Friday, February 21, 2014

Week of Feb. 17---More snow!

Buried in snow again! Underneath all this loveliness---52 tons of rebar (wow) getting tied into place. Almost ready to pour the concrete mat slab for the basement!


Cool Temple Infographic


 
Great infographic which illustrates the relative size and differing styles of temples around the world. Scroll through and see how Hartford fits in!
http://3dtemples.photogent.com/infographic/

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Construction Update

Elder Holbrook reports that this week work is continuing on the new road which will provide access to the Temple from Melrose Drive.  Additional footings and foundation walls have been poured, and reinforcing steel is being installed for the huge concrete mat footing which will be poured in the basement area.  All this in the cold and the snow.  Thank heavens for hearty construction workers.  Here are some recent photos from the construction camera at the site.



Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Missionary work article on "Hartford Faith and Values"

A wonderful article on missionary work---written by Lyn Greenwood of the New Haven Stake---was just published on Hartford Faith and Values, a local religion news site. Very apropos, as "The Book of Mormon" musical opens next month in Hartford. Here's the real scoop on Mormon missionaries!  Great quotes from local members.  http://hartfordfavs.com/2014/02/03/mormon-missionaries-2/

Let it snow!

Following the 9+ inches of snow that fell on Wednesday, February 5th, workers are seen clearing the snow near the footings of the temple. The second photo shows the view from the back of the temple looking towards the site entrance. The waterproofing material on the foundations is visible in the foreground. There is a *LOT* of snow on the site, but the work continues!




Construction pic, February 3, 2014

Check out the latest picture from the construction camera at the Temple site.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Aerial Photos, February 2, 2014

Here are the latest aerial photos of the site. The footings have been poured. Hurrah for concrete!   The grey area is the baptistry and, if you look closely, you can see at its center the start of the elevator shaft.  Very cool.


Temple Photo, January 22, 2014

The photo shows two views of the temple site, both taken from Melrose Drive. The first was taken on July 11th 2013, and the second on January 22nd 2014. It's not until you see them that you realize how much has been done on the site in a little over 6 months.

Gilbert Arizona Temple featured on ABC!

Take a look at this piece produced by ABC15 in Arizona about the Gilbert Temple, entitled "The Gilbert Mormon Temple: A Rare Look Inside." The Gilbert Temple Open House is currently underway and this piece was timed to air at its beginning. Considering that the Hartford Temple Open House is slated for 2015 (!), this isn't far off for us! The youth at the end, preparing for their performance to celebrate the temple, will make you smile.

A Visit with Elder and Sister Holbrook

I spent some time with Elder and Sister Holbrook yesterday at the Temple site. Although it was cold and a bit snowy, there is a warmth there that will make you grateful for the wonderful blessing of the Hartford Connecticut Temple.

The Welcome Center (i.e. Owner's Trailer) is a must see. In it there are several displays about the Church, including a map with pins showing where each of the 170 Temples (141 operating, 13 under construction and 16 announced) are located around the world. Looking at that map you'll spot the Hartford Connecticut Temple easily. How fortunate we are to have Temples so close. My favorite part of the Welcome Center displays are the beautiful artist's renderings of the reception area, baptistry, instruction rooms and celestial room within the temple. Not only does the architecture of the Temple fit the community, but the interior design also reflects a definite New England style.

The artist's renderings of the Temple interior cannot be seen anywhere else. Please take time to visit the site and say hello (and thanks) to the Holbrooks. You'll feel God's love there and the experience will keep you excited for our Temple.
 
 
 
 

Construction Update, January 16, 2014

On Wednesday January 15th, workers began the task of connecting permanent electrical power to the site. This will allow the site sheds to be powered 24/7, rather than relying on the generator that has been used for the last few months.



Aerial Photos, January 14, 2014

 

Farmington Ave. (Route 4) is the larger road running from top to bottom of this pic....Melrose Road is the smaller one sprouting off left to right. On Melrose, two trailers flank the entrance to the temple site, which is fenced and not open to the public during construction. The trailer on the left is where Elder and Sister Kent Holbrook's office is located.

Farmington Ave. (Route 4) is the road running across the top of the pic. The deeply excavated square visible here is where the baptistry will be located. The black lines here are heating pads keeping the ground warm where they are working on pouring footings....the little red dot at the bottom of the lines is the heater!




 

Construction Update, January 11, 2014

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE from Elder & Sis. Holbrook:

Approximately 250 lineal feet of footings have been poured.
Approximately 150 lineal feet of foundation walls have been poured.
Approximately 90% of the basement area has been excavated.


Temple Groundbreaking Video

For those of you who missed the groundbreaking (or who just want to relive it a little!), here is a short video of a few of its highlights.

Meet Elder and Sister Holbrook, Temple Construction Missionaries!

Elder Kent and Sister Sherrie Holbrook began serving at the Hartford Connecticut Temple construction site as Temple Construction Missionaries in October 2013, after serving ...at the construction site for the Phoenix Arizona Temple from June 1 through September 25, 2013.

Elder and Sister Holbrook’s home is in Centerville, Utah. They are the parents of four children, a daughter and three sons and are grandparents to eleven grandchildren, six girls and five boys.

The Holbrooks first became involved with the Temple and Special Projects Department in February 2012, following encouragement from Sister Holbrook’s brother, Mark Tingey. Brother Tingey suggested that the Holbrooks submit their biographies to the church to serve as Church Service Missionaries at a temple construction site because of Brother Holbrook’s background in architecture, construction and project management. Sister Holbrook’s background is in nursing, having been employed by Intermountain Health Care in Utah for 27 years, including 20 years managing the Labor and Delivery departments at Cottonwood and LDS Hospitals.

Brother and Sister Holbrook submitted their biographies and were subsequently interviewed at the Church Office Building on May 31, 2012. Because Brother Holbrook served his full-time mission in the New England Mission, those involved in the interview felt impressed that the Holbrooks should be called to serve at the construction site for the Hartford Connecticut Temple.

Elder and Sister Holbrook will serve at the temple site until the dedication of the temple. Their assignment is primarily to create a history of the temple construction for the church and also to become acquainted and interact with the contractors and workers at the site. Elder Holbrook will also assist the Site Manager, who is the Church’s full-time on-site representative.
 

Temple Site Photo, December 31, 2013

Check out the latest pic of the temple site....Here's to a great 2014!