We've been keeping busy working on the Church and Parsonage, making sure we stay on top of things before they become a problem. Thanks to Dean Johnson for maintaining the grounds for 2011, and welcome to Brian Woster.
2011 Projects
Rain Gutters at the Parsonage
Parsonage Bathroom Remodel - The kitchen level bathroom was over 20 years old, and needed updating and repair. It was gutted and completely remodeled.
Parsonage Yard - Thank you to Jim Felix and his crew for trimming the maple tree, and tidying up other plants in the yard.
Water Faucet Replaced - Outside the lower level of the Church (the side by the Parsonage), the outdoor water faucet was broken, due to freezing temperatures.
Tree Trimming - The maple tree in the Parsonage yard was trimmed for us, free of charge.
Parsonage Repairs - Added an outside fill for the oil tank. Remodeled the upstairs bathroom (thank you to the donor who paid for the remodel). Fixed leak going into basement.
Sinks in all of the Church restrooms have been replaced -- what a difference! No more cracks to look at. Thank you to our donor who provided the funds for this project.
Cost Savings - We have been working hard to reduce our costs. The Church and Parsonage telephones were changed to ring as if they were one line; this should save approximately $50 each month. The electric utilities were reduced by turning down the hot water tank in the Church and the Parsonage, saving another $50 a month. The boiler was turned down on the furnace, and the new oil burner is working more efficiently than the old one (see "Oil Tank" below), and that is saving approximately $100 a month.
Oil Tank - The Church oil tank was replaced with one that is aboveground. And just to confirm that God is constantly watching over us, it was discovered that the oil burner needed to be replaced, or the Church might have burned down.
Below are some of the projects we tackled in 2010 -- and we couldn't have done them without the talents of our parishoners and the generosity of some of the local St. Maries' businesses.
Landscaping - On College Avenue, a number of unattractive bushes were pulled out, and in their place, some very nice shrubs were planted, some rocks artistically placed, and pots full of flowers were added. It has made a huge improvement to the look of the Church.
Sidewalk Repair Project - Thank you to Ron and Brad Pugh for breaking up and hauling away the damaged concrete. Jack Harold and St. Maries Concrete delivered the concrete to the church for free. Dean Johnson, Steve Prueher, Pastor Shine, and Ken Tams worked on the sidewalk repair on September 27.
Ceiling Light Replacement and Electrical Outlets Installed - On November 8, a team of stalwart volunteers (Dean Johnson, Steve Prueher, Spike Shine, and Dean Short) gathered in the basement of the church to pull down the old ceiling lights in our meeting room and kitchen and replace them with energy-saving ones. We received a rebate from Avista, and that substantially lowered the cost of the project. Also, five new electrical outlets were added to the conference room.
The two Deans pulled down the old lights, Dean Short and Steve Prueher did the electrical work, and Dean Johnson and Spike assisted our "electricians" by handing them light bulbs (the less up and down the ladder, the happier the legs are).
Church Roof Repair - The weather held out and the work was completed in November 2010. The part of the roof that was replaced was over the Narthex.