Tova, Author at Capital City Grange

Sing along to celebrate June on the 4th!

May 26, 2022 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) May 26, 2022

The birds aren’t the only ones who are happy to sing

After a long hiatus, we’re looking forward to an opportunity to have another “Community Sing-Along” at the Grange Hall, as our “Program” from 5 to 6:00 PM on Saturday, June 4th. Following our brief Grange meeting from 4:30 to 5:00, Grange Musician Matt Nunnelly will lead us in songs. Weather permitting, we’ll be outside on the ADA entrance porch, for maximum fresh air. If we need to be indoors, we’ll be using our exhaust fan and open windows to keep the air moving, plus our Room Air Filter Boxes. We do ask that only people who are fully vaccinated come to this event; we don’t expect to wear masks, but we will provide room to spread out.
What will we sing? That’s up to Matt and the people who send in suggestions! Matt is a talented song leader and accompanist, and he is willing to do his best, especially if people contact him beforehand at: mattkatvt@gmail.com with the song(s) they want to sing! If you have lyrics for the songs, and want to send them to me (Tim) at: grangenotes@capitalcitygrange.org at least a few days in advance I’ll try to get them printed and copied to share at the sing-along. In the past, the songs we’ve sung have covered a pleasingly wide range: Farther Along, This Land is Your Land, Lift Every Voice and Sing, Blue Skies, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, If I Had a Hammer, Yellow Submarine and many more. What are you eager to sing? Let us know, and we’ll be happy to help out!

If you can’t make it to the meeting, and want to listen in to the program, and even sing along at home, here’s how to do it:

To join the Zoom sing-along program starting at 5:00 from your computer or smart-phone, use this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82616664552?pwd=WDVTa3ZlNzJjYXE0SC9pckVtck5NUT09

Meeting ID: 826 1666 4552

Passcode: 381729

It’s great if you want to sing along at home, but we will need to you to mute yourself while singing, due to the inability of Zoom to synchronize the audio!

Don’t forget the potluck after the singing!

At 6:00, we’ll adjourn to the lower level for yet another tasty potluck dinner, and we hope you’ll join us. If you’ve been to previous ones, you know that you can expect a wide variety of tasty dishes–and if you haven’t, it’s time you join in the eating and socializing!

June Grange meeting: 4:30 to 5:00

We’ll have our usual shortened Grange meeting before the Sing-Along program, upstairs.
We will welcome anyone who wants to join us–but we will continue to ask that only vaccinated folks join us in person. We will also be able to welcome people who want to attend from their homes, via Zoom, and we’ll be able to see you on the projection screen–here’s the connection info:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85005898289?pwd=Q1ZOSmdZM3BJNGRoZW9OY2pDc1d1dz09
Meeting ID: 850 0589 8289
Passcode: 534977
(this info is also posted on the Grange website Calendar listing for this meeting)

We’ll be going over the current finances of the Grange as usual, plus talking about some summer activity choices:

Can we pull together a Grange Hall cleanup? After a couple of slow years, there are plenty of dusty screens, dirty windows, and other grimy nooks and crannies.
Can we come up with a plan to improve the downstairs “alcove” space we planned as a small-scale meeting/performance space?
Shall we have a cookout in August? If so, who can help to organize it?
Some people are planting sunflowers as a show of support for Ukraine–is anyone interested in doing this at the Grange Hall? There are lots of gardening/landscaping opportunities, as a matter of fact.
And we’ve been asked to participate in the Champlain Valley Expo starting in late August, as we did last year. We have some good ideas about publicizing the many arts/cultural/family events that happen at our Hall, please let us konw if you can help put together an exhibit!

As usual, all members of the community of Grange members and Hall users will be welcome; only members get to vote on the motions that will come up, but we appreciate participation by everyone.

April meeting: we’re paying for the pellet furnace, and happy to get off oil heat!

        One of our discussions at the April meeting focused on the successful installation of the pellet furnace, and how to complete the payment for the project.   The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall managed the project, as they do for most major improvements, which means that no sales tax was charged.   As we’ve discussed, we are getting major help with the financing thanks to the offer by the VT State Grange of a low-interest loan of $20,000. After the $6,000 worth of rebates we received, the cost was “only” about $24,140 for the furnace plus the required stainless-steel chimney liner.
We will of course be paying that loan back, likely over 10 years or so.   If anyone feels moved to make a donation to the Friends to help us reduce the balance on that loan, we will be happy to accept, of course!   We will not be paying for heating oil, which as everyone knows is currently very expensive. Part of our research showed that our average per-gallon cost for oil for the Grange has increased by 45% over the last 5 years. This compares to an 18% rise in pellet pricing over the last 8 years, so we anticipate our relative savings will only increase with time. Since the meeting, we have gotten a check from our former heating oil supplier, Gillespie Fuels for the oil they pumped out of our tank before it was removed.
We voted at the May meeting that we are willing to cash out the CD we currently have at the VSECU credit union to pay off the balance due to Bourne’s Energy for the furnace installation.   At this point, the FCCGH advises us to wait to see what happens with the applications which the Friends have put in for assistance with Hall projects from Senator Sanders’ “Congressionally Directed Spending” funds, as well as the application to the VT Arts Council’s “Facilities Improvement Grant Program” for a platform lift to allow people with mobility difficulties access to the lower level of the Hall.   We will mutually decide what is the most sensible way to use the funds available.
Also at the meeting, Alison Forrest told us about a Vermont composer/pianist’s plans to play concerts in every town in Vermont–he has given up flying out of concern for climate change, and is limiting his performances to places he can reach with his electric vehicle! She suggested that we could be the venue for a concert in Berlin, so I’ve written to him to ask if he’s interested.   You can check out David Feuerzeig‘s plans at Playeverytown to learn more about him and his concert tour.
We also discussed possible cooking events, since we have not had a “baking contest” for the last 3 years.   Among the ideas was having a “best local tomatoes” contest with “celebrity judges”, similar to baking contests. Or having a “local ingredients” cooking contest–both of these would be scheduled around harvest time.   Expect more discussion–and bring your ideas to the June meeting, per the announcement above. A love of tasty food is a universal bond that humans (including Grange members and friends) share, and we’re happy to provide excuses to indulge that love.

Grange meeting & potluck on Saturday!

May 9, 2022 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), May 3, 2022

Grange meeting for May, after a busy April!

On Saturday, we’ll have a Grange meeting upstairs, in our Main Hall, kept warm by our new pellet furnace, at the usual 4:30 to 6:00 time. We will welcome anyone who wants to join us–but we will continue to ask that only vaccinated folks join us in person. We will also be able to welcome people who want to attend from their homes, via Zoom, and we’ll be able to see you on the projection screen–here’s the connection info:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86101170145?pwd=ejBDMG9JZGhGb21ueUxBbEZ5U3Q0QT09Meeting ID: 861 0117 0145
Passcode: 191654
(this info is also posted on the Grange website Calendar listing for this meeting)

At this meeting, we’ll be reviewing the last (very busy) couple of months, which have included having a whole new heating season installed, a steady stream of rental events, the submittal of 3 funding requests for Hall projects by the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall and a major loan from the VT State Grange for the new furnace. We’ll be discussing the best ways to repay that loan, based on our savings and resources. We’ll also be talking about organizing a serious cleanup of the Grange Hall, after a couple of years of less use. We plan to have a sing-along as our “program” for the June meeting, and we’ll talk about preparing for that.
As usual, all members of the community of Grange members and Hall users will be welcome; only members get to vote on the motions that will come up.

New pellet bin and furnace!

Our new pellet bin is big and obvious when you come up the driveway. In the top picture above, you can see the hoses that bring pellets into the furnace room to fill the “day tank” which is part of the furnace. The bin will hold about 3-1/2 tons of pellets; we expect to get it filled a couple of times per heating season, with the truck connecting to the vertical larger tubes on the side of the bin.
The new furnace was hard to get an overall picture of, tucked into the furnace room as it is. The gray box in the right foreground is the “day tank” for pellets; the green panels beyond it are the pellet combustion and heat-exchanger parts of the furnace. The “arrow-shaped” container at the right bottom of the furnace picture is the container that gets automatically filled with ashes from the pellets; it’s easy to dump those into a bag for disposal, using the box on the left, which contains any dust quite nicely.
The new heating system is a big investment for the Grange, but we feel it will pay off with lower fuel costs, and a more secure fuel supply than fossil-fuel alternatives.

For those who weren’t there…it was a big dance!

In the last Grange Notes, I spread the word about the resumption of the Montpelier Contra Dance on April 16th. The dance was a very successful re-start, after over 2 years of hiatus due to the pandemic. The final count of dancers, musicians, callers and the MCD organizing committee was 194 total people! All had vaccine records checked and wore masks the entire time. And no post-dance reports of anyone testing positive for COVID-19 have been received!
This dance series has historically been the most-attended events, and has been an important part of our rental income stream, as well as spreading word about the wonderful facilities of the Grange Hall, so we are very happy to have it happening again. The MCD committee has been generously contributed (reduced) rent payments throughout the pandemic hiatus, which has helped the Grange to survive, and is much appreciated!

More dances coming up!

Following up on the enthusiastic re-opening of the dance series, more dances are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the next couple of months, with the same vaccine and mask requirements. The next dance happens on Saturday 5/7, following the Grange meeting and potluck. For the most up-to-date info on the dances, check out the Grange website “Contra Dance” page, or the Montpelier Contra Dance Facebook page. I will not be including further info on these dances in the Grange Notes, but you can get on a separate dance email list by emailing the link on either page.

Montpelier Contra Dance News: First dance fun! More great dances to come

April 29, 2022 by Tova

by Tim Swartz, Grange President (weith everyone’s help) April 29, 2022

Almost 200 dancers, callers and musicians on April 16th, a happy and friendly time had by all!

We were pleased to welcome a large crowd of happy folks to the first dance since March 7th, 2020. Everyone either pre-registered, including uploading proof of vaccination, or signed in and brought their proof with them. Everyone wore their well-fitting masks, too. We really appreciate everyone helping us all be safe by complying with our safety measures!

We are equally glad to report that nearly 2 weeks after the dance, we have had zero reports of any COVID-19 positive tests or illness. We are ready to move forward with more dances already on the schedule–see details below about bands and callers for May and June dances! I’ve included (above) a panorama of the dancers with 4 fiddlers playing together, part of the variety of combos orchestrated by bandleaders Pete Sutherland and Oliver Scanlon. And below, the very large “intro session” being led by Mary Wesley before 8:00, and the “chaos of callers” (named by Luke Donforth) assembled before the dance.

Dance statistics:

Everybody wants to know, how many people were there? We had a total of 194 people registered–including musicians, callers, sound techs (both also musicians!) and the Montpelier Contra Dance committee–we were there in force and enjoying ourselves too!
There were 5 full lines of dancers most of the evening, with 4 lines right up until the end at 11:00. 100% of the dancers were having fun, we’re pretty sure–even though we couldn’t see the smiles under the masks, the body language gave it away.

Remembrances:

At the time that we usually do announcements, before the last contra dance of the first half, Montpelier Contra Dance committee member Alice Smolinsky stepped to the microphone to lead us in a remembrance of the dance community members whom we’ve lost–to COVID and to other causes–during the time when dances have been cancelled. We had an initial list, which Alice read, and then asked the crowd to please call out other names, so we could bring them all into the warmth of the dance and feel their presence. Much of the crowd sat down to take part in this, in an unhurried way.
MCD member Jody Pettersen is putting up a bulletin board, on which people can post photos (not too large, please!) and names of people who have passed away, so we can all keep them in our memories. Look for it at upcoming dances. We are a real community of friends, and the last couple of years have helped us all realize how much we all count on seeing each other every couple of weeks.

Generosity:

We used our payment scale for admission to the dance–but we had so many generous people come through that we were able to be extra generous with our payments to the musicians, callers and sound-folks. Everyone was clearly supportive and glad to have the dance happening again. We are committed to providing a $5 low-price option for kids, and for low-income folks, and the generosity of people who pay as “dance supporters” at the $20 level make that possible, while keeping the dance series financially stable. We are asking for adults who can to pay a standard $12 admission. I think everyone knows that the Montpelier Contra Dance committee is all-volunteer; all admissions support the callers, musicians and sound-folks, plus paying rent to the Grange.

May and June: who’s playing? who’s calling?

We have booked dances for the first and third Saturdays in both May and June. We have a printed flyer with this info, many were given out at the dance on the 16th. We heard that a number of people planned to replace the flyer from the first quarter of 2020, which has been on their refrigerators since the last dance on 3/7/2020!
May 7th:
Music by: Aaron Marcus & Joanne Garton, aka “The Turning Stile”
Calling by:   Will Mentor
Sound by: Peter Macfarlane
May 21st:
Music by: Dave Langford and Colin McCaffrey
Calling by: Luke Donforth
Sound by:   Band (Colin}
June 4th:
Music by: Atlantic Crossing (Rick Klein, Viveka Fox & Peter Macfarlane)
Calling by: David Eisenstadter
Sound by:   Band
June 18th:
Music by: Anna Patton, Kate Englesberg & Naomi Morse
Calling by: Nils Fredland
Sound by: TBDYou will notice a large preponderance of Vermont musicians! We are very happy to be able to start supporting the local musicians that have been hard-hit by the shut-down of dances and concerts (until recently).   And we’re always impressed to realize how many really great musicians, callers and sound-folks there are in our small state.

Please check the website or Facebook page for the latest updates before you come to a dance, as we will be monitoring health statistics, CDC and VT Public Health recommendations, and adapting our health and safety requirements as conditions change.

COVID details for the next dances

Contra dancing is joyful and community oriented — and it always involves some risk. We are requiring that all dancers wear masks and be fully vaccinated to help keep our dance safer while COVID is still afoot. We ask for your help and cooperation with these extra safety measures. Based on the success of these precautions at our first dance, and the still-rising number of cases and hospitalizations in Vermont, we have decided to stick with these requirements for the next dances. Here are the details:

Masks

All dancers must wear well-fitting masks. We recommend N95s or KN95s. Bandanas or scarves do not qualify as well-fitting masks. We will have extra masks available at no cost for dancers who may need one. The caller and band members may or may not wear masks depending on their performance needs.

Vaccination

All dancers, musicians, and callers must be fully vaccinated against COVID (at least 2 shots of Pfizer or Moderna, or one shot of J&J). Everyone will be asked to show proof of vaccination when you pre-register, or when you enter — either your actual vaccine card or a photo of your card. To save time, we suggest pre-registering so that we have your name and vaccine proof ahead of time: forms.gle/W5psYUwPBCrjXLsHA. We will delete the photo of your vaccination card after we add you to our list of confirmed vaccinated dancers. Remember, once you are on the list, you will not need to show proof of vaccination for future dances. So if you came to the April 16th dance, we have you on the list! If not, pre-register if you can!

Contact tracing

We will confirm that you are on the “already checked” list when you come to each dance, and that we have your email address. We will only use the contact info to get in touch with you if there is a confirmed COVID case following a dance, unless you give us permission to put you on our email list. Again, filling out the pre-registration form saves time: forms.gle/W5psYUwPBCrjXLsHA. If you test positive for COVID during the 3 days after the dance, please let us know by emailing cdu.tim@gmail.com. We will keep your name anonymous but we do want to share news of any COVID exposure info with other dancers in the event of a positive test.

Ventilation & filtration

The Capital City Grange has improved the ventilation in the hall since 2020. This includes installing a new whole-room exhaust fan in the ceiling, which pulls fresh air in through the windows. At high speed, it will provide 8 air-changes per hour. You can expect the windows to be fully open, so dress accordingly. The Grange has also built and installed four Room Air Filter Boxes on each floor that circulate air and filter it to trap particles, including COVID aerosol-sized particles. These will be running on the lower level, as well as the exhaust fan in the Main Hall.

Common sense

If you have any COVID symptoms, please stay home.
If you or someone in your household has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, please stay home.

We know everyone loves to dance, but we ask for caution on the part of all for the sake of keeping the dance community safe.

Please wash your hands frequently. We want you to stay hydrated, but please keep your mask on when not drinking water. If you need a break from wearing a mask, please go outdoors (though be mindful to clean your shoes well before re-entering the hall to protect our beautiful floor!). Please be kind and gentle with one another as we navigate this transition back to dancing during the time of COVID.

What if things change?

The dance organizing team will revisit these requirements as COVID numbers shift. If there’s anything we’ve learned from the pandemic, it’s that we may need to adapt what we’re doing to work with changing circumstances. Please check our Facebook page at facebook.com/montpeliercontradance or the Grange website for the most up to date information before you come dancing: capitalcitygrange.org/dancing/contradancing.

All the info for dancers:

Price:

$12 for adults
$5 for kids/low income
$20 for dance supporters

Role terms:

Gender-neutral role terms will be used.

Requirements for dancers:

Pre-register at: forms.gle/W5psYUwPBCrjXLsHA to save time. If not, you will need to bring proof of vaccination with you. We will have a couple of laptops available to fill out the form at the Hall.
Wear a well-fitting mask at all times. We recommend N95 or KN95s. Scarves and bandannas are not acceptable. We will have extra masks available at no cost.
Reminders: it’s been a long time!
Because we will be running the exhaust fan and opening windows for good ventilation, bring an extra layer in case of cool weather. For active dancing, wear light, comfortable clothing, and clean, soft-soled shoes.
Bring a water bottle, and refill at the water fountain/bottle filler.
We will supply stick-on name tags–we can’t remember everyone’s faces and names, especially when you’re wearing a mask!
The Grange is still in the same convenient location: for Google Maps or GPS, the address is 6612 VT-12, Berlin VT 05602. We’re easy to find, about 1 mile south of Montpelier.
Questions? Email Tim Swartz: cdu.tim@gmail.com. I’ve added at least 70 people who asked to be added when they pre-registered; I’ll be happy to add others who didn’t get on the list–have your friends email me also. No information is shared or sold from this list! I email reminders about dances, notifications about dance info, and cancellations or changes.

In case you want even more dancing…
Here are a couple of dances this weekend:
******************************

CONTRA DANCE at UVM
Saturday, April 30
6pm to 9pm
LOCATION: Mann Hall, UVM
208 Colchester Ave., Burlington VT 05405
LIVE MUSIC by Pete Sutherland and Oliver Scanlon
CALLING by Luke Donforth
Admission: 0 to $5, pay what you can
Vaccination proof required
Masks highly encouraged
More info at: https://uvmbored.com/event/come-contra-dancing/, and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1637041776638329/?ref=newsfeed

******************************

ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCE in Jericho
Sunday, May 1
4pm to 6pm
OUTDOOR LOCATION:
Mills Riverside Park
open-sided, roofed pavilion w/concrete floor
338 VT-15, Jericho, VT
LIVE MUSIC (mostly acoustic): Carol Compton (keyboard), Sarah Babbitt Spaeth (viola), Will Patton (mandolin)
CALLER: Val Medve
DONATION (on-site):
$10, suggested (pay more or less, as you’re able). Your donation pays for the pavilion and the musicians.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
Please reply with a photo of your vaccination card. If you’ve already emailed me your card THIS YEAR, no need to do so again — but please reply to confirm you plan to attend. val.medve@gmail.com
Upcoming outdoor dances (Sundays, 4pm to 6pm): May 22; June 19 & 26; July 10 & 24 & 31; August 28, September 11 & 25.
For 2022 musician and caller lineups: http://burlingtoncountrydancers.org/dances/2022-05/

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Attendance: Fully vaccinated, pre-registration with proof of COVID-19 vaccination (attach photo of vaccination card, which will then be deleted). Dances may be publicized beyond this mailing list of (mostly) local dancers. Others welcome to attend with pre-registration and proof of vaccination to val.medve@gmail.com
Dance space: Open-air pavilion (no walls) with roof overhead. Smooth concrete floor.
Masks: NOT required, but please wear a mask if you feel more comfortable that way.
Food & Drink: Bring your own FILLED water bottle(s) and your own snacks. There is no water source on-site.
Trash: Carry out your own trash. No trash cans on-site.
Bathrooms: On-site portolets in the parking lot, which is a few minutes’ walk from the dance venue/pavilion.
Sanitation: Pump bottle hand sanitizer will be available.
Weather Cancellation: Rain and wind could lead us to cancel the dance; we’d email you that morning if we need to cancel.
Waiver: On-site, we ask that you read, complete, and sign a hardcopy waiver. If you’d like to see it beforehand, email Val (address above).

*****************************************
I don’t expect to routinely advertise other dances in this newsletter, but as dance series re-start these days, I’m listing these in this newsletter.

New Grange furnace! Restarting the contra dance!

April 18, 2022 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) April 14, 2022

Springtime brings new life–including a revived contra dance series

We’re pleased to report that the Montpelier Contra Dance series which has been happening at the Grange since about 1983 will be holding its first dance since March 7, 2020 on this Saturday, April 16th, from 8 to 11:00 PM!
With the close contact, aerobic exercise and continual exposure to new people that are part of this social dance, the Montpelier Contra Dance organizing committee has wanted to feel confident that it will be relatively safe to bring people back together. In the words of the official announcement: “Contra dancing is joyful and community oriented — and it always involves some risk. We are requiring that all dancers wear masks and be fully vaccinated to help keep our dance safer while COVID is still afoot. We ask for your help and cooperation with these extra safety measures.”
Those who plan to come are asked to pre-register online, using a simple form at: forms.gle/W5psYUwPBCrjXLsHA. This will allow a photo of your vaccine card to be uploaded, and will collect a phone number or email address to allow contact-tracing. You can see all the information about the dance, how to pre-register and what to expect at: http://capitalcitygrange.org/dancing/contradancing/. Walk-ins will be welcome too, but it will be faster if you pre-register.
Calling and music will be provided by a sampling of Vermont’s many talented people:
Calling: Mary Wesley, Adina Gordon, Luke Donforth, Will Mentor and Don Stratton!
Musicians: Pete Sutherland, Oliver Scanlon and Friends, including Cedar Stanistreet, Tom Mackenzie, Rose Jackson and part of the Young Tradition VT touring group!
Sound by: Oliver Scanlon and Cedar Stanistreet!
More dances are planned for May 7, May 21, June 4 and June 18. The organizing committee will be evaluating how things went, and the public health situation as time goes on, so please keep in touch via the contra dancing page linked above, and the Montpelier Contra Dance Facebook page. I don’t usually announce the dance series in this newsletter; if you want regular reminders, please send an email to: cdu.tim@gmail.com.

Prepping for the pellet bin!

Creating a flat spot for the outdoor pellet bin turned out to be a bit of a project. As seen in the pictures below, the flower bed to the left of the original entrance was too small, so I built a retaining wall with landscape timbers, and with the help of a couple of volunteers, filled it with sand and gravel from the piles scraped up by the snowplow, tamping it down between layers.

Spring is also bringing a new furnace to the Grange Hall!

Just as they promised, the crew from Bourne’s Energy began installation on Monday, April 11th. As I write this on April 14th, the pellet bin is being assembled outside, and the furnace ductwork is being assembled inside. Our old furnace and the emptied oil tank have been removed. A new stainless steel chimney liner is about to be installed, and pellets are supposed to be delivered tomorrow morning. See below for a few in-process pictures.
We understand clearly that the lack of a heating system other than half a dozen electric heaters has been hard on Hall users since the furnace was shut down on March 2nd. We greatly appreciate the understanding shown by the people who use the Hall during this ordeal. We look forward to getting past this difficult time, getting everyone used to being warm in the Grange Hall–and not getting any more $600 electric bills like the one we received recently.

Pellet furnace–installation scheduled!

March 31, 2022 by Tova

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) March 30, 2022

We’re getting off fossil-fuel heating! Installation starts April 11th!

With great help from very low-interest financing offered by the VT State Grange, we have been able to place our order for an “Auto Pellet Air furnace”, distributed by Maine Energy Systems, and sold by Bourne’s Energy.
This advanced pellet-burning furnace will be quite different from pellet stoves that many people have.    Unlike them, no one will have to lug bags of pellets to dump into the furnace. Nor will anyone have to scrape out the ashes.   Pellets will be delivered by a bulk truck (like the one shown above).   Pellets will be blown into an outdoor bin, like the one in the top right photo above.   They will be fed automatically from the bin to the furnace (like the one in the top left photo) in the basement using airflow also.   And the ashes get pushed out of the bottom of the combustion chamber into the box at the lower right of the furnace.   It’s easy to dump the cold ashes into a trash bag for disposal every few weeks, with amazingly little dust.
The reason I can speak with some authority about the operation of the pellet furnace is that Merry and I have used one for heating our house for the last 9 years, and have found it very reliable, and requiring minimal care.
The pellet bin will be installed on pre-cast concrete pads, in the flower-bed to the left of the old entrance.   We are also having a stainless steel liner installed in the existing chimney, as required for this heating system. The furnace will connect to the existing duct work, operating a 2-zone system for the two floors, similar to our existing system. The same WiFi thermostats will control the system, too.
The earliest date we could get for Bourne’s to start the installation is April 11th.   We have had great understanding from the many folks who rent the Grange Hall for rehearsals, celebrations, meetings and more during this time with no heating system; only a few have canceled their events during this time.   We will be asking them to endure a little longer as we get the system installed. But we can now expect our new heating system to last for decades!
We see many positives from this decision:

Reducing our carbon-dioxide footprint, by heating with a renewable fuel.
Purchasing a locally-grown product, rather than one imported from thousands of miles away. Pellet production and transportation provides jobs for people in this region, too!
Having a secure supply source, not affected by international disputes.
Cheaper, and more stable fuel prices. Wood pellets do not fluctuate in sync with oil prices. Merry’s and my pellet costs have risen by only 18% since 2013, a lot less than oil! The Grange expects to save at least $800 per year, based on the current price differential.
And we will be getting a $6,000 rebate from Efficiency Vermont!

Next meeting April 2

Our meeting on April 2nd will be short–just from 4:30 to 5:00 PM. I’m sure we’ll have quite a bit of discussion of the new system, the loan from the State Grange, plus plans for FCCGH projects coming up. If you’re attending by Zoom, you’ll find the link on the Grange Calendar listing for this meeting at: https://bit.ly/3Lu5rSU. Note that this will be a different link than the one for our Program about Community Radio, from 5:00 to 6:00.
We do ask that any unvaccinated people that join us in person for the meeting or Program wear a well-fitting mask. COVID numbers in Washington County are, unfortunately, rising these days. We look forward to when we can open windows and have more fresh air! For this meeting, we’ll be warming up the lower level with the electric heaters, but we suggest wearing an extra layer to the meeting.
Besides the meeting itself, we’ll have time to talk more at the Community Potluck Dinner which we’ll have following the program. See below for a few details on the potluck!

Potluck time again! Join us at 6 PM on April 2nd.

We’ll have another Community Potluck dinner together in the lower level, following the Grange meeting and the Program. As usual, we’ll have no idea what to expect for food–but as usual, we are confident we will have a variety of main courses, salads, soups, breads, beverages, desserts, and much more! The 30 or so people who came to our March potluck shared lots of great food, so come and see what’s on the counters!
We do ask that only people who are vaccinated join us for this event, as we continue to be conservative about our group events–especially when we know we won’t be able to wear masks.

Sing along to celebrate June on the 4th!

The birds aren’t the only ones who are happy to sing