Maybe my memories of August are just wishful thinking, but I recall our outdoor work typically slacked off in August, just in time to accommodate late summer vacations. This has not been the case this year, due in part to a backlog of outside work that did not get done earlier in the summer, but we have managed to keep the seasonal vegetation under control. Many thanks are due to Scott Carson who came in several times in August to trim and shape all of our bushes, cut back some troublesome tree branches, cut back the plant growth along the Spaulding Turnpike fence line, and more. Erica Nania, the newest member of our Thursday Group arrived just in time to help Scott with some of the trimming and she has also been introduced to the normal inside routine. It is great to see new people such as Erica, a mother and employed, who finds the time to help us when her schedule permits. As always, our Thursday Morning regulars have continued with their outstanding efforts to maintain the building and property. I applaud each of you. Thank you for your service.
The mystery of the non-functioning electrical outlets in the kindergarten classroom has been solved! The electricians we hired to resolve this issue and install additional outlets in this room, discovered an electrical line in the basement overhead area that had been damaged and cut off. It appears that the wire was probably damaged in one of our construction projects, so the outlets have not been functional for many years. They are functional now, and all of the receptacles are the tamper-resistant variety recommended by our insurance carrier, especially in spaces for our young children. We can now move forward with converting this space to the new Wiggle Room and converting the existing Wiggle Room to a conference room. Another new Property Team volunteer, Bill Kath, came in to help move items out of the kindergarten room to support the electrical work. This is a great example of how a volunteer can support the Property Team at times other than Thursday Morning. Thanks, Bill.
By the time you read this, we will have completed a cleaning of the stone floor in the Sanctuary. As noted by a long-time member and passable humorist (thanks, Alice), the last time the stone floor was cleaned was when the roof leaked during construction! All jokes aside, many thanks to all of the volunteers who came out to move chairs and other items so our cleaners could do their thing. There is good reason why it has not been done for a long time. It is a big effort. Many thanks to what I am calling the "Clean The Stone Floor Team" ... they are ...
- Byrl Short
- Bob Hollister
- Bernie Olsen
- Barry and Phyllis Philbrick
- Eleanor Young
- Pastor Tim Krick
- Dave Arrington
- Pat Wollette
- Dick Topping
- Dave Mercer (Yours truly)
- And of course, Seacoast Cleaners
I can't resist a little braggadocio. I recently repaired two of our lawn mowers for a grand total of about $10. One of our riding mowers quit on us, so I hauled it to my garage in Madbury, found a failed part and got it running again. One of our push mowers would not start for lack of compression ... off to Madbury! I found an internal engine part that was not working properly and fixed it at no cost. I estimate I saved the Holy Trinity about $400! I have one more piece of our equipment in Madbury that I am working on. Time is money unless you are retired! Martha says I need a raise.
As for what is coming up, we will be continuing to resolve fire protection related issues identified in a recent Fire Department inspection. We have taken care of several items, but much more remains to be done over the next several months. Stay tuned for more progress reports.
Dave Mercer, Property Team Leader