deemed an order, but at Popeyes I can order as many thighs as my heart desires. Of the sides at Popeyes, only the biscuit can hold a candle to the chicken. But considering that a biscuit has 260 calories and 26 grams of carbs and a thigh has, respectively, 280 and 7, you might as well go for the extra thigh. If Im thinking clearly I might order a couple of extras for Day 2 because the only thing better than hot fried chicken is cold fried chicken. Erica Marcus

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By Corin Hirsch, Erica Marcus & Scott Vogel

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Newsday critics share fast food they actually love - Newsday

The annual Readers Choice contest is a fun contest for our readers to choose their favorites and is a big deal for our winners. Thousands of our readers cast their online vote every year for their favorites.

We are excited to be able to host this online ballot year after year. It gives local businesses a chance to shine while providing a fun opportunity for southern Illinois residents to vote for their favorites and show support. For some local businesses, this ballot is the perfect opportunity to let the region know who they are and what they provide. We do take some ribbing regarding the publics perception of what makes a business the best but lets take this contest for what it is: A popular vote promotion, an excellent marketing opportunity for local businesses, and an advertising support method for the Southern Illinoisan.It is a special honor to be voted as the best, second place or even honorable mention.

Advertising support is what keeps our products in motion. The Southern is a business that is customer supported by our advertisers and reader membership.Readers Choice is one of our most, if not the most popular section with businesses and customers alike. However, its important that you know that the results are a culmination of popular vote. Every year, we have plenty of businesses that advertise and do not make it to the #1 spot. Every voter and login is only counted once to avoid stuffing the ballots. Every year we improve the program in some form utilizing feedback from businesses and readers alike.

Readers Choice provides an opportunity for local businesses to tout their wares, personalities and services.I have lived in Southern Illinois my whole life and am always pleasantly surprised to find a new unique business that I have never tried before. I hope you will make some new discoveries as well by reviewing the results both online or in our printed section in todays edition. This area is rich with outstanding businesses, individuals, products and services. Readers Choice is a chance to showcase that.

Thank you for your continued support in this program, and make sure to support your local businesses.

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Here are the businesses our readers voted best in Southern Illinois for 2019 - The Southern

The Supreme Court appeared sharply divided along ideological lines Tuesday over the question of whether the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency seen as a progressive achievement in the wake of the financial crisis, is unconstitutional.

The court heard oral arguments in a case centering on whether Congress improperly insulated the agency from executive branch control by designing it to be led by a single director whom the president cannot fire at will.

The Trump administration is refusing to defend the agency, instead siding with a California law firm that sued the CFPB in arguing that the structure unconstitutionally infringes on the presidents control over the executive branch.

Solicitor General Noel Francisco argued to the court that the arrangement is undemocratic, because a director who operates under such protections is not answerable to the president. Officials who are appointed by the president and can be fired at will, Francisco argued, are held accountable by the president and in turn the president is held accountable by the voters for those officials actions.

Most of the five justices on the court's conservative majority seemed to agree and sharply questioned the attorney that the court appointed to argue in favor of the agency, former Republican Solicitor General Paul Clement.

They appeared most concerned about the prospect of Congress instituting similar restraints on the presidents ability to fire officials at other agencies.

What do we do with the fact and I'm sure you've given this great thought that if we were to approve single-member agencies without any presidential removal power lets just suppose that we would run into questions about the Cabinet, for example, which are just agencies right? Justice Neil GorsuchNeil GorsuchJustices spar over fate of consumer agency Supreme Court leaves in place Trump ban on bump stocks Justices to hear first major abortion case of Trump era MORE asked Clement.

Clement responded that there are constitutional and structural protections in place to prevent Congress from dictating the presidents powers over certain executive branch personnel.

Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to be the only conservative justice to have any ambivalence. He said the 2010 law that created the CFPB, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, seemed to give the president some leeway by allowing him to fire the agencys director for inefficiency.

Theoretically, I dont know that the courts would be terribly suited to second-guess that, Roberts said.

The CFPB has been in conservative lawmakers crosshairs since it was first created. They argue it's an unaccountable regulator and an overzealous check on the free market.

But progressives see the agency as a massive success. It returned nearly $12 billion to consumers from predatory lenders and other financial firms in its first six years in existence.

Unlike most independent executive branch agencies that are led by multimember commissions, the CFPB is headed by just one executive, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate but can only be fired for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance. That restricts incoming administrations from installing ideological or political allies at the agency.

Congress designed the agency, which was first proposed by Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) when she was a law professor, in order to protect it from political interference or industry influence out of a belief that a lack of oversight on Wall Street helped lead to the 2008 financial crisis.

Richard CordrayRichard Adams CordrayJustices spar over fate of consumer agency To understand true impact of proposed interest rate caps, listen to history and borrowers Democrats blast consumer bureau over student loan oversight agreement with DeVos MORE, the first-ever CFPB director under former President Obama, told The Hill that his takeaway from Tuesdays argument was that the justices understood the gravity of the decision theyre facing.

"There were indications that the court understood that a very broad sweep would cause tremendous disruption to settled expectations and the economy, and they would not want to be the authors of that," Cordray said.

He added that legal challenges against the CFPB like the one heard Tuesday had been slowing the agencys work.

"But ultimately, I do think that it will be good for the court to decide this issue and put it behind us because it has been an obstacle in a number of enforcement actions, Cordray said. Once the issue is raised, it becomes a procedural problem, it slows down the case, it ties it up with side issues aside from the wrongdoing that the company may have perpetrated and it makes it harder to get results."

The liberal justices on the court expressed skepticism about the arguments against the agency's structure, noting that other agencies multimember commissions are similarly protected from being fired at will and the difference between those and the CFPB seemed inconsequential.

JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg suggested that independence allowed the agency to more successfully police the financial sector.

The case before the justices involves the law firm Seila Law, which sued the CFPB, arguing the subpoenas it had received from the agency are invalid because the regulator is unconstitutional. Kannon Shanmugam, an attorney representing the firm, argued that the CFPB posed a threat to liberty because neither the president nor Congress could adequately check its powers.

You talked about liberty. Now whose liberty are we speaking of? Ginsburg asked. What about the consumers? I mean, Congress passed this law so that the consumers would be better protected against financial fraud. And you're talking about, I suppose, the liberty of your client. But what about the people that Congress was concerned about, that is, the consumers who were not well protected by the array of agencies that were handling these problems?

There are a number of different routes that the court could take in deciding the case.

Clement and Douglas Letter, the House's general counsel, are arguing that the case does not properly pose the constitutional questions raised about the agency because those issues do not affect the subpoenas toSelia Law. They're urging the justices to reject the case without deciding the merits of the constitutional argument.

While Seila and the Trump administration are in agreement on their critique of the CFPB's structure, they differ on how the court should go about addressing it. Seila proposes that the court invalidates the entire section of Dodd-Frank that created the agency, which would kill the CFPB and return consumer protection powers to other agencies.

The Justice Department, meanwhile, suggests that the court should simply strike down the removal protections and keep the agency in place by "severing" that language from Dodd-Frank and keeping the rest of the law intact.

Letter similarly warned that killing the agency would completely upend consumer protection in the financial sector.

"If there is no severability here, I want to make sure that you all understand this is not a simple situation of, well, we'll just have these functions go back to the other agencies where they came from," Letter said.

"The other agencies don't have either slots or appropriations to enforce what the CFPB does," he said. "So if you say this is non-severable, we strike down the whole statute, in this instance, that would be a very, very major action."

The case is expected to be decided by the end of June.

Sylvan Lane contributed.

Updated at 2:43 p.m.

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Justices spar over fate of consumer agency | TheHill - The Hill

Health agencies across the country are in planning mode with the COVID-19 virus.

At this point the World Health Organization has not declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic. It is still an epidemic, which means cases can be contained.

But numbers and the countries affected continue to grow, and the WHO says there is potential for this health issue to become a pandemic.

Any public health directive for our country would come from the Public Health Agency of Canada and filter down through each community's local health unit.

"All of us are working to look at how best to prepare should COVID-19 turn into more of a pandemic situation versus what we're facing right now, which is where we're in containment mode," says Dr Ariella Zbar, associate medical officer of health for Public Health Sudbury & Districts.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts is updating its pandemic plan, which involves working with other local health system partners, including Health Sciences North.

"If that were the case, what do we need to do as public health and what do we need to do with our health system partners to make sure that we are best prepared to limit the disruption to people's lives and to protect the health of the population," she said.

One of the key details in the pandemic plan is how the hospital in Sudbury would deal with the extra patients who may contract the virus and need medical care.

"Looking at reducing the burden on the health care system, so trying to divert more mild cases away from the emergency department so those with more severe acute health care needs get the care they need in a hospital setting," Zbar said.

Sudbury's pandemic plan contains guiding common principles.

"Those haven't really changed much," she said, adding that the document was last used during the H1NI epidemic in 2009.

"[COVID-19] is not an influenza virus, it's a different type of virus than that. We have different considerations that we do have to update given what our organization is able to do, the partnerships that we have and the guidance that is coming from the ministry and the federal agency."

Theupdates to the plan will also include details about COVID-19.

At this time there are 15confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario, 24overall in Canada. There are no cases in the Sudbury area.

Zbar reiterates that it's important for people to get accurate information about COVID-19 from credible sources like the World Health Organization, the Public Health Agency of Canada and local health units.

Zbar says for the general public, basic emergency preparedness is always a good idea, like having an emergency kit that can support families for a minimum of three days.

"We know some people may not have looked into their cabinet lately to see if they have any non-perishables or either they're expiredso it's a good time to look," Zbar said, adding that other suggestions include making a list of important contacts, and having copies of crucial personal documents.

But when it comes to preparing for COVID-19 and the possibility of a pandemic, Zbar says there are a lot of healthy habits we all can incorporate in our lives. Those include washing hands, not touching your face, staying home when you feel sick, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, cleaning high touch surfaces areas.

"Hand sanitizer is a good thing to have on hand, it's where soap and water are not available."

However, Zbar says face masks are only necessary for those who are sick.

"If you are well it's not really recommended. If you are unwell on the other hand you have respiratory symptoms and you want to prevent other people from getting sick it is something that you can consider," she said.

Public Health Sudbury & Districts doesn't yet have any specific advice for organizations, clubs, churches or other groups that hold mass gatherings.

"Those are items that we expect to have more guidance on from provincial and federal resources and it's something that we at public health are actively considering as we start to ramp up our planning around pandemic preparedness," Zbar said.

"We will be planning and monitoring as the situation evolves, and please stay tuned."

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Sudbury health unit planning for possible pandemic of COVID-19 - CBC.ca

Two Christian men were shot in the head and one was attacked with an axe on 2 February, during a church building construction dispute between the Masih family and some Muslim neighbours, in Sahiwal, Punjab province.

The Muslim attackers shot both Azeem and Sajjadin the head, and injured Razaq with an axe. All three men were admitted to the Civil Hospital Sahiwal, where Azeem was put into intensive care.

Azeem was released from the hospital three weeks later, on 24 February. His younger brother stated, He is unable to communicate and is paralysed from the right shoulder down. One of my cousins is recovering from the wound of a bullet that slightly hit his skull. My uncle was also injured with an axe.

The Masih family wanted to provide a building for the local Christian community, numbering at least 120 in the Muslim-majority area. There is no church in our village. We gather in the house of a local pastor for weekly prayers. We wanted to facilitate the women and elderly who couldnt travel each Sunday to the nearby city, they said.

Christians are often met with opposition when building churches in certain parts of Pakistan, especially rural areas. Local Muslims in Muzaffarabad stole building materials and cut off Christians water supply to halt the construction of a church, despite permission granted by local authorities.

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Two Pakistani Christians shot and one attacked with axe over church construction dispute - Barnabas Fund

ST. PETERSBURG As millions of dollars in downtown development pushed west, Christ United Methodist Church, struggling financially, decided to capitalize on the voracious appetite for land.

The radical move to sell the congregations parking lot once considered for an urban garden has netted a multimillion-dollar fund to put the church on a path to stability. Church leaders hope to use the money for ministries, upgrade their sprawling campus to bring in operating revenue and invest for the future.

Were coming down from the mountain and the real hard work begins in pulling this together, said the Rev. Jacqueline JonesSmith in the wake of the euphoria that came from the sale. We have to keep pushing. ... The sale was not the panacea. We dont want to become victims of sudden wealth syndrome."

The congregation, at 467 First Ave. N, next to City Hall, celebrated the December sale two Sundays ago. The service also marked the culmination of the churchs 128th anniversary. Bishop Ken Carter, head of the Florida United Methodist Conference, accepted an invitation to attend. A bishop had not visited the church in years.

The DeNunzio Group, based in Palm Harbor and Cambridge, Mass., paid $5.3 million for the churchs .65-acre parking lot at First Avenue N and Fifth Street. The firms president, Dustin DeNunzio, said he is pursuing an aggressive permitting timeline for a 24- to 28-story tower that will include ground-level retail, offices, a hotel, residential rental units and parking. The church will get up to 120 free parking spaces on Sundays and a few permanent spaces they can use all of the time.

Beyond that, we are committed to working with the church to ensure that they have the availability of parking for special events, DeNunzio wrote via email. Our goal is to help them become as successful as possible, and a lot of that will come from having adequate parking when they host special events.

Until construction begins, the church will continue to use the lot on Sundays, he said.

JonesSmith arrived at Christ United Methodist in 2016 and quickly appointed a business development group as part of an urgent strategy to revive the church. The former lawyer, who served as chairman and commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 1989 to 1994, is the congregations first African-American pastor.

The business development group included Bob Stewart, a former Pinellas County Commissioner and St. Petersburg City Council member, and Jones-Smiths husband, Joshua I. Smith, a businessman who served on boards that included FedEx Corp., Caterpillar, Allstate Insurance and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

She put together the most unique ad hoc group you can imagine, said another member of the group, the Rev. Tom Gregory, a CPA and pastor emeritus of Christ Church.

My original charge was to look for ways that we could leverage our assets, Jones-Smith said. This was a group that could think outside the box.

The group suggested selling the parking lot, and it will work with others in the congregation to tackle challenges like upgrading technology and communications at the sprawling Christ Church campus and finding ways to enhance the building for the broader community. Jones-Smith envisions livestreaming, podcasts and online Bible studies as a way of reaching beyond the 1,200-seat sanctuary, where only about 175 to 180 people worship on Sundays. She also would like to see the sanctuary rented as a small performance venue, for meetings and conferences, and unused rooms on the church property transformed into offices.

The opportunity with the money is that when the present sanctuary was built in the late 50s, the Americans with Disabilities Act had not been thought of," said Gregory, 82, a former chairman of the board of trustees at St. Petersburg College. "There were no such things as handicapped restrooms. Hopefully, it would be used to provide facilities to meet the needs of all folks.

Christ Churchs pastor said the congregation will use some of its windfall to create new ministries and expand and restore old ones such as its laundry ministry, which gives quarters and offers prayers and other assistance at coin laundries. Jones-Smith added that she also plans to restart the churchs afterschool arts program, JAM, or Jesus, the Arts and Me. She would like her downtown congregation to work with the Rev. Jana Hall-Perkins of McCabe United Methodist Church, 2800 26th Ave. S, to take the program to areas where it is needed.

McCabe and Christ Church have a sister church" relationship and have been worshiping together once a year during Black History Month. This year, McCabe traveled downtown to Christ Church.

Christ Church is one of two Methodist congregations within blocks of each other in St. Petersburgs downtown. Gregory, who was baptized at Christ Church and whose parents married there, said he had been retired for five years when the district superintendent asked him to lead the declining congregation. It was an unpaid position. He recalls welcoming Jones-Smith when she and her husband walked through the doors to worship while visiting from Maryland. He felt God sent them to Christ Church.

I feel we are on our way, Jones-Smith said this week. God has really had a hand in this."

Its a new beginning rather than arriving, her husband said.

See original here:
From tiny downtown parking lot, St. Pete church blessed with millions - Tampa Bay Times

We will be an active, good neighbor.

Denvers Landmark Preservation Commission has unanimously approved changes a nonprofit that provides housing and other services for people experiencing homelessness needs to turn a historic Cheesman Park church building into housing for the working poor.

The commission hearing on Tuesday focused on the architectural details of the St. Francis Centers proposal for the Warren Church at 1630 E. 14th St. in the Wyman Historic District.

In comments to the board, St. Francis Executive Director Tom Luehrs offered a twist on the idea of preserving the character of the main sanctuary built in 1909 and fellowship hall added in 1952. He said his housing project safeguarded the churchs legacy of serving the community. The church is next door to Warren Village, a nonprofit unconnected to St. Francis that since 1974 has provided transitional housing and help with education and job training to single-parent families that have experienced homelessness. Warren Village was founded by Warren Church members.

We see the key way to help people get out of homelessness is to help them find housing, Luehrs said. Theres such a great need for people in our community who cant afford high rents to have something thats subsidized.

In an interview afterward, a church neighbor who had argued during the hearing against changes to the structure said he also had concerns about density and about who would be living in the 48-unit, dormitory-style housing that Luehrs is planning to build in the sanctuary and hall.

I care about the safety of the neighborhood, my own and my neighbors, Chris Mast told Denverite.

Luehrs said he had heard concerns that the new neighbors might pose a threat. In an interview, Luehrs said he expected Warren residents to be people whom St. Francis has already supported, including with an employment center that has been headquartered at Warren since the structure was closed as a church by the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2014. Luehrs said part of the inspiration for the project was watching people St. Francis had helped find employment struggle to keep the jobs because they did not have stable housing.

You might be scared of people, Luehrs said. But give them a chance and I think that they will prove that they will be invested in the neighborhood as well as in their own housing and jobs.

Luehrs said he has been working for months with people who live nearby on a good neighbor agreement that soon will be completed. He said it will ensure communications are open between the St. Francis housing, which will be staffed 24/7, and the neighborhood.

We will be people that are trying to make sure the neighborhood is well looked after, Luehrs said. We will be an active, good neighbor.

Ethan Hemming, president and CEO and Warren Village, said his transitional housing nonprofit was involved in the good neighbor agreement talks. He added that Warren Village was already treating St. Francis as a neighbor he has recommended his security company to Luehrs.

Were already working together positively, Hemming said. Were support of what St. Francis is doing and is trying to do in the neighborhood.

Mast, who spoke against the St. Franciss request to the landmark commission, said he has been following the good neighbor agreement process and hoped it would be constructive.

I hope it works out. I really do, Mast said of the housing project. I very, very much respect the need for affordable housing.

The church site is zoned for the use Luehrs has proposed, and he said he will start renovating and construction in May. Luehrs said he expected the first residents to move in next February.

Residents will have private bedrooms and share kitchens, bathrooms and other common areas. The employment center, which Luehrs said has about 30 visitors a day, will move to another location.

The landmark commission considered only design issues. The main changes approved are to the fellowship hall, where half the roof will be demolished and a new roof with dormers will be added.

Landmark commission member Kathy Corbett said the design team from Shopworks, a Denver architecture firm, had avoided major changes to the sanctuary out of respect for the historic nature of the church itself.

Fellow commission member Kelly Wemple said guidelines for the dormers, which create more living space, had been scrupulously followed.

Excerpt from:
St. Francis gets go-ahead from Landmark for a project to house the poor in Cheesman Park - Denverite

Several school districts and one city in the Des Moines metro are holding special elections on Tuesday in hopes of funding anumber of new construction projects.

The North Polk, Norwalk and Indianola school districts hope to secure funding sources for new construction and renovation projects. The city of Carlisle wants to expand offices for the city hall and police department.

Catch up on what thespecial elections mean, and where and when to vote.

North Polk Community School District: The North Polk school districtwants to issue $15 million in general obligationbonds to build a new elementary school and an addition to the high school.

The construction aims to accommodate a growing number of students, the district'swebsite reads. The district's projections show that enrollment will keep increasing and could top functional capacity in the coming years.

The following polling locationswill be open from7 a.m. to 8 p.m:

Norwalk Community School District: Norwalk voters can weigh in on a proposed physical education and competition center at Norwalk High School. The district wants approvalofa $24 million general obligation bond for the project, which would add about 78,000 square feet to the school including two gymnasiums, a track,wrestling room, fitness center, meeting rooms and offices.

Norwalk's new physical education and competition center will contain a gym that will be able to seat 1,800 visitors.(Photo: FRK Architects and Engineers)

The district would also renovate the existing gym foryouth activities and community events, Superintendent Duane Magee said in December. Citing increasing enrollment, he said some students are "using hallways and vestibule entry areas for physical education class because of lack of space."

The school board's special election will be heldat St.John the Apostle Catholic Church,720 Orchard Hills Drive, from7 a.m. to 8p.m.

More: Norwalk schools seeking $24 million for new gymnasiums, athletic facilities

Indianola Community School District:Indianola voters will consider two measures Tuesday, including funding for playgrounds.

The school district wants voters to approve a new levy of 13.5 cents per$1,000 of taxable valuationto fundpublic playgrounds and other community education and recreation projects, known as thePublic Educational and Recreational Levy.

Residents can also vote on whether to renew the district's "sales tax revenue purpose statement," which if passed would allow it touse that revenue for all purposes allowed by Iowa law.The measure would not increase taxes.

The Indianola special election will be held atthe Warren County Administration Building, 301 NBuxton St.,from7a.m. to 8p.m.

City of Carlisle:Carlisle city officials have a plan to createa new home for city hall and make more space for the police department. They'reare asking voters to approve for the money to pay for the work.

Renovating the former Great Western Bank building at 100 N First St., making it the new city hall, is expected to cost $1.6 million. Remodeling the current city hall building for the expanded police department is expected to cost $2.4 million.The moves would roughly double the space available for city hall and the police department.

Exterior of proposed new Carlisle City Hall.(Photo: Submitted)

The city's special election will be held atthe Family Life Center, 405 School St., from7 a.m. to 8p.m.

More: Carlisle city officials look for voter approval for city hall plan

Michael Rolands contributed to this report.

Shelby Fleig covers Des Moines' western suburbs for the Register. Reach her at shelbyfleig@dmreg.com or 515-214-8933.

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See what's on the ballot for Tuesday's special elections in Warren and Polk counties - Des Moines Register

The first Tuvaluan Christian congregation was established in New Zealand 28 years ago. Many of the founding members of the church arent even alive now. And the first pastor of the church is also no more.

The initiative of their church construction started in 2016, and the fundraising for church began in 2018. Australian-based Tuvaluan architect, Fakalulu Ben Kofe is the architect of the church. The total cost of building the church was $3.3 million. And the capacity of the church is 220 people.

When there was the opening ceremony of the church Nuseta Alefaio-Hope couldnt hold back her tears. Hopes Grandmother was one of the first members of the Tuvaluan Church Congregation in Auckland. Her mother was alps a devout member of the church. She is also no more.

Reverend Tomasi Iopu, who is the pastor of the congregation, now said that the church was also the dream of the first pastor of the congregation. It was a bittersweet moment for all the church members. As they had this church planned many years ago, and it finally came to fruition with the help of church fundraising.

Many fundraising ideas for church were floated while building it, and members took a loan from Christian Savings, and they also sold a property nearby to the church. However, the church paid back the loan soon and is now debt-free.

The congregation started with few families, and now there are 50 families in the congregation. Pastor Tomasi was pleased with the achievement of the church. Now the congregation has a place to gather at and worship. He said he is happy not only about the new building but also about the growing belief of the church members.

See more here:
The First Tuvaluan Christian Congregation Church Completed in New Zealand - Business Deccan

Improvements on the North Lake corridor are scheduled to begin in the Town of Lexington. The project, funded by the Hospitality Tax, will be completed in phases beginning this summer. Safety and operations along the corridor are the main focuses of the project as it serves more than 40,000 vehicles daily.

The project will begin with the widening of North Lake Drive from the one-way pair split at Church Street to the existing Dreher Street.

Phase two will include the extension of Harmon Street and relocation of Dreher Street to North Lake Drive and Azalea Drive.

Improvements from the existing Dreher Street to North Lake Drive at Sunset Boulevard will be the final phase of the project.

Changes to entrances and student drop-off locations at Lexington Elementary and Lexington Middle schools will be managed by Lexington County School District One officials.

More information about the project is available at lexsc.com.

Originally posted here:
North Lake corridor in Lexington to undergo construction this summer - ColaDaily.com