Seen at General Assembly 2008

Here are a few of the Prairie Star District people who were at General Assembly in Fort Lauderdale.

Floodwaters in Iowa

Many people have contacted us to ask about how the flooding in the Midwest is affecting our Unitarian Universalist congregations in Iowa. You can read about it here:  http://www.psduua.org/News/MidwesternFlooding 

Check back to our District Web site in the next few days. We’ll put up new information as things develop. www.psduua.org  and look for Announcements.

Thanks for your concern and your thoughts and prayers.

Going Green in the North Country

Earlier this month, I was present for the Building Dedication for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth [MN].  UUA President Bill Sinkford spoke at the dedication.

Bill is pictured with Duluth’s Interim Minister, Rev. Sally Hamlin.

The congregation has worked for several years to undertake this large building project and are to be celebrated for their commitment to “green” principles. What a magnificent building! The building has an indoor garden, where plants, shrubs, and trees provide humidity and help purify the air.

It has a parking lot under the building, to reduce the size of the footprint on the site.

It has native grasses on the roof, which will capture the rain and let the water evaporate.

It has on-demand water heaters and a high temperature dishwasher [that uses hot water, rather than chemicals, to clean the dishes].

It has eleven air conditioners and eleven furnaces, so temperature can be controlled in different zones.

The designs in the high windows are reminiscent of the birch trees outside.

Here’s the sanctuary.

There’s more information about the building and photos of the Building Dedication on their Web site: http://www.uuduluth.org/index.htm

If you’re in Duluth, be sure to stop by to see this great new facility, which will serve their congregation and their community well, for many years to come.

 

Photos of the District Board - April, 2008

Here are photos of Prairie Star District Board members at the Board meeting in Nebraska last month. We were meeting in the newly remodeled parish hall at First Unitarian Church of Omaha.

 

Kathy, John, Libby, and Kathy

Cheryll, Bobbie, Kathy, and John

Fred, Mary, and Vickie listened to Nancy’s comment.

The Board meets three times per year in person and will be adding some bridge line calls to its schedule to keep up with the expanding work of the District. Our Board members are devoted Unitarian Universalists and care deeply about the congregations of the District.