Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), October 3, 2019

Equal Exchange–bringing some of their coffee and tea to drink, and chocolates to sample!

We’re pretty sure all of you who read these Grange Notes eat; the popularity of our monthly potluck dinners reinforces that.   So we are especially pleased to present a program about food, and the food system, and how it can be improved.  This is the first of our alternate month longer programs, and we think the extra time for discussion this will allow is a good fit.   Because we know that people not only like to eat, they have opinions about food, how it is grown, how it is distributed, how much it costs, and its impact on everyone’s life.   Come to the Grange for a presentation and discussion, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, on Saturday, Oct. 5th!

Many of us will have recognized the logo above, which is on quite a few packages of coffee, bulk bins of coffee, packages of chocolate and tea in local co-ops and food stores.   You may know, in general, what “Fairly Traded” means on that label–that the farmers who grew the crops are getting a reasonable return on their labor.  That is because Equal Exchange is set up to guarantee that by dealing directly with the farmers.

What you probably don’t know is the dedicated people behind that label, who jointly own Equal Exchange as a co-operative.  We’re luck to have one of them coming to visit us:

Danielle Robidoux has been an organizer at Equal Exchange for the past 3 years. A long-time food activist with a Masters in International Relations and Economic Development at Umass Boston, Danielle manages a community of 4,000 food activists across the US as part of Equal Exchange’s network. She is co-host of the Equal Exchange podcast The Stories Behind Our Food. Danielle has been one of the main organizers of Equal Exchange’s yearly Summits bringing together producer partners internationally, citizen-consumers, and worker-owners of Equal Exchange to sit around one table and grapple with issues plaguing our food system.

Danielle will be talking to us about the history of Equal Exchange and what they have been doing in the over 30 years they have been in business.  
She will also talk about their wider goals of making changes in the food system.   As part of their mission to improve the lives of farmers around the world, they see the current system as dominated by large corporations–from seeds to fertilizers to agricultural chemicals to marketing and transporting agricultural products to market.  What should change about this sort of dominance?   What can be done to change it?   Come on Saturday and let’s talk about it with someone who is directly involved in making changes.

Fun fact:  one of the major campaigns of the Grange, after its founding in 1867 was using the power of rural people united in the Grange to challenge the power of the railroads in transporting their harvests and controlling prices for transport and sale.   We’re going back to our roots with this issue!   Equal Exchange:  This organization was founded 30 years ago, to make “a closer connection between people and the farmers we all rely on”.   The 3 founders wanted to provide “fairness to farmers” by removing many of the middlemen, providing fair, direct payment to the people who produce the food, rather than profits to those who just pass it on. They work with democratically run farmer co-ops, purchasing coffee beans, cocoa and tea directly.  Equal Exchange, a cooperatively run, worker owned business itself, processes, packages and distributes the fairly-traded products to food co-0ps and other customers in the United States. Equal Exchange U.S. partners with Equal Exhange U.K., La Siembre (Canada), and Oke USA, which imports fair-trade bananas. For more information about all of these organizations, visit equalexchange.coop. Come to the presentation by Danielle Robidoux to ask questions and learn more!

And after the discussion…a potluck dinner!

In keeping with our theme of food, we encourage you to join us after the presentation by Danielle, for a Community Potluck dinner.  Our post-Grange meeting potlucks have drawn a lot of people to share a lot of food over the years.   Bring a dish to share (you can heat it up in our microwave or ovens in the kitchen downstairs), or a salad, beverage, chips, bread, cheese, dips, or whatever you’d like to–we generally have a good variety for all parts of the meal, and it’s all delicious.
Since you need to eat dinner anyway, make it a social occasion with your friends, neighbors and people you haven’t met yet.   We have all the plates, bowls and utensils we need–we wash the dishes together afterwards too.  Hope to see you there!

And starting a little later….the Fun-Raiser!  see more info (and more food) below.

Reminder:  Challenge Fun-raiser:  finishing up on Oct. 5th!     

This Saturday evening, we hope you will join the CDU and the dance community to support the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall.  The Oct. 5th dance will be the finale of this year’s “Challenge” fundraiser to raise money for improvements to the Grange Hall.  The Friends have gotten some very dedicated contributors to pledge  $2,000 this year, for the Grange and dance communities to match.
     If you don’t know the Friends, you should know at least the initials which you can put on your donation check:  FCCGH.  You should know that your contributions are tax-deductible, since it’s a 501(c)(3) organization.  And you should know that the Friends is not only non-profit, it’s all-volunteer–and all-dedicated to helping the Grange to renovate and improve the Grange Hall, which so many community members and organizations enjoy.
     The work of the FCCGH has brought us a new dance floor in 2012, new windows, new fire exits and bathrooms in 2014 & 2015, all through grants which the Friends have gotten.   This year, a grant from the VT Arts Council will finance a major renovation of the lower level, with water-leak remediation, wall and rim-joist insulation, a dehumidifier, new walls, ceiling panels and carpet tiles.   The Friends have to match the grant funding, though!
     Every dollar the Fun-Raiser brings in will go to renovation projects like these, that make the Grange stronger, more attractive, more sustainable and less expensive to maintain.
     We try to make donating a fun experience–without raising the price for the dance, this especially festive Fun-Raiser Finale at the Oct. 5th dance will feature holiday lights, a tote-board to watch the donations mount, and a great “dessert potluck” at the break.  The treats will feature Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and lots of tasty home-made sweet and savory snacks–contact Dana Dwinell-Yardley if you want to bring in a dessert, or just bring it in…and drop off a few bucks as you sample from the spread.  There are a couple of pictures from last year below, showing the hunger and enthusiasm of the crowd!

     Also, Rob Nichols, who has been a very dedicated supporter, will bring in even more of the lovely house-plants he has raised at his home.   He raises them just to give them away to donors at this fund-raiser finale!    I’ve put a picture of some examples from last year below as well.  Feel free to donate even more than Rob’s suggested contribution levels!
     Future projectsfor the FCCGH will include more hall improvements–for both sets of entry doors, even better acoustics, a wheelchair lift to the basement and stage, heating system upgrades and more.  You can bring cash or checks to the dances, or donate online, with your credit card or Paypal account–we try to make it easy!
The Grange and the Friends keep improving with everyone’s help!  Learn more at the Grange Website.

Baking workshop coming in November:  Sweet Treats the Quebecois way      

You can find out  how to make Poor Man’s Pudding without being poor, and Nun’s Farts, even if you don’t have a nun handy, at the next Grange kitchen workshop.
Mark your calendars, and sign up soon–Nov. 9th from 1:00 to 4:30 will be your chance to learn the arts of Quebecois holiday treats, and to enjoy eating them too!  Jacinthe Pellerin, who came to our previous Indian Cooking workshops will be the teacher, and everyone gets to pitch in.  Space will be limited to 12 people!  Suggested donation of $20.00, to cover the costs of the workshop.
     To reserve your place, please email rentals@capitalcitygrange.org, or leave a message with name, phone number & email address on the Grange phone voicemail:  802-229-9425.    

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) September 25, 2019

Happy Fall to all!  We enjoy a good harvest of crops, potluck dinners and discussion.

As cooler, drier weather comes in, like lots of Vermonters the Grange is getting ready for colder weather–and we are enjoying the bounty of the season at our dinners together.   The September meeting on the 21st, which was delayed to avoid conflicts with the State Grange Fall Festival (see the photo below) let us catch up on summer news, and was followed by an outdoor Community Potluck dinner on the ADA entrance porch.   We enjoyed the usual wide and tasty variety of home-made dishes, including several with home-grown ingredents.   More can be expected at the potluck after our next meeting on October 5th. 

The October meeting will also be the first of our “extended program” meetings, starting with a Grange Executive meeting from 4:30 to 5:00 (still open to everyone, but limited to business matters and held without the Grange ritual), followed by an hour-long presentation by a member of Equal Exchange, the cooperatively run non-profit food importer which helped start the Fair Trade food movement–see below for more.   We (and the presenter) expect lots of questions and discussion from Grange members & friends, and we welcome new folks to join us!

That presentation and discussion will be followed by a Community Potluck–we can hope for more outdoor-eating weather, but will be prepared to set up our tables indoors.  Harvest-time bounty should be part of lots of dishes by then–as well as surrounding fall foliage.

Our September meeting also welcomed a new member, Carl Etnier, who is taking over the duties of scheduling programs from Marj Power, who has held the Grange position of Lecturer since 2006.   Marj brought in many good speakers over the years–ranging from Dr. Deb Richter and Rep. Topper McFaun on Universal Health Care, to Town Forests and their importance, to Everybody Wins, to the Vermont Milk Co., to one discussing the dangers of “No Child Left Behind” and its emphasis on standardized testing.  As Marj has taken on more responsibilities at the Old Socialist Labor Hall in Barre, and acquired grandchildren, she has been looking for some relief in her Grange responsibilities.  She expressed only enthusiasm for the choice of Carl as her replacement as Lecturer.
Carl is a well-known advocate for local, sustainable agriculture, for bicycle commuting, columns in VT Digger, the Times-Argus and others over the years.   He’s on the East Montpelier Selectboard, too.   One of his major involvements is with WGDR, where he has hosts the “Relocalizing Vermont” radio show on Thursdays, 9:00 to 10:30.  He will be able to use this show as part of publicizing the programs at the Grange.   We’re glad to have him on board!  We will do a “New Member Obligation” ceremony to welcome him to the Grange at our November meeting.

New research on daily steps was also revealed at our September meeting, by our “Health” specialist, RN Phyllis Skinner.   She reported that researchers have explored the benefits of the “10,000 steps” usually recommended.  Using actual human beings, they found that “substantial benefits” for cardiac health came from 4,400 steps per day, and that benefits “topped out” at 7,500.   In some ways the most interesting finding is that the 10,000 recommendation came from Japanese makers of a pedometer…and that the character for “10,000” resembles a person walking, making that number a good selling point

Equal Exchange–building bridges to the people who grow the food

As noted above, this is the first of our “expanded programs”, from 5:00 to 6:00 on Oct. 5th.   The public is invited to join us!

In the wider food system corporations control everything from seeds, to supply and prices. Join Danielle Robidoux from Equal Exchange in building a vibrant community that challenges the status quo, and business as usual. There will be a short presentation on Equal Exchange’s  organizing work, the steps that have led us here, and how you can get involved in imagining a better food system. Our event will focus on discussion and how your participation as an individual is integral to this work in building a successful alternative trade organization for years to come.   Bio: Danielle Robidoux has been an organizer at Equal Exchange for the past 3 years. A long-time food activist with a Masters in International Relations and Economic Development at Umass Boston, Danielle manages a community of 4,000 food activists across the US as part of Equal Exchange’s network. She is co-host of the Equal Exchange podcast The Stories Behind Our Food. Danielle has been one of the main organizers of Equal Exchange’s yearly Summits bringing together producer partners internationally, citizen-consumers, and worker-owners of Equal Exchange to sit around one table and grapple with issues plaguing our food system.   Equal Exchange:  This organization was founded 30 years ago, to make “a closer connection between people and the farmers we all rely on”.   The 3 founders wanted to provide “fairness to farmers” by removing many of the middlemen, providing fair, direct payment to the people who produce the food, rather than profits to those who just pass it on. They work with democratically run farmer co-ops, purchasing coffee beans, cocoa and tea directly.  Equal Exchange, a cooperatively run, worker owned business itself, processes, packages and distributes the fairly-traded products to food co-0ps and other customers in the United States. Equal Exchange U.S. partners with Equal Exhange U.K., La Siembre (Canada), and Oke USA, which imports fair-trade bananas. For more information about all of these organizations, visit equalexchange.coop. Come to the presentation by Danielle Robidoux to ask questions and learn more!

Find out how she felt….at the Wool Festival 

The annual Wool Festival, at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds, on Oct. 5 and 6 will feature art work made on rectangles of felt.   The picture above shows one made by Grange Chaplain Alison Forrest, who is a weaver, knitter and fiber artist, among other skills.   Her work will be part of a display of over 20 artists’ work based on the same size rectangle of felt.
In addition, the festival will feature wool in all forms–on actual sheep and goats, fleeces, yarn, felted, spun and fiber-artistically arranged.  There will be over 70 vendors of food, wool products, shearing tools and much more.   Demonstrations of sheep-herding & shearing!  Willow basket weaving!  The list goes on…check it all out at the Wool Festival website, and when you go, remember to look for Alison’s artwork!

Basement Improvement project: coming in December!

The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, besides raising money with our Challenge Fun-Raiser (see below) is also getting the schedule for the work to be done figured out.
At this point, it looks as if we will start in mid-December, just after Kids Trade & Play finishes their Dec. 14th clothing exchange.  The first batch of work–Northern Basements installing interior drainage, sump & sump pump with outside drain, plus dehumidifier–will get done before the Dec. 21st contra dance.  Dancers will be able to use the basement for coat and shoe changing, plus access to the bathrooms, of course!   After that weekend, Northern Basements will come back in and install the foam panels on the walls, and foam the rim joists.  While we need to keep the Grange Hall vacant for 24 hours after the foaming, there should be no lingering fumes to speak of.
After that, the most disruptive work will be done–but lots left to do.   Electrical rough-in, sheetrocking, joint-compound work, fiber-glass reinforced panels (FRPs) to be installed over the sheetrock to provide durable, easy-to-clean surfaces, ceiling panels to be installed, carpet tiles to be put down–and other trim, painting and miscellaneous carpentry.   We expect to be able to schedule these without significant disruption of the many groups that call the Grange Hall “home”.  
In the end, we’ll have a much more attractive and comfortable downstairs level, ready for even more activities.  
We are going to need volunteersto do painting, help moving sheetrock and FRPs into the building, etc.   If you can help out, please email me, Tim Swartz, and let me know!  It will be especially helpful if you have time on weekdays to help unload deliveries, but we will need a variety of help.    More specifics to come as we figure out the whole schedule.

Challenge Fun-raiser:  the excitement builds to a peak on Oct. 5th!

By now, we are pretty sure you know that every year, the CDU joins with the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall to raise money for improvements to the Grange Hall.  Generous folks who can afford it have pledged nearly $2,000 this year, for the Grange and dance communities to match.
We suspect you already know who the Friends are, even if it’s only the initials:  FCCGH.  You likely know that your contributions are tax-deductible, even, since it’s a 501(c)(3) organization.  And we hope that you enjoy–as we do–the improvements the Friends have carried out.   If you’re a Grange Hall user, you enjoy acoustic improvements in the main Hall, the bathrooms, the “new” dance floor, and the windows upstairs and down…and soon, a renovated basement which will also save us money on our heating bills.
Since every penny goes to support these improvements, we hope you will pitch in with the many others who help us get the funds raised.

We try to make it a fun experience–without raising the price for the dance, we are holding an especially festive Fun-Raiser Finale at the Oct. 5th dance.   There, the excitement will  mount as the tote board shows our progress to match the challenge donations.  There will be a great “dessert potluck” at the break, including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and lots of tasty home-made treats–contact Dana Dwinell-Yardley if you want to bring in a dessert…and drop off a few bucks as you sample from the spread.  There are a couple of pictures from last year below, showing the hunger and enthusiasm of the crowd!

Also, all during September, people have been donating in exchange for the beautiful house-plants grown by Rob Nichols, who has been a very dedicated supporter, raising plants at his home and bringing them in.    I’ve put a picture of some examples from last year below as well.  Feel free to donate even more than Rob’s suggested contribution levels!
All the donations go to meet the challenge, and will be used for more hall improvements–we’re looking at door improvements, acoustic improvements, a wheelchair lift to the basement and stage, and more.  You can bring cash or checks to the dances, or donate online, with your credit card or Paypal account–we try to make it easy!
The Grange and the Friends keep improving with everyone’s help!  Learn more at the Grange Website.

Music-making at the Fall Festival

Many thanks to Robin Russell, who put together a very talented group of musicians to play for some dancing at the VT State Grange Fall Festival, on Sept. 7th.   From the left, the stage was full of:  Carl Ellis (harmonica), Mike Fiorillo (guitar), David Carpenter (fiddle), Jason Bergman (fiddle), April Werner (piano) and Robin (accordion).  When she wasn’t playing, Robin led the dancing on the floor–though we had a small turnout of dancers, we all had a fun time!
Next year, we’re talking about holding the dancing in the afternoon, when folks have more energy, I’ll spread the word when the time comes.

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), September 6, 2019

September meeting & potluck:  3rd Saturday this month

Regular Grange meetings start up again in September, on the third Saturday, Sept. 21st.  I’m shifting the meeting from the first Saturday because the VT State Grange is having its Fall Festival on Sept. 7th–and will be holding their own contra dance that evening, at the Grange Center in Brookfield!  I’m hoping some Capital City Grange dancers will join me to dance with the State Grange members, at the VT State Grange summer camp, in Brookfield on Sept. 7th.  Get in touch with me if you can join us.  The dance will be starting about 7:30 PM; the VT State Grange Center is at 308 West St., Brookfield VT  05036.  Robin Russell will be calling, with music by David Carpenter (fiddle) and April Werner (piano), plus other “sit-in” musicians.

Our September meeting on the 21st will be a “regular” meeting, as we start our new schedule alternating regular Grange meetings with extended programs.  We’ll have the first of those on October 5th; it will include a shortened “Executive Meeting” from 4:30 to 5:00, followed by a program from 5-6:00, with more time to have questions and discussion.  We will spread the news about the specific program as soon as we have it confirmed.
And the next Community Potluck Dinner will be on Sept. 21st, starting at 6:00! 

Arts Council grant approval–planning

The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall are hard at work, doing the detailed planning that will get us started on using the grant support for our “Second Stage” project.   Regular readers of these Grange Notes will remember that the FCCGH got approval for our grant proposal on the second try, with notification in early August.   This project will be a major upgrade for an under-utilized part of our Grange Hall–the basement level, which stays cold in the winter, and has moisture problems including fairly regular water-leaks through the foundation, and mildew, especially in the summer. A major component of our project is the improvements to indoor air quality to eliminate moisture and mildew, as well as insulating our concrete walls and the rim joists above them, for significant savings in our heating bills.
The FCCGH will be meeting with contractors next week, to figure out the exact scheduling for the work that will happen, starting in 2019 and finishing up next year.  We are working on ways to get the work done with minimal disruption for Grange Hall renters.  One example–insulating the stairway, and installing the new, durable & cleanable wall surfaces will require temporary removal of the landing and lower stairs.   That will be one impact, which we’ll minimize by getting that part done quickly. 
We’re also going to be doing more detailed design for the best ways to create warm and welcoming spaces downstairs.   We plan to include a smaller “Second Stage” in the alcove next to the kitchen, which we think will be attractive for meetings and performances that don’t need the upstairs hall, or will be more intimate and comfortable in a smaller space.  See the drawing below for more specifics on the project, and the Second Stage space.

We will also be looking for volunteer help–the grant requires  contributions from the grantees equal to the grant amount, in dollars and in-kind contributions including volunteer labor.  We’ll be looking for help removing ceiling tiles and supports around the outside walls, where the new insulation and wall surfaces will be installed, for example, plus painting of newly constructed trim and wall surfaces.  We will also replace all the old ceiling tiles with new, more attractive ones.  We will welcome volunteers for both skilled and unskilled work.  Please contact me if you’re interested in being on the list when the time comes!

It’s Challenge Fun-raiser time!

Every year, the CDU joins with the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall to raise money for improvements to the Grange Hall.  Generous folks who can afford it have pledged nearly $2,000 this year, for the Grange and dance communities to match.
The FCCGH is the 501(c)(3) group that partners with the Grange to plan, fund-raise for and carry out projects.  In past years, they have replaced the floor in the dance hall, upgraded all the windows, and built new bathrooms and fire exits.  They’ve also put up acoustic panels in the Hall to improve the sound clarity!   This is all in addition to the upcoming project discussed above.
How did we raise the money to match the grant money for this project, and the others the Friends have carried through?   By asking for contributions from all the people who use the Grange Hall, and the organizations that call it home!
All during September, the FCCGH will be collecting tax-deductible contributions, culminating in an especially festive Fun-Raiser Finale at the Oct. 5th dance.   There, the excitement will  mount as the tote board shows our progress to match the challenge donations.  There will be a great “dessert potluck” at the break, including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and lots of tasty home-made treats–contact Dana Dwinell-Yardley if you want to contribute to that!
During September, you’ll also have the opportunity to donate in exchange for the beautiful house-plants grown by Rob Nichols–see below for examples from last year.
All the donations go to meet the challenge, and will be used for more hall improvements–we’re looking at door improvements, acoustic improvements, a wheelchair lift to the basement and stage, and more.  You can bring cash or checks to the dances, or donate online.  All contributions can be tax deductible!
The Grange and the Friends keep improving with everyone’s help!  Learn more at the Grange Website.

Kids Trade and Play:  Saturday, Sept. 14th!

CCG’s monthly clothing and gear exchange for kids–not to mention social exchange for parents–will be happening Saturday, September 14th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM.  Before the opening, lead organizer Erin Barry and her volunteer crew will have sorted the large amount of clean, ready-to-wear clothing for kids, infant to Junior size, plus shoes, into bins covering all the cafeteria tables, and will have literally hundreds of toys set out.   Families can take anything they want!   Snacks, coffee and information about local support services for families are also provided.
Erin charges $3.00 per family to cover overhead costs, but no one is turned away.   This is also the only time when donations are welcomed–there will be volunteers to sort and store them.  Please don’t leave donations at the Grange otherwise!   If you have questions about donating or anything else, contact Erin at birthsinnerlight@yahoo.com.

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), August 7, 2019

Good news about our grant!  VT Arts Council says YES!

A couple of us had a hard time keeping quiet at the Grange cook-out/picnic on Saturday, as we had just gotten the news.   But the Arts Council asked us to keep it private until the public announcement on Tuesday.
The grant proposal we submitted at the end of April has been approved!  Our project to improve the basement level of our Grange Hall, which we called the “Second Stage” project in the grant application, will be a major upgrade for an under-utilized part of our Grange Hall.  A major component is the improvements to indoor air quality, eliminating the moisture and mildew we now have.
The Second Stage project was designed and by the “Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall”, or FCCGH.   As many of you know, the FCCGH, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was organized in 2011, as a way for the people who love the Grange Hall to help improve the physical plant, by helping with improvements, applying for grants, and allowing contributors the opportunity to get tax deductions.  The Friends work closely with the Grange and those who use it to make strategic improvements which will enhance the functioning of the Hall, and make it even more usable as a community resource.
In this case, we saw a “missing link” in our building–except for the bathrooms, rebuilt in 2015 through another FCCGH project–the basement level has remained largely as it did when it was built in 1953.  Poured concrete walls, uninsulated, let out the heat in the winter, and remain chilly in the summer.   Largely unventilated, the cold basement walls create condensation in the summer months, leading to a musty smell and mildew on the walls.   Occasional leakage through the foundation puts liquid water on the floor when large rainstorms happen–in both winter and summer.  This leads to paint failure on the floor, as well as even more humidity.  All in all, it’s been hard to get excited about holding events downstairs.  
So, we came up with plans, starting a couple of years ago.   We applied for a grant for a similar project in 2018, but were not funded–but the Arts Council told us they liked the project, but did not have the budget that year–they encouraged us to apply again.   So we did!  We emphasized the potential for arts uses in the renovated lower level, and did a better job presenting the benefits to the whole Hall–and it paid off! 
Here’s a link to the Arts Council press release announcing the grants.  We very much appreciate their support in helping us improve our air quality and the habitability of the lower level!

So what is the project? 

In a nutshell, we will insulate and upgrade the whole downstairs, ending up with a warmer, more cleanable and flexible space that will be welcoming and comfortable for a wide range of events.  Here are the specifics: 

1. Insulation of the rim joists above the dropped ceiling with foam will seal air leaks as well as providing about R13 insulation, around the whole basement.
2. Insulation of the poured concrete walls with foam panels, with framing for finish panels to attach.  The only wall area we won’t insulate now is in the kitchen, which will be a future project.  About R13 insulation value, this will isolate the concrete walls so they don’t suck heat from the interior space, and cause condensation and mildew.
3. Wall panels will cover the foam panels–“Fiberglass Reinforced Panels” or FRPs on top of 5/8″ fire-code sheetrock.   Light colored, cleanable, durable surfaces will make the whole downstairs welcoming and attractive. 
4. Interior drainage will direct any leaks through the walls into an interior sump with automatic sump pump which will pump any water to an exterior drain.
5. Commercial dehumidifier will keep the air in the whole basement dry, draining to the same sump and drain.
6. New electric receptacles on the exterior walls will allow people to charge devices and plug in equipment like projectors for training sessions.
7. New carpet tiles on the entire floor, except the kitchen and bathrooms, will make for a warmer and more attractive floor.  Tiles allow selective replacement in high-traffic areas.
8. New ceiling tiles in the dropped ceiling will replace the dingy, damaged panels we now have.
9. Stairwell improvements will include insulated walls and new panels, plus new, commercial carpet runners and landing, helping to remove outdoor dirt and rain water before it gets tracked into the rest of the Hall.
10. Small events space will be available in the “alcove” between the kitchen and the rear fire exit stairway.  We plan to provide performance and meeting space for groups who don’t want to use the large upstairs Hall.    This will provide the “Second Stage” of the grant title.

The whole project will cost about $54,000; the grant will cover half of the cost.  The Friends have raised over $22,000, and the Capital City Grange has pledged $5,000 for this project.   The Friends annual “Challenge Match Fun-raiser” will take place in September, culminating in a celebratory dance on October 5th.   In past years, this has raised $3-4,000, as Grange community members put in their “buckage” to match a “Challenge” amount raised from especially generous individuals who pledge $100 or more each.  The Friends can’t do this great work without the contributions from many people!

The whole project will cost about $54,000; the grant will cover half of the cost.  The Friends have raised over $22,000, and the Capital City Grange has pledged $5,000 for this project.   The Friends annual “Challenge Match Fun-raiser” will take place in September, culminating in a celebratory dance on October 5th.   In past years, this has raised $3-4,000, as Grange community members put in their “buckage” to match a “Challenge” amount raised from especially generous individuals who pledge $100 or more each.  The Friends can’t do this great work without the contributions from many people!

What happens next?

The Friends will be meeting to plan an exact timetable.   In general, we hope to get the interior drain and stairwell insulation done before the end of the year, with the remainder of the work done in early 2020.
Since the grant money will not be given to us until after the successful completion of the project, we will be asking the VT State Grange for a “construction bridge loan” so we can pay our contractors and suppliers in a timely manner.  The VSG has been very generous in helping us with past projects in this way.  We have paid them back on schedule, so we are very hopeful they will help us out again.
We will be asking for volunteer help for parts of the project, part of the “in-kind” matching of the grant funds.   Things like removal of the dropped ceiling around the edges, replacing ceiling tiles, painting, and other tasks can be done by people who want to be part of the improvement projects.  We’ll spread the word when we firm up the plans.   One of our goals is to disrupt the scheduled uses of the Grange Hall as little as possible.
In the end, we expect to have a comfortable, good-looking and easy to maintain space downstairs, to go along with our beautiful upstairs Hall.  Once again, we thank everyone who has contributed time to all the projects to maintain and improve our Grange Hall, as well as those who have contributed financially.

Picnic time at the Grange

Summertime cookout at the Grange fills up a crowd

We had a great turnout–somewhere around 40 people–and a great variety of summertime food at our August 3rd Grange picnic.  Lead organizer and head chef Alison Forrest, who doubles as Grange Chaplain, put together donations and food she purchased to make a great basic menu, and then the rest of the attendees filled up a couple more tables of side dishes.  The photos above only show a few of the facets of the prep-work, main dishes and potluck donations which made our tables groan under the strain.
And the photos don’t show the many conversations which took place across the tables as people shared food, summer stories and Grange connections.  People didn’t just eat and run, they lingered to talk together–which was one of the goals of this event!   Granges are all about making connections among community members, and strengthening the bonds.   What’s better than building those bonds over fresh and tasty food?

Regular Grange meetings will start up again in September, on the third Saturday, Sept. 21st.  I’m shifting the meeting from the first Saturday because the VT State Grange is having its Fall Festival on Sept. 7th–and will be holding their own contra dance that evening, at the Grange Center in Brookfield!  I’m hoping some Capital City Grange dancers will join me to dance with the State Grange members, at the VT State Grange summer camp, in Brookfield on Sept. 7th.  Get in touch with me if you can join us.
But let’s not think about the end of summer just yet–join us to celebrate the warm weather while it lasts. 

Many thanks to our donors!

We couldn’t have put on this great spread without generous donations.   Great appreciation (in the form of great consumption) was expressed for:

We couldn’t have put on this great spread without generous donations.   Great appreciation (in the form of great consumption) was expressed for:

• Lewis Creek Farm/Hank Bissell for potatoes, beans and cucumbers
• Burnt Rock Farms for tomatoes.
• O Bread Bakery, who made special burger buns from brioche dough, and dinner rolls from baguette dough.
• An anonymous Grange member who donated money for ice cream, because how could it be a summer picnic without ice cream?
• Alison Forrest, who solicited the vegetables, made potato salad, cucumber salad, bean salad–and sliced tomatoes for burgers and general consumption, plus bringing ice cream cones and many other supplies!  She also cooked burgers & dogs on the charcoal grill, supervised helpers and bought the burgers, dogs and other vegetables and ingredients.
• Grange member Charles Mayhood, who helped cut up a lot of the vegetables, during prep & setup time, plus helping to set up tables and chairs.
• Stan Carlson, who showed up early to help with set-up, and then stayed to help with clean-up, along with Ann Pearce.
• Patty Giavara, Grange member and FCCGH chair, who brought a gas grill and flipped veggie-burgers as well as everything else.
• And the many guests who helped with cleanup, as well as bringing more tasty dishes, from deviled eggs to coconut brownies–we had so much good food!

Kids Trade and Play:  This Saturday!

After taking a month off in July, CCG’s monthly clothing and gear exchange for kids–not to mention social exchange for parents–picks back up this Saturday, August 10th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM.  Before the opening, lead organizer Erin Barry and her volunteer crew will have sorted the large amount of clean, ready-to-wear clothing for kids, infant to Junior size, plus shoes, into bins covering all the cafeteria tables, and will have literally hundreds of toys set out.   Families can take anything they want!   Snacks, coffee and information about local support services for families are also provided.
Erin charges $3.00 per family to cover overhead costs, but no one is turned away.   This is also the only time when donations are welcomed–there will be volunteers to sort and store them.  Please don’t leave donations at the Grange otherwise!   If you have questions about donating or anything else, contact Erin at birthsinnerlight@yahoo.com.