a:30:{s:9:"weblog_id";s:1:"2";s:8:"entry_id";s:3:"642";s:6:"sticky";s:1:"n";s:14:"allow_comments";s:1:"n";s:16:"allow_trackbacks";s:1:"n";s:10:"entry_date";s:19:"2009-08-03 09:47 PM";s:15:"expiration_date";s:0:"";s:23:"comment_expiration_date";s:0:"";s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;s:2:"15";i:1;s:2:"65";}s:9:"author_id";s:1:"4";s:10:"new_weblog";s:1:"2";s:6:"status";s:4:"open";s:14:"trackback_urls";s:0:"";s:18:"versioning_enabled";s:1:"y";s:5:"title";s:52:"Operating Engineers Help Set Table for Habitat Party";s:9:"url_title";s:52:"operating_engineers_help_set_table_for_habitat_party";s:6:"submit";s:6:"Update";s:10:"field_id_5";s:52:"Operating Engineers Help Set Table for Habitat Party";s:10:"field_ft_5";s:4:"none";s:10:"field_id_9";s:136:"There were all the earmarks of a celebration on Sunday, Aug.,  when Habitat for Humanity St. Louis handed over the keys of 10 new homes.";s:10:"field_ft_9";s:4:"none";s:11:"field_id_13";s:0:"";s:10:"field_id_7";s:28:"Habitat, Operating Engineers";s:10:"field_ft_7";s:4:"none";s:10:"field_id_8";s:3195:"<p>There were speeches, tears, prayers, face painting, the
Harris Stowe University band, and all the other earmarks of a celebration on
Sunday Aug. 1, when Habitat for Humanity St. Louis handed over the keys of 10 new
homes to the homes\' owners.And
some Operating Engineers Local 513 apprentices, their instructor, a local
masonry contractor, and an equipment vendor played a role in helping the party
to happen.</p>
<p>The dedication ceremony was held near the heart of the
\"build\" near the intersection of Thomas and Garrison in the
Jeff-Vander-Lou area.&nbsp; It marked
the completion of Phase I of this year\'s&nbsp;
\"build,\" which will total 24 homes. Last year, Habitat
completed 27 LEED Platinum-certified homes - one of the largest assemblages of
LEED-certified residential property in the country. Another three homes that
were planned for this year were pushed into next year\'s program when
abatement/remediation issues arose with the sites.</p>
<p>About a week before the ceremony, William McHugh,
construction manager for Habitat, saw that</p>
<h4><img alt=\"Habitat Map\" height=\"344\" src=\"/images/uploads/habitat-map.jpg\" width=\"350\" /></h4>
<h4>Area of this year\'s Habitat \"build\"</h4>
<p>the schedule was tight and put out a
call for help with the finish grading for the lots. Normally that\'s a task
performed by Habitat staff. But McHugh realized that if they could get some
assistance in the form of Bobcat operators they\'d be better able to manage the
volunteers who were wrapping up the other details on the 10 homes.</p>
<p><img alt=\"Habitat Home Owner\" class=\"image-left\" height=\"303\" src=\"/images/uploads/habitat.jpg\" style=\"float: left;\" width=\"266\" />With a couple of phone calls Operating Engineers Local
513 stepped up, sending seven apprentices and instructor. Dan Head of Kirkwood
Masonry also showed up to help. And Randy White of Bobcat of St. Louis hauled
in equipment to augment that owned by Habitat<br /><br />Hundreds of staff, volunteers, and donors spent months of
their Saturdays working on the building that led up to the Aug. 2 event.&nbsp; Mohammed Jier, a native of Kenya, who
received the keys to his house with his wife Shams Dad, thanked&nbsp; \"God, and everyone who helped, and
everyone who donated, and everyone who prayed or kept us in their
thoughts\" for the home into which the couple and their children Ali and
Aisha are moving.</p>
<p>The Habitat build area is literally transforming the
neighborhood into which Talisha Franklin is moving with her children Ta\'Anyea
and Terrel. Franklin, who is working on a Masters\' degree in childhood ed, would
literally bolt from Saturday builds to her classes or camping trips or games
for her kids, Habitat leaders said.</p>
<p>The St. Louis Police Department is so appreciative of the
difference that the program is making that it staged landings of its helicopter
on a nearby grade school ball field for the benefit of the families attending
the dedication.</p>
<h4>Talisha Franklin holds up the keys to her new home.<br /></h4>
<p>Habitat is already well under way with Phase II of this
year\'s build, which is to wrap up in September.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>";s:11:"field_id_42";s:27:"/images/uploads/habitat.jpg";s:11:"field_id_43";s:0:"";s:11:"field_ft_43";s:4:"none";s:10:"category_0";s:2:"15";s:10:"category_1";s:2:"65";}