We are close.
In our last update, we reported that Room 99 renovations could not begin until plans to satisfy Saint Paul zoning and code requirements had been approved by the City. We’re happy to report that we received zoning approval on Dec. 6, along with this nice comment: “Thank you for carrying out your mission to make this world a better place for everyone.”
On Wednesday, Jan. 5, Greg Fenton, our architect, met with the city and offered this summary of the conversation. “The city building official team were very amenable to finding the most expedient path through the building code topics.” On Jan. 11, we met with Greg to finalize the items that will need to be incorporated into our renovation plan.
We are close. Close to having architectural drawings that satisfy the city. Close to securing the building permit to allow Langer Construction to begin work on Room 99. Closer to welcoming our first guests.
Christmas isn’t over. It lives among us. It resides in daily acts of love. We’ve found comfort and encouragement in these words:
When the carols have been stilled,
When the star-topped tree is taken down,
When family and friends are gone home,
When we are back to our schedules
The work of Christmas begins:
To welcome the refugee,
To heal a broken planet,
To feed the hungry,
To build bridges of trust, not walls of fear,
To share our gifts,
To seek justice and peace for all people,
To bring Christ’s light to the world.
—by Michael Dougherty, a variation on Howard Thurman’s ‘When the Song of the Angels is Stilled’
Source: Arise Shine, For Our Christmas Work Begins Now by Michael Dougherty in Prairie Messenger (December 23-30, 2015) page 11.
(Detail from a stained-glass window of Howard Thurman at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel)
