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A FORMER school bus driver from Penpedairheol has been convicted of indecently assaulting a boy a decade ago.

David Evans, 46, a practising Jehovah’s Witness, was found guilty following two trials at Cardiff Crown Court.

At his first trial last summer, a jury failed to agree on verdicts.

Evans, of Gelliron, Penpedairheol, denied the allegations made by a man, now aged in his 20s.

But a second jury convicted him of five charges and he will face sentence next month.

At his first trial, his accuser revealed that he had not told his parents about what happened until last year.

He said he spoke out after spotting Evans in a car with a small boy.

“If the same thing happened to somebody else, I couldn’t have lived with myself,” he told the court, which heard that Evans was called to a meeting of the elders of his church in Aberbargoed after the allegations were made. He told them the accusations were untrue. Evans was bailed by Judge David Wynn Morgan.

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City View, TX (KFDX) - A 77-year-old grandmother is recovering after being attacked by two pit bulls in a neighborhood outside of Austin, Texas. Luckily, a few good Samaritans came to her rescue.

The blood stains spattered on the road speak of the vicious attack.

"It was horrible. It was horrible. She was just crying, 'Help me, help me.'"

"They could have killed her. And that would have just been devastating. it was devastating enough to see her so defenseless on the ground pleading for help."

"They just ripped her. They had a rip on her head from here to back there, they had cut her right there & they had sliced her arm so it swelled up. And they had our arm just tearing at it."

These three Jehovah's witnesses were visiting the neighborhood when they heard June O'Hara's screams and joined a college student, trying to fight off the dogs.

"He come and grabbed the stick and he started beating at the dogs and they were trying to bite and attack him."

The Jehovah's witnesses decided seek a little divine intervention.

"I actually threw two Bibles. And they did back up. They backed up when I threw the Bibles at em. so the Bibles did help."

Finally, as first responders arrived, the dogs released the victim. Animal Control captured both pit bulls. AMR took June to the hospital.

"She's a very nice lady. I don't know her - but she's somebody's mother, somebody's grandmother, somebody's friend."

"The first thing she said to me when we saw her in the ER was she didn't think she was going to live through it. She actually didn't think she was going to be alive after this."

June's son, Tim, got to meet the good Samaritan ladies.

"There were some tears of thanks and joy and stuff like that. I'll find a way to go to their church and thank em somehow - there's gotta be a way. But I wish I could find out who the young man was. He needs to be thanked, too."

Tim says he wants something done to prevent this from happening to anyone else.

"My mom says she'll never go out the house again to take a morning walk like she has for who knows how many years - can't think of how many years she's been doing it. So now that's gonna tie her up in the house, and every time she walks outside she's going to be looking over her shoulder."

O'Hara has been released from the hospital. She sustained 12 puncture wounds to the head and a deep bite on her stomach.

KFDX

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165 Columbia Heights

Whether it’s Armageddon or soaring property values, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have decided to get the hell out of Brooklyn, and they are one property closer to cutting all Earthly ties to their home of a century. An adorable carriage house at 165 Columbia Heights was sold for $4.1 million, city records show.

In their listing, Corcoran agents Ellen Newman and Lisa Detwiler choose their words carefully, not over-advertising the home’s provenance. “165 Columbia Heights is an example of the premier addresses of the Watchtower’s real estate holdings,” they write, referring to the group’s official name “The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.” Jehovah may be almighty but evoking His name doesn’t help on the real estate front.

The home features an enviable 4,172-square-foot layout with four bedrooms and four full baths. A gluttonous master bedroom includes a walk-in-closet and en-suite bath, while the vainglorious garage can hold four cars. The Witnesses were definitely not guilty of acedia (look it up), as the home has all new mechanicals.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose world headquarters have been located in Brooklyn Heights for over a century, are moving upstate to the town of Warwick. The group is in the process of selling property in the area worth between $600 million and $1 billion.

The buyers, George and Anita Feiger hail from San Francisco, where, according to the deed, they live in the Buena Vista terrace adjacent to Haight Street.

eknutsen@observer.com

topics: Manhattan Transfers, Jehovah's Witnesses

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Published: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 5:00 a.m. MST

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The Merrimack Planning board voted unanimously Tuesday night to permit the construction of a controversial Kingdom Hall to be built in a residential area on Wire Road.

The granting of the congregation's final site plan comes with 11 conditions that members of the congregation said after the meeting they will have no problem meeting and there's even a slight possibility they could begin the construction in the fall.

“That hasn't been determined yet,” said Fran Lapoint, an engineer for the Jehovah's Witness regional building committee, on when they might start building. “Possibly late fall but more than likely it will be sometime next year.”

The actual construction of the 4,000 square foot church takes only two weeks and three weekends and is done by a group of volunteers, congregation members said Tuesday night.

During the meeting, three neighbors of the project gave short testimony against the approval of the church, stating mostly concerns that have been brought before to the planning and zoning boards since the project was brought to the table in 2010.

Carol Edmonds, who said she was considered an abutter when the project was before the zoning board, questioned why she was no longer receiving notices of meetings. She said when the zoning board agreed to the lawsuit settlement, neighbors were told the project would be vetted in the planning board and everyone's concerns would be heard.

“How did we get to the final approval meeting?” Edmonds asked. “Where was the part where our concerns were addressed? When did that happen? Did I miss a meeting?”

Edmonds said she was not present at the Jan. 3 meeting when the board discussed the project at length and heard more than an hour of testimony for and against the project because she had not been notified of it.

It was suggested at the meeting that because of the subdivision of property, that makes the house lot at 63A Wire Road separate from the church lot now at 59 Wire Road, that Edmonds may not be considered an abutter of the project anymore, and therefore wouldn't have been noticed.

Edmonds told the board her concerns remain the same as they've always been: that increased traffic on Wire Road is going to make it more dangerous to exit her driveway, which she says has a line of sight obstructed by trees on town property.

“This rendering just kind of confirms my worst fears about this project,” said Mallard Point resident Tom Boland, looking at a large drawing of the building on an easel. “I see a lot of asphalt, there will be a lot of vehicles, lights in the parking lot and a very spartan, utilitarian, non-residential looking building. This building and everything that it brings with it will diminish the value of my property and my neighbors' property.”

Mark Sornson, in his testimony, refuted Boland's last statement by introducing emails from the town's assessing consultant Loren Martin, who told Sornson she hasn't seen churches affect the value of nearby homes.

“I have seen no sales information over my 20 years of assessing to show a positive or negative affect on the value of surrounding homes,” Martin wrote in the email to Sornson.

It has been a long and emotional process leading up to last night's approval, and it may not be over.

Two neighbors, Bob and Donna Walles, appealed the ZBA's Nov. 16 ruling to settle the lawsuit brought against the town by the Jehovah's Witnesses back in 2010. The settlement effectively granted the special exception the board initially denied, which would have prohibited the construction of the church in that location. The Jehovah's Witnesses sued the town after appealing the ruling and being denied a rehearing.

On Jan. 25, the Walleses were also denied a rehearing by the ZBA. Following the meeting, Bob Walles said he would regroup and see what his options are. In accordance with town statutes, the Walleses have 30 days from the Jan. 25 meeting to appeal the ruling to the superior court.

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MEMBERS of the Jehovah’s Witness congregation at St Andrews have come to the aid of relatives of three members of the same family who died in a crash on the Hume Highway at Menangle last Tuesday.

Forster resident Calvyn Logan, 59, and his parents Donald and Patricia Logan, both 81, died when the car they were travelling in crashed head-on with a B-double near the Menangle Bridge at 11.25am.

The family were active members of the Jehovah’s Witness community at their mid-north coast home and were on their way to visit relatives in Campbelltown, including Calvyn Logan’s son Robert and Calvyn’s brother Garry.

St Andrew’s Jehovah’s Witness congregation elder Mike Rochfort said members of the family in the Campbelltown area were involved with the church and were receiving support.

“Elders from the congregation would have been to see the family and offer them comfort and support, ” Mr Rochfort said. “They are a very well-known family in the community both on the mid-north coast and here.”

Robert Logan, of Camp-belltown, made a plea to the public last week for anyone with information about the crash to contact police.

“The police have been fantastic but we would ask anyone who saw anything to please come forward,” he said.

Robert’s father and grandparents were on their way to Campbelltown from Canberra where they had been visiting the elderly couple’s great granddaughter Olivia, who was born on Boxing Day. The 33-year-old Picnic Point man driving the truck was interviewed by police last week and gave mandatory blood and urine samples after being taken to Campbelltown Hospital for treatment for minor injuries after the collision.

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MERRIMACK – Plans for a Jehovah’s Witnesses church will move forward after a Merrimack board voted this week to uphold its support of the controversial project.

The Merrimack Zoning Board of Adjustments re-stated its support for the Kingdom Hall, proposed to be built on Wire Road, with a unanimous vote Wednesday to deny a rehearing of the project.

After initially denying approval in 2010, the board reversed its stance this fall in the face of a lawsuit waged by congregation elders. But, Bob and Donna Walles, who live directly across the street from the 63 Wire Road property, requested the board reconsider the matter, charging that members based their decision more on the lawsuit than on the merits of the project.

“Since ‘cost to the Town’ is not one of the specified criteria (for zoning board approval), it therefor should not be sufficient reason to overturn the previous decision,” the Walles wrote in a December letter to the zoning board.

But, at Wednesday’s meeting, the board members denied the couple’s request without discussion in a 5-0 vote.

“Obviously, the board didn’t feel like we’d made a mistake or that the decision was unreasonable,” Phil Straight, the board’s vice-chairman, said Thursday. “We didn’t think their request met the standards of (state law).”

Moving forward, the Walles could appeal the board’s decision to Superior Court.

“The last thing I want to do is sue my town, but the thing is, I didn’t start this,” Bob Walles said Thursday. “We’ll have to see what our options are.”

Meanwhile, congregation elders will move forward with their planning. They recently completed the purchase of the property, north of Mallard Point Road, and they’re scheduled to appear Feb. 7 before the town planning board to continue the site plan review process.

Once they gain planning board approval, construction work could begin within months, and the church could open within a year, according to Ralph Randall, the congregation’s project development director.

“We’re looking forward to getting started,” Randall said earlier this week.

The congregation, which consists of 100 members, has met for years without a stable place of worship, hosting meetings instead at homes and neighboring churches.

Jake Berry can be reached at 594-6402 or jberry@nashuatelegraph.com.

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Power Supplier Fired Jehovah’s Witness for Wanting One Day Off to Attend Religious Convention, Federal Agency Charges

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Paul Wood

A JEHOVAH’S Witness has been jailed for three and a half years for “a catalogue” of sexual offences on two schoolgirls more than 15 years ago.

Sentencing 40-year-old Paul Wood, formerly of Sudbury, Judge David Goodin said that not surprisingly the impact of the offences on his two victims was still affecting them.

During a trial last year Ipswich Crown Court heard that Wood had indecently touched the girls’ breasts while play-fighting with them.

One of the victims also claimed that further incidents had taken place in Wood’s car when he had got her to touch him indecently over his clothing and had touched her over her clothing

The same victim also claimed that Wood had touched her intimately on one occasion under her clothing and said he had bought her underwear he wanted her to wear.

The court heard that Wood had asked the other victim to put on his wife’s underwear after saying she no longer wore it.

The victims made allegations to the police after hearing in 2009 that Wood was taking up a role with Jehovah’s Witnesses in another part of the country that would have brought him into contact with young women.

The court heard that in 2000 the victims told Jehovah’s Witness elders in west Suffolk about what Wood had allegedly done to them but it was left to the girls to decide if they wanted to go to the police.

Andrew Thompson, prosecuting, said that as the girls did not want to go to the police nothing was done then.

Wood, who now lives in Derbyshire, was found guilty by majority verdicts of 10-2 of nine offences of indecent assault on two schoolgirls when they were aged between eight and 15. He was found not guilty of raping a third alleged victim, aged 17.

Wood denied a total of 17 offences of indecent assault, three offences of rape and one of attempted rape.

After returning guilty verdicts on the nine offences of indecent assault and a not-guilty verdict on one rape charge, the jury was discharged from returning verdicts on the remaining charges.

At yesterday’s sentencing hearing Mr Thompson offered no evidence on those charges and Judge Goodin directed not-guilty verdicts should be entered on the court record.

Wood was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and was made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order restricting his future contact with children under 18.

Steven Dyble, for Wood, said his client had not had any previous convictions for sexual offences and had not committed any further offences in the last 14 years.

He said Wood was aged between 20 and 26 at the time of the offences and claimed he had been wrongly convicted.

Bearing witness to a marriage milestone

2:54pm Tuesday 24th January 2012 in News

JEHOVAH’S Witnesses Freda and George Earle will be a familiar sight to homeowners around Littlemore.

The couple, who have been married 65 years today, have spent the past 50 years standing on doorsteps across the estate and surrounding areas and spreading the word about their faith.

The Christian-based religious movement is best known for its members’ door-to-door evangelistic work.

Mr Earle, 89, a former British Leyland worker, said he was sure his wife was the one for him the minute he clapped eyes on her in Watlington in 1946. He was driving with a friend when he saw Freda (nee Jelf), walking with a friend.

He said: “I’d just come out of the Army and I was driving along.

“I saw a lovely couple of people and so we stopped for a chat.

“We got on very well and soon realised we liked the same things.”

The couple, who have two children, Christine, 64, and George, 59, and three grandchildren, married at Oxford Register Office 65 years ago today.

They joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses 50 years ago.

Mrs Earle, 88, said it was their shared belief and a love of German and Austrian music which had kept them together so long.

She said: “The minute I met George I thought he was lovely.

“He was just very kind to me.”

Mr Earle added: “We’re not perfect, no-one is, but we work at it and we try and help others. The secret to our long marriage is we apply the Bible.

“It’s like having an old car. You wouldn’t throw the manual away if you wanted to look after it, would you?”

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One of Greenwich's last working farms, and the center of a property dispute dating back several years, has been sold.

The two-acre Purdy's Farm property at 1353 King St. sold last Thursday for $1 million to the Jehovah's Witnesses of Greenwich and Port Chester, N.Y., which have plans to build a church on the property. The Jehovah's Witnesses also purchased the adjacent property at 1357 King St. for $500,000. That property will be used for residences, according to Elsie Pecorin, the broker at Weichert Realtors who has been marketing the property since 2008.

The properties were originally put on the market five years ago for a combined $4 million.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, which have locations on Stanwich Road in Greenwich and King Street in Port Chester, could not be reached for comment.

The land has been the subject of a legal dispute between original owner and farmer Del Zanette, and his partners Ronald Pecunies and Arthur Watson Jr., the owners of Mercedes-Benz of Greenwich.

Zanette, who about eight years ago was facing foreclosure, entered into a partnership with Pecunies and Watson, who lent Zanette money to meet his back mortgage payments and helped secure another mortgage for him. In return, Zanette signed away control of the property, yet maintained a 50 percent membership in the properties, according to Robert Kaelin, the former lawyer for Pecunies and Watson.

Zanette was evicted from the farm in 2008 after losing a battle in the Norwalk Housing Court for allegedly failing to pay rent, and then again in 2010.

Both Zanette and Pecunies died in 2010. Pecunies' widow is currently in a battle with his young German mistress over his multimillion-dollar estate, which includes a rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, according to published reports.

Reached Wednesday, Watson confirmed that the property had been sold, but referred further questions to his attorney, Jonathan Mills, who declined to comment.

Pecorin said the legal dispute surrounding the property was resolved before the sale closed.

"Everybody was covered by an attorney, and it was all worked out through one attorney at the end," Pecorin said. "All in all, it worked for everyone, I think."

Prior to his 2008 eviction, Zanette was one of the last two farmers in Greenwich. The last remaining farmer is John Augustin, who operates a farm on King Street.

A group called the Greenwich Farmland Preservation Coalition had been hoping to buy the property, but Jim Carr, a member of the coalition, said the legal issues surrounding the land, coupled with the economic downturn, made the purchase difficult.

"We didn't know who we were dealing with," Carr said. "That's what really prevented things from moving forward."

Carr said the coalition is still operating, but purchasing open space is difficult because of property values.

"Our big problem is to do an outright purchase of land, and in this economy it's difficult to raise money," Carr said.

Staff Writer Lisa Chamoff can be reached at lisa.chamoff@scni.com or 203-625-4439.

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At the age of 18, Rachel Walters already is a traveling minister. She's had the door slammed in her face. She's heard her share of slurs. A few people have answered their doors wearing nothing but a towel.

But it doesn't deter the young Jehovah's Witness from Bowling Green. Her belief is everything, she said.

"I like ... the preaching work," Walters said. "It gives us a chance to go out and bring our hope to other people."

It's that hope that drives Jehovah's Witnesses. They are a unique group, especially this year. During a time when conversations are buzzing about the upcoming presidential election - and religion is a big part of that discussion - Jehovah's Witnesses stay away from anything political.

They don't believe in government. They don't vote, join the military or wave the American flag. They don't celebrate holidays. They believe that trinities are evil.

It all goes back to their belief that the true government is God's kingdom, which will soon take over. Their beliefs stem from a strict interpretation of the Bible and the histories of certain events, such as holidays.

While it's a newer belief, about 500 Jehovah's Witnesses reside in Bowling Green, which is home to two meeting halls. About 30 years ago, one meeting hall in Park City served the entire area with an estimated 30 Jehovah's Witnesses, said Glen Pennington, an elder.

Now, about 150 people pack the smaller of the two Kingdom Halls. In the brick building on Mount Olivet Road, people are singing upbeat songs, discussing the Bible, reading their study guides and mapping out their door-to-door ministries.

In a tiny room, color-coded and numbered maps hang from the walls. It's where witnesses are assigned territories to cover.

When they're baptized, Jehovah's Witnesses become ordained ministers and are expected to travel to homes, briefly speaking to residents. There's no clergy, but appointed elders organize events at each meeting hall, Pennington said.

Pennington, of Bowling Green, has preached for decades. He's convinced many people to give Jehovah's Witnesses a try. And there are those who don't want to hear it.

He's encountered angry dogs and surly people. When he witnessed in New York, a group of ministers would travel to some of the most dangerous neighborhoods. They never shied away from an area, he said.

"Some people ... either they don't like people in general coming to their door or they may feel something about Jehovah's Witnesses that either they don't understand or want to deal with," he said. "So, we respect them."

In fact, there's one misconception about Jehovah's Witnesses that many agree is the biggest misunderstanding - the idea that they're not Christians. That's not true, they say.

While they don't believe in the Christian trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, they have a firm belief in Jesus Christ.

"We talk about Jehovah God, because that's God the father's name," said Tammy Walters, a Jehovah's Witness from Bowling Green. "But Jesus is his son. We believe his sacrifice is the key to our salvation."

They believe that Jesus is the head of God's heavenly government, which will soon rule the earth. When that happens, God's people will be resurrected from the grave and live again on earth, they claim.

"Many religions are heaven-oriented. That we're just here for a while, then we die and go to a better place," Pennington said. "We don't believe the Bible teaches that at all. The earth originally was man's home."

That doesn't mean they don't believe in a type of heaven. Heaven is where God is, where he rules from. Only a select few will go there. The rest will simply be resurrected to live again on earth, Pennington said.

They also don't believe in the traditional idea of hell - a place of fire and brimstone. The grave itself is the equivalent of hell, and the Bible compares death to sleep, not torment, they say.

Those who remain dead in their graves after the resurrection period will stay in hell, according to their beliefs.

"Everybody goes to hell when they die, even Jesus," said George Perry, an elder. "The Bible uses hell as a place to go when life ends, as we know it ... they're not tortured in hell fire. They just cease to exist."

They believe that people should continually work to stay in God's favor, so they try to be as unworldly as possible. Still, they partake in normal activities just like everyone else, they say.

They get married, have families, go to school, play sports. They even believe it's OK to drink alcohol, but in moderation. In fact, some Jehovah's Witnesses are alcoholics, Pennington said.

But they're different in other ways, most notably their refusal to celebrate holidays and birthdays. They believe many holidays are actually rooted in evil and are not biblical - not even Easter or Christmas.

"Christmas is simply not Christian," Pennington said. "There's nothing biblical (saying) to celebrate Christ's birth. Plus, Jesus was not born on Dec. 25."

Furthermore, some claim Christmas originally was a pagan holiday. It was first observed during a celebration to a sun god, said Banks Crandell, a Jehovah's Witness.

There are other misconceptions, Crandell claims, such as the idea that Jesus died on a cross. He was crucified, but not on a cross - the cross is actually a traditional pagan symbol, Crandell said.

"Jesus was never put on a cross," he said. "He was on a pole."

As for birthdays, there's nothing Christian about celebrating one's birth. Birthdays are mentioned in a few biblical scriptures, and each one happens during a terrible event, Jehovah's Witnesses claim.

For example, Herod was celebrating his birthday when he ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. Another scripture tells the story of Pharaoh, who celebrated his birthday by executing his chief baker, they say.

Some Jehovah's Witnesses say it was difficult to give up those celebrations after converting. Peggy Ashley, for example, researched the idea after studying to become a Jehovah's Witness, she said.

"Nothing was bad except Christmas," said Ashley, of Bowling Green. "We were brought up to believe in Christmas. When I started studying, I questioned that."

But for firm believers, such as Ashley, it's the only way to live. Many spend any spare time witnessing to others or studying, and some dedicate their lives to the ministry.

When 14-year-old Keagan Zachary graduates high school, getting a job is not the priority. Instead, she wants to attend pioneer school, where she will become a full-time Jehovah's Witness minister, she said.

Keagan, who is home-schooled, has already started her ministry. She travels door-to-door in an attempt to share her beliefs with others. It's always rewarding, but not always easy, she said.

"Sometimes it gets pretty ugly. Last month, a brother told me I was going to hell," Keagan said. "I tried to stay calm and not take it personally because they have their own beliefs."

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Saturday, January 14, 2012

JEHOVAH’S Witnesses belonging to the Tagalog speaking group of Baguio City will hold their Special Circuit Assembly day on January 22 at Baguio City National High School. The theme of this assembly for 2012 is: “Let Your Will Take Place.”

The special assembly day program for 2012 will help the audience to work in harmony with the third primary entreaty in the model prayer, namely, “let your will take place.” (Matthew 6:9-10).

Ready for Sinulog 2012? Check here for updates.

Approximately 800 people from Baguio and La Trinidad are expected to assemble at Baguio City National High School for this occasion.

Jehovah’s Witnesses invite everyone to attend and learn more about this theme. The program will begin at 8:40 a.m. Admission is free and no collections will be taken. (Virgilio O. Tan)

Sun.Star on social media

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Serial arson fires called ‘hate crime’

BY THOM SENZEE

An anti-hate-crime fund originally endowed by and for the LGBT community is likely to contribute an additional $5,000 to augment a reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s) of an arson hate crime against a San Diego Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall – a church noted for its opposition to marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The idea of contributing additional reward money is being promulgated by LGBT activists and community leaders, such as Nicole Murray Ramirez (who is also a columnist for San Diego LGBT Weekly), San Diego Human Relations Commission (SDHRC) chair, Bruce Abrams, and San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria – among others.

“When I saw this had happened, I thought, ‘Hey, we should help them with a contribution to the reward fund – maybe with $5,000 or so,’” Ramirez said. “That should help find the people who committed this despicable act.”

According to Councilman Gloria’s office, deliberately set fires occurred at the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall Dec. 20 and Dec. 30, 2011, while another arson attempt was made at 12:30 a.m., Jan. 3.

Nicole Murray Ramirez, who is considered by many to be a local and national civil rights legend and a loud voice for the cause of LGBT rights and equality, told San Diego LGBT Weekly he has no qualms about helping a congregation that has long opposed the very concepts for which he has spent a lifetime fighting.

“A hate crime is a hate crime is a hate crime,” Ramirez said. “We’re talking about a church; a place where people go for spirituality. I may not agree with their positions against equal rights for all Americans, but I’m sure not going to shrink from my responsibility to stand up in support of anyone who’s been victimized by the kind of violence that kept our community in the shadows for so long.”

San Diego human relations executive director, Danell Scarborough, who worked with Ramirez during his multi-term stint as an SDHRC commissioner, isn’t surprised by Ramirez’ and other LGBT leaders’ desires to help the local Jehovah’s Witness congregation during its hour of need.

“I think the LGBT leaders I’ve come into contact with see the need to protect all people and stand up for their freedoms and rights, regardless of who they are or what they believe in,” Scarborough said. “Nicole has always said we’ve got to carry water for each other; that’s how we create a diverse and respectful community.”

Councilman Todd Gloria, who is gay and whose district is home to the church on Adams Avenue, is also sounding a call for support for the local Kingdom Hall congregation and for information about the crime.

“San Diegans must stand together against these senseless acts,” said Gloria. “I encourage anyone with information about the crimes to tell the authorities. Crime doesn’t pay, but helping catch the responsible criminals may yield a reward.”

Metro Arson Strike Team is currently investigating the crime. Anyone with information related to the arson is asked to call arson investigators at 619-236-6815, or to remain anonymous, calls can be made to San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or send an anonymous text or Web tip at sdcrimestoppers.com.

Short URL: http://lgbtweekly.com/?p=19425

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Sugar Hill Capital Partners has purchased 50 Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights for $7.1 million from the Jehovah’s Witness-operated Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, brokers have revealed.

50 Orange Street.

Sugar Hill, according to its website, is a real estate investment firm that focuses on Brooklyn and Manhattan assets with repositioning potential. A spokeswoman for the firm, Aliza Weinstein, confirmed the company had purchased the building but declined to comment any further.

Fifty Orange Street is a five story, 15,355-square-foot, multi-family building with 20 residential units, an equal mix of ten studios and ten one bedroom apartments. The building had been used to house members of the Jehovah’s Witness organization, which owns about three-million-square-feet of residential and commercial office space in Brooklyn and operates its world headquarters in the area. According to recent reports, the organization is considering liquidating its substantial real estate holdings in the city and relocating to Upstate New York.

Robert Knakal, chairman of the real estate brokerage company Massey Knakal, handled the sale and said that the property was especially desirable because it was offered by the seller fully vacant. Usually properties of this type and in prime locations have rent stabilized tenants, he said, which can impact value because these types of tenants pay lower-than-market rental rates.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses also take excellent care of their real estate holdings, Mr. Knakal noted—and 50 Orange Street was in pristine condition. According to a release issued by Massey Knakal, the property was renovated by the religious group in 2006.

“We didn’t set a specific price [marketing the property],” Mr. Knakal said. “We received a ton of interest. About a hundred buyers took a look at this building, which is a lot. It was clearly very highly sought after because of the location, it was vacant and the Jehovah’s Witnesses keep their properties in immaculate condition.”

Mr. Knakal is in the process of marketing two other Jehovah’s Witness properties in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood: 183 and 161 Columbia Heights. The former is a seven-story, 13-unit, vacant apartment building that boasts approximately 15,000 square feet. 161 Columbia Heights, meanwhile, is smaller—about 7,500 square feet—and has seven fair-market apartments, one that is rent stabilized and two that are rent controlled. Mr. Knakal said the two properties are nearing a sale and estimated that they would trade for roughly $7.1 million and $3.5 million respectively.

Busy through the downturn in the real estate market, Mr. Knakal predicts that sales will pick up in 2012.

“Financing is plentiful and at low rates and the likelihood that capital gains rates will rise after next year will drive sellers to put properties on the market,” Mr. Knakal said. “I think that 2012 will be a fantastic year.”

In addition to the Brooklyn buildings he is handling for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mr. Knakal is currently in the process of marketing a larger deal in the Bronx. 385 Gerard Avenue, a 410,000-square-foot warehouse, is on the market and could trade for as much as $45 million, Mr. Knakal said. According to Mr. Knakal, the property offers potential buyers an opportunity to convert the space to another use, such as residential, or maintain the asset as an industrial property.

Daniel Geiger, Staff Writer, is reachable at DGeiger@Observer.com and can also be followed at Twitter.com/DanGeiger79.

topics: Tales of Investment Sales, 161 Columbia Heights, 183 Columbia Heights, 385 Gerard Avenue, 50 Orange Street, Aliza Weinstein, Brooklyn Heights, Jehovah's Witnesses, Massey Knakal, Robert Knakal, Sugar Hill Capital Partners, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York

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For the third time in two weeks, a local Jehovah's Witness congregation hall was the target of an arsonist, but this time a passerby was able to get a description of the suspect.

Firefighters were called to the hall located in the 2000-block of Adams Avenue around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday after someone noticed the fence outside the building was cut, and some of the lettering on a wall was damaged.

The passerby waited for the suspect to come outside, and then chased the man, but he was able to escape, authorities said.

The suspect is described as a man standing 5'8" to 6' tall, wearing dark clothing, and a white hood or mask, said San Diego Fire spokesperson Maurice Luque.

Once fire crews entered the building, they found the insides had been doused with gasoline and there were matches nearby, but there was no fire, Luque said.

The suspect was not able to set a fire because there was probably too much gas inside and there was nothing left to burn, according to San Diego Fire's Fred Herrera.

"It appeared because of the prior fires, all of the furnishings had been taken out, so the fire didn't have a chance to develop," Herrera said.

The same building was first attacked two weeks ago on Dec. 20. During that incident, someone broke in and set the drapes and stage on fire using matches. Investigators at the time thought the fire was set to cover up a robbery.

The hall was attacked by a vandal again on Dec. 30. This time the culprit set a back room on fire and painted the numbers "666" on two outside walls.

Police are investigating that incident as a hate crime.

Congregation members tell San Diego 6 News they are "disconcerted" and "baffled" the attacks keep happening. A regional church official says security cameras will be set up in the next few days.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Crime Stoppers are offering $1,000 for information leading to an arrest, and another $9,000 for information leading to a conviction.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Metro Arson Strike Team at 619-236-6815. To remain anonymous, call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or place a web tip at www.sdcrimestoppers.com.

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Congregation is growing at Scott and Laird streets location in the city.

By Bill O'Boyle boboyle@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer
Bill O'Boyle on Facebook   |   @TLBillOboyle on Twitter

WILKES-BARRE – Jehovah’s Witnesses opened its new Kingdom Hall at Scott and Laird streets in November, and according to two elders, the congregation there is growing.

click image to enlarge

Congregation elders Gary Edwards, left, and Nathan Newton, both of Forty Fort, describe the two auditoriums inside the new Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER

When: Saturday, noon to 2 p.m.; and Jan. 14, 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Kingdom Hall, Scott & Laird streets, Wilkes-Barre

Features: Tour of building; slide show of the construction project

There are two auditoriums in the new building and four services are held each Sunday at 10 a.m. There are additional meetings held during the week.

Nathan Newton, 51, and Gary Edwards, 59, both of Forty Fort, gave a tour of the Kingdom Hall last week and talked about their religion.

“First of all, we don’t think we’re better than anybody else; we respect people and their beliefs,” Edwards said. “We are here to educate people about the Bible.”

Newton agreed, saying Jehovah’s Witnesses aren’t about telling people what to do.

“It’s all about the Bible,” he said.

On the official website – watchtower.org – it states “Jehovah’s Witnesses are members of a worldwide Christian religion who actively share with others information about God, whose name is Jehovah, and about his Son, Jesus Christ. We base our beliefs solely on the principles found in the Holy Bible and view first-century Christianity as our model.

“We believe that in addition to drawing one closer to God, living by Bible principles gives purpose to life, promotes strong family ties, and develops productive and honest citizens.”

To become a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Edwards and Newton said, there are rules: no living together without marriage, no drug abuse, no drunkenness (drinking is allowed, but not to excess), no smoking and no gambling.

People interested in joining a congregation must study the Bible for months to “gain knowledge.”

The new 10,500-square-foot building was built by volunteers – about 500 members from all over the East Coast. Construction began in March.

There are about 270 English-speaking members and 70 Spanish speaking that come to the new location, Edwards said. Services are held in both languages.

In addition to the four congregations that worship in the new building, Newton and Edwards said there are Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations in Dallas, Duryea, Muhlenberg, Mifflinville, Hazleton, Bloomsburg, the Poconos, Tunkhannock and Scranton. Each congregation has 75 to 100 members, they said. Many are second- and third-generation members.

Jehovah’s Witnesses established a congregation in 1906 on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, Newton said. All members participate in the ministry – going door to door to offer Bible discussions to prospective members. Newton said attendance at Sunday services is usually 100 percent.

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For the second time in 10 days the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in University Heights was the target of an arsonist.

Firefighters were called out at the hall on the 2000-block of Adams Ave. early Friday morning, after a passerby noticed "666" painted on the front doors and saw black smoke pouring from the building.

A man, who had stopped to see a friend in the area, smelled smoke and called police.

"I smelled burning rubber and I looked around and I saw smoke from the building at the corner," said witness Greg Blume.

Arson investigators and A.T.F. agents were on scene to try and determine the cause of the fire. San Diego police will be handling the incident as a hate crime.

Firefighters and police responded to the same building at midnight on Dec. 21. Police responded to the call after a fire alarm inside the building went off, when officers arrived they saw smoke immediately called for assistance. Officers also noticed when they arrived the front door to the hall was wide open.

During the first fire, investigators found someone had set the stage on fire. MAST investigators said the suspect used matches to set several fires on the stage and drapes. Kingdom Hall members noticed a stereo missing and investigators initially believed the arsonist may have been trying to cover up the theft.

Firefighters estimated the total damage for the first fire was $70,000.
 

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By Sue Field
Journal Register News Service

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A ledge above the the building’s entrance broke Fagan’s fall before he hit the ground. “I saw him land—it was so loud,” she added. “All his limbs were broken. He was lifeless.” Police say Fagan, who was said to be a devout Jehovah's Witness, had warned a family member he was planning to hurt himself in a series of texts messages before his death. According to the Cult Awareness And Information Center and other reports, Jehovah's Witnesses commit suicide at a rate far exceeding (5-10 times greater) the general population.

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A three-day convention for Jehovah’s Witnesses ended in Nyanyanu in the Central Region on Sunday with the assurance to the more than 3,148 delegates that the Kingdom of God was close to removing mankind’s problems.

Their conviction in the upcoming Kingdom was reinforced by many bible discourses, symposia, interviews, costumed drama, highlighting the Kingdom as the only true government to restore hope in the future.

The convention on the theme: “Let God’s Kingdom Come”, put together by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is part of series of 71 conventions at 26 different locations throughout Ghana.

It focused on God’s Kingdom, a Government that Jesus urged Christians to pray for.

Mr Stephen McIntyre, the Convention Chairman, quoted Philippians 1:27 and urged convention delegates to learn, apply and love the good news about the Kingdom as well as bible principles that would help them become good citizens of that government.

Speaking on the theme: “Are You Behaving as a Kingdom Citizen,?” he stressed that only those who loved and abided by the things taught by Jehovah about the Kingdom would be worthy to be citizens.

Mr Samuel Gaskin, Co-ordinator of the News Service Department for the Convention, encouraged parents to spend time together to worship, talk, eat, work with and entertain their children.

The Witnesses’ children were reminded to remain obedient to their parents and to shun bad association, unwholesome entertainment and ungodly conduct.

The delegates were thrilled to view a full-costume drama based on the Genesis narrative about Joseph, a son of the patriarch Jacob, highlighting how young people could stand up to ridicule and resist peer pressure.

Two brochures, “Listen to God and Live Forever,” and “Live Forever,” together with a revised volume one of the book “Questions Young People Ask, Answers that Work” and a DVD on the history of the Witnesses was outdoored.

Fifty-four of the delegates symbolised their dedication to God with water baptism. GNA

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Tim Kingston of Goonellabah sees Christmas as an occasion to celebrate Jesus.

Marc Stapelberg

Do you think the 25th of December is the anniversary of Jesus's actual date of birth?

WHILE the rest of us are decking the halls with boughs of holly (fa la la la la la la la), many Christians will not celebrate Christmas because it is not part of their religious belief.

Jehovah's Witness elder, Reg Farrell, of Casino's Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness said Christmas would not be part of tomorrow's church meeting.

Instead, the church would wait until Easter to celebrate Christ's death.

"At the lord's meal (the last supper) he asked us to celebrate his death," Mr Farrell said.

"He achieved nothing through birth, but by the time of his death he had achieved a lot through his preaching work."

Seventh Day Adventist Pastor Tim Kingston of Goonellabah said Christmas celebrations in his church tended to be low-key.

"Nowhere in the bible are we told to celebrate and honour the birth of Jesus," Pastor Kingston said.

In fact, he argues, the birth of Jesus was of such small consequence that its date was not recorded.

But even so, Pastor Kingston said his church would hold a special Christmas service today.

December 25, was originally the Roman celebration of the sun God, and was turned into a celebration of the son of God by Roman emperor Constantine in 313AD.

It is generally accepted that Jesus was actually born in September.

Religions and sects which don't celebrate Christmas:

• Baha'i
• Buddhism
• Judaism
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Seventh Day Adventist
• Jehovah's Witness
• Rastafarian movement

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Coroner criticises hospital at inquest of Jehovah’s Witness

10:01am Thursday 22nd December 2011 in News

A JEHOVAH’S WITNESS whose condition deteriorated after a series of blunders and delays at Whiston Hospital would likely have survived had she not refused a blood transfusion, a coroner has ruled.

Jean Gilman, 59, died from a haemorrhage and punctures of her left kidney and spleen, injuries sustained during a diagnostic pleural aspiration, Coroner Christopher Sumner ruled following an inquest.

However, delivering his narrative verdict, Mr Sumner stated that after her condition worsened the Jehovah’s Witness “in accordance with her faith, refused a blood transfusion which might well have saved her life”.

Mrs Gilman, a grandmother from Sutton Heath, was admitted to the hospital in February 27, 2009 with shortness of breath and lethargy.

She underwent the diagnostic test, which sees a needle inserted between the ribs to drain fluid from the lungs, on March 6.

Dr Mithun Murthy made four unsuccessful attempts to perform the procedure and instead damaged the left kidney and spleen, resulting in abdominal bleeding.

In evidence to the hearing, expert witness Mr Munsch stated that Dr Murthy had made a “significant error” in misjudging the site of the procedure, but added it was a mistake that might have been made by experienced physicians. He said, in his opinion, the “actions were not negligent”.

However, he suggested Mrs Gilman’s chances of survival would have been improved “by appropriate management of her treatment and if action had been taken without delays”.

Mr Sumner criticised the hospital’s record keeping for Mrs Gilman, suggesting it was “poor” and information about her religion was not “generally made known”.

He also condemned the hospital for the “little urgency shown by clinicians” after Mrs Gilman’s condition worsened, saying Dr Laura Fadden, who had accompanied Dr Murthy for the original procedure, had failed to act when a nurse told her that the patient’s blood pressure had dropped.

When Dr Fadden did contact a colleague, Dr Aideen Cronin, three and a half hours after Mrs Gilman had the procedure, she failed to mention about the drop in blood pressure, added the coroner.

Dr Cronin realised Mrs Gilman was suffering from internal bleeding and asked for a more senior clinician to visit her bedside but it took an hour for the doctor to attend, added Mr Sumner.

Mr Jha, a surgeon, was tasked with performing emergency surgery but wanted to wait for the results of a CT scan before starting the operation. This decision was questioned by expert witness Mr James.

According to Mr Sumner, it appeared the X-rays were ready at 10.05pm but it was not until 11pm that the surgeon saw the results.

Prior to surgery, Mrs Gilman’s family was informed that she was placing her life at risk by refusing blood products.

However, Mrs Gilman was “adamant in her resolve” not to take blood products but agreed to the use of a cell saver, which would recycle any of her own blood.

When surgery did begin at midnight on March 7 it took longer than anticipated and she went into a critical condition, failed to recover and died four days later.

In evidence Mr Jha said he believed Mrs Gilman would have survived the injury had she allowed a transfusion to take place.

In a statement responding to Mr Sumner’s findings, St Helens and Knowsley NHS Teaching Hospitals Trust, said: “The Trust would like to offer its sincere condolences to the family of the late Mrs Jean Gilman.

“Mrs Gilman underwent a procedure by a senior doctor who had performed this procedure many times and was competent to do so. Regrettably, on this occasion he made a mistake. Every effort was made to treat Mrs Gilman, but as a Jehovah’s Witness, she decided not to accept blood products and sadly she died four days later.

“The coroner confirmed that a blood transfusion might well have saved her life.

“The doctor concerned no longer works at the Trust. However, an immediate review of his clinical competence was undertaken which concluded that he had the knowledge, skills and training to carry out the procedure.

“The Trust has already written to Mr Gilman expressing sincere apologies.”

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