Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), February 17, 2020

Lookin’ good and feeling better–finishing steps are happening on our project

Can you help us this Thursday?

Country Floors started prep work for the carpet tiles which will cover the floor today, Monday the 17th.   They expect that by Thursday morning they will have the carpet tiles for the back end of the lower level completed, so that we can move the stored items out of the alcove where they are stored–the shelves for Kids Trade & Play, the cafeteria tables, the folding chairs and other items–onto the carpet tiles.  
      WE NEED HELP to move these items–my 68 year old back can’t do it all!   Please contact me by emailing swartztim15@gmail.com, or phone:  802-225-8921 if you can help, starting at 8:00 AM.  

Now, read on for more info on the project, and other Grange news.

Since the last report…

…at the end of January, the improvements have continued to accumulate.   Contractor Stan Carlson has been hard at work.   I’ve been doing quite a bit as well, and we’ve had help from several volunteers. Paint on the sheetrock, and trim for the windows      With help from Erin Barry, Grange member and organizer of Kids Trade & Play, we got the sheetrock above the fiberglass reinforced panels painted a bright and attractive yellow, which has gotten compliments from everyone who’s commented on it.    We appreciate the color choice made by Patty Giavara and Cynthia Haviland, who worked off a suggestion by Alison Forrest, who organized the re-painting of the upstairs Hall a few years ago.  We like to get decisions on design, colors and other details to involve a variety of input from interested Grange community members, and it pays off.
         With the wall-painting done, Stan was able to put the new trim on the windows, as well as on the stairwell edges.   He installed 1×6 trim screwed to the foam panel “studs”, to make for solid mounting of the new handrails.  As you’ll see below, he’s installed some sturdy and attractive railings.   Before they were installed, they were varnished by Liz Benjamin, Grange member and organizer of Dance, Sing & Jump Around, and also by me.  The stairway trim was painted by Elizabeth Templeton, one of the board members of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, before the railings went up.  After the photo below, Stan also installed a new railing on the opposite side of the stairway, they look great!
      In the middle of all this, we were able to set up Kids Trade & Play on Feb. 8th, and at the end of that event we tucked all of the shelves, the movable tables, the Quarry project props and most other items into the “alcove” next to the kitchen.  Many thanks to the KT&P volunteers, who helped us do that!  The stowing of all that stuff made room for us to receive the new ceiling tiles on Feb. 10th.  Longtime volunteer Kurt Giavara and I spent the next several days installing them in the cafeteria ceiling, and in the kitchen–see the pictures below. Cleaning up for carpet tiles–and for the dancers!       On Friday, Feb. 14th, with the help of Grange member Charles Mayhood and his pickup truck, and CDU member Thomas Weiss, I took 2 loads of old ceiling tiles, old painted trim and other construction debris to the Central VT Landfill, leaving the floor relatively clear to the back wall.  
      Stan is nearing the end of his work on this project, and has moved most of his tools out to make room for the carpet tile installation, which started on Monday, Feb. 17th.  In the pictures below, you can see Thomas Weiss cleaning up the floor before the dance on the 15th.   We appreciate the help from many dancers at the end of that dance to pack away the temporary tables and chairs we put out!

Still lots of ways to help!      

Besides the moving of stored stuff mentioned at the top, we are still in need of help with finishing up.  We are very appreciative of all the volunteers!   And we will still need others to pitch in to get this project done!   Remember, as well as feeling part of the project, your volunteer hours count toward our “match” with the grant from the VT Arts Council, which will fund 50% of the project cost.  Here is the reduced list of volunteer tasks that are still coming up:

• Painting new trim–around the windows the extension jambs need to be carefully “cut-in”, plus the faces of all the trim need painting.   Also the railing support in the stairwell needs to be painted.
• Cleaning up after this work–we will be scheduling a work-day to make sure that the newly refurbished space is clean and as dust-free as we can make it.

       Can you pitch in on some of this work?  What skills do you have that will help?   Please contact me (Tim) via email:  swartztim15@gmail.com and let me know how we can fit you in!  
      We look forward to showing off the renovated basement once it’s done, we are inviting the Senators from Washington County, and Representatives from our district (Washington-1) to join us and representatives from the VT Arts Council for a ceremonial presentation of an oversize, symbolic “check” to the Friends.   We won’t get the actual funds until our final report is submitted–but we want to show our legislative officials how the money the State gives to arts facilities can help a small non-profit community organization like ours.   Grants like these have also helped us renovate our bathrooms, replace our dance floor, build our “new” ADA entrance and the upstairs ADA bathroom, too!  We’ll spread the word when the date is fixed, so you, who contributed money or time to make this happen can be there as well.

What’s your beef?

Or more specifically, what can you do with it?       This year, the Grange cooking contest (the one formerly known as the baking contest) has been morphed by the State Grange Home Ec programmers to be….“What can you make with a pound of ground beef?”.   As usual, our Grange is also willing to consider “What can you make with a pound of plant-based meat?” as an equally valid question.
      On Saturday, March 7th, we’ll find out what our community does in answer to those questions.    There are no other constraints, which opens up a wide world of possibilities, from burgers to chilies to meatballs…we wait with interest!
        This year, our “celebrity judges” include:

• Justin Turcotte, head chef for the Montpelier Senior Center FEAST meals program
• George Gross, owner of Dog River Farm, just down the road from the Grange
• Corinne Stridsberg, assistant town clerk in Berlin, and one who brings good dishes to many of our potluck dinners

We will come up with some prizes for the top 3 contestants, as determined by the judges–but the real prize is bragging rights!   The first place winner will also be asked to repeat their winning dish for the State Grange contest, bringing the chance for real glory!
      We’ll also have our monthly Community Potluck dinner following the judging, so there may be opportunities for us mere mortals to taste the prize-winners, and the other delicious entries and make our own choice of favorite recipe(s).   Put it on your calendar!

Is this the beef:

Or is this the beef:

February program features honest discussions about inevitable choices at the end of life      

The most recent in our alternate-month programs was a heartfelt discussion of the workings of the “medical assistance in dying” which is available to Vermonters, under Act 39, “Patient Choices at End of Life”.  We were joined by Betsy Walkerman, chair of “Patient Choices Vermont”, the organization that developed the bill–and lobbied for its passage for 11 years until it was signed into law in 2013.  Also joining us from Patient Choices was Toni Kaeding, who takes calls from patients and doctors.
      The bill provides a legal process by which Vermonters can request medical aid in dying, if they have been diagnosed as having a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less.   From when the law was passed through June 2019, 52 Vermonters have used this process to end their lives.
       Beyond these facts and statistics, our discussion with Betsy and Toni was much more about questions of how the law’s impact is felt in individual lives.  People in our group of 12 or 15 wanted to know how to open up a dialogue with doctors, when to start the dialogue (answer:  as soon as possible), the impact of dementia on the ability to use the Act 39 process (you must be judged as competent to request the medication, and must be able to administer it yourself), can Patient Choices help with talking to doctors (they have brochures and will respond to doctors who want to know more), and much more.  We heard stories from Betsy and various attendees about their family’s experiences with dying–both positive and painful–and the ways that parents and loved ones have responded.  One participant told us about “Death Cafes” which have been held, as a way for people to get practice talking about what has been a taboo subject.  Perhaps our talk was another approach to the same thing.
       You can read more about this law at the Patient Choices VT Website; there is also access there to the brochures they distributed at the program, and several more items to download–to help in discussions with your family, or with your doctor.  They strongly encourage the use of Advance Directives, regardless of one’s attitudes toward the choice of medical assistance in dying.  I’ll vouch for the Advance Directive process as one that requires you to make conscious choices about what you want to have happen regarding treatment options, and places them in the context of what you want your quality of life to be in your last days.

      Our next program meeting will be the April Grange meeting, on the first Saturday as usual, it will be April 4th.  Stay tuned for an announcement of the topic and speaker(s).

In the midst of winter…flowers!      

On Feb. 8th, following a snowstorm and cold weather, 8 intrepid folks enjoyed the dried flower wreath workshop which Carol Noyes put on at the Grange Hall, while Kids Trade & Play took place downstairs.  Below, the participants show off their creations–fun was had by all!
      Carol provided materials–wreath rings, wire and ribbons, plus flowers (like larkspur, celosia and others), dried grasses and more.  Carol has been involved with the Grange for years, part of the contra dance community, as the first Treasurer of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, and as a main designer for the flower beds around our ADA entrance.   She also donated a lot of the plants for those beds, and helped us plant them!
         Based on the positive response, we expect we’ll do another one of these workshops with Carpol, keep your eye on the Grange Notes, and the Grange Facebook page for announcements!
        And if you have an idea for a workshop, class or other event that would interest the wide variety of folks that know the Grange is a happenin’ place, please contact us and we’ll work with you to set it up!

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), January 27, 2020

Options at the end of life:  a discussion of patient autonomy and your choices under VT Act 39

Do you have a plan for your last days?  We are pleased to invite the public–especially the “Grange Members & Friends” who get these email Grange Notes–to join us next Saturday, Feb. 1st, from 5:00-6:00 PM for a discussion with Betsy Walkerman, President of Patient Choices Vermont, about the options that Vermont residents have to control their final exits–or not!
       In 2013, the VT Legislature passed, and the Governor signed Act 39, “Patient Choices at End of Life”, which provides a legal process by which Vermonters can request medical aid in dying, if they have been diagnosed as having a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less.   The law was the result of over 10 years of lobbying, organized by Dick & Ginny Waters, along with their daughters–one of whom will be our speaker.  You can read in more detail about their reasons for pursuing this law at the Patient Choices VT Website; suffice it to say that their dedication was based on the experiences of their relatives, friends and acquaintances.  The law was also based on the Oregon “Death With Dignity” law, which was put in place by referendum in 1997.  Vermont was the first state in which this type of law was passed by the Legislature.
       In addition to educating Vermont residents about Act 39, Patient Choices VT also provides resources to doctors about how to talk with patients about end-of-life choices–and for patients who want to talk to their doctors.  They provide a “Guide to Advance Care Planning for Dementia” and a “Guide to Medical Decision-Making” to aid in making choices in case of serious illness.
        At our meeting, Betsy Walkerman will share stories about people’s end of life choices, the details of Act 39, including its safeguards for patients, and will take part in a discussion of questions raised by members of the audience.  She is very interested in having the open discussion needed to deal with this sensitive issue.  We invite you to join us–and spread the word to your friends and families.   While the question of making these decisions is not easy, there is no doubt that we will all face them eventually.

Community Potluck dinner after the program!

Join us from 6 to 7:00, after the program.  As usual, we welcome everyone–bring whatever you want:  casseroles, side-dishes, salads, desserts, vegetables, meats, cheese, bread, beverages, chips, candy…
       This is an opportunity to hang out with people you may know as audience members for the program, or people you dance with at the contra dance, or just interesting folks from the community.  And an opportunity to have a good dinner without having to make a whole meal!   Hope we’ll see you there!  Like all Grange events, this is free and open to everyone.  

Feb. 8th:  Dried Flower wreath class

Here’s an opportunity to do something with flowers, even if there is snow–or sleet–outside.   We have arranged with Carol Noyes, owner of Lightfoot Farm in Northfield Falls to do a class on Saturday, Feb. 8th, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM at the Grange Hall.   You can see more photos of Carol’s work on her Lightfoot Farm website.  She also makes and sells teas, jellies, and other items.
      Carol will provide materials–wreath rings, wire and ribbons, plus flowers (like larkspur, celosia and others), dried grasses and more.   She’ll also bring forty years of experience making these sorts of wreaths and other arrangements.   We’re limiting this workshop to 10 participants, so everyone can get personal attention–and at least 5 people have already registered, so don’t hesitate if you want to take part!  Please sign up at the Grange Facebook page event to reserve your spot, or email merrykaysings@gmail.com.  Please plan to bring $10 to cover the material costs  We also ask for a $10 to $20 donation to cover Grange expenses.  
      Carol has been involved with the Grange for years, part of the contra dance community, as the first Treasurer of the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall, and as a main designer for the flower beds around our ADA entrance.   She also donated a lot of the plants, and helped us plant them!

Progress continues on the lower level!

Sheetrock & FRPs!     

When I wrote the last Grange Notes on Jan. 18th, the sheetrock was going up; since that time Stan Carlson has put up all the sheetrock, taped the seams and screw-holes, and put up most of the Fiberglass Reinforced Panels, FRPs for short.   As you can see in the photos above, the panels are covered with a protective film–and as you can see, Stan has written “please don’t remove!” on the film.   This is because one of the next steps is to caulk the seams between the panels.

Trim for the windows & stairwells!    

Another big part of the carpentry work is putting up extension jambs and new trim on all the window openings, and on the stairwells.   Last Friday, I used my “Grange Truck” to pick up a lot of primed, fingerjointed pine and deliver it to the Hall.  Stan and I set it up on tables covered with plastic, and on Saturday Jill Murphy & Lisa Wilson painted all the edges with the finish coat of paint.  This will keep us from needing to “cut-in” the paint on the edges after the trim is up.  The faces of all the trim will be painted after they are nailed in place and the nail-holes are filled.

Still lots of ways to help!       

We are very appreciative of volunteers like Lisa & Jill!   We have been offered a pickup truck for use in carting off the old ceiling panels and other construction debris.   But we will still need others to pitch in to get this project done!   Remember, as well as feeling part of the project, your volunteer hours count toward our “match” with the grant from the VT Arts Council, which will fund 50% of the project cost.  Here are some of the needs that are still coming up:

• Painting above the Fiberglass Reinforced Panels, which will cover the bottom 60″ of the walls.
• Painting new trim–around the windows and on the stairways.  As  noted above, the faces of all the trim will still need to be painted after it’s installed.
• Brushing on varnish on the new hand-rails for the basement stairway–soon!
• Installing new ceiling tiles in the existing grid.  We’ll provide dust-masks!
• Taking the old tiles to the transfer station.
• Moving the furniture for carpet-tile installation–we’ll need to move the tables into the “alcove” space, and the chairs and other smaller items into the kitchen, so that Country Floors will be able to put tiles down in the cafeteria–and then move the tables back into the cafeteria so that they can carpet-tile the alcove.
• Cleaning up after this work–we will be scheduling a work-day to make sure that the newly refurbished space is clean and as dust-free as we can make it.

       Can you pitch in on some of this work?  What skills do you have that will help?   Please contact me (Tim) via email:  swartztim15@gmail.com and let me know how we can fit you in!  
      We look forward to showing off the renovated basement once it’s done, watch for the celebration to be scheduled!

Join us in the work of the Grange!      

It’s the time of year when we reach out to people who are interested in what goes on at the Grange–because you are needed!  Joining the Grange means supporting what we do–and becoming part of it.
     When I talk to people about joining, I frequently get questions like What is our Mission?  Many people don’t know much about this 150 year-old institution.  Here’s what I wrote for the Grange website “About Us” page:
Capital City Grange shares the mission of the National and Vermont State Granges to provide opportunities for all to be part of a community organization, striving to improve the life of rural communities.   At CCG, our special focus is on providing a convenient, affordable and comfortable community hall, that can serve as a meeting place for organizations, families and individuals.  Grange Hall users are those who make our small-town communities companionable, stimulating and interesting, with classes, meetings, church services, dances and much more.  Completely run by volunteers who care about the community in which they live, Capital City Grange welcomes everyone who wants to improve the quality of life in Central Vermont.
      To take part in this mission, a small group of dedicated folks are already members of our Grange.   Everyone who joins the Grange brings their own interests, ideas and opinions, and adds to the activities we take on.  Members come to Grange meetings most of the time, and they are the only ones who can vote–the people who make decisions about things like setting rental rates, spending Grange funds for donations, scheduling Grange special events, voting on Grange resolutions, supporting events like Kids Trade & Play and Dance Sing & Jump Around, and much more.   They are also the people who help us figure out what it means to be a Grange in–now–the decade of the 2020s.   We need you!
       We also need to have Grange members, to keep our Grange alive!   In the worst case, if we ever stop having enough members, we would have to close the CCG–and the VT State Grange would get title to our Grange Hall.   The VSG doesn’t want that to happen–and neither do we!  The Grange has a mission to build bonds among rural communities, for the benefit of all of us.   We’re proud to be part of that, and hope that you will join us to do even more.
       So the bottom line is that we need people to be paid-up and active Grange members.  If you’ve been a member, now is the time to send in your $30.00 annual dues!   If you want to join, we’ll make it easy!    Come to a meeting, bring your check (or cash, even), and we’ll vote you into the membership, unless you’ve really offended us somehow!
      Checks for dues payments, made out to “Capital City Grange”, go to our Secretary: Charles Martin
639 Minister Brook Rd.
Worcester, VT  05682

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), January 18, 2020

A cozier, better lower level for the Grange takes shape

Foam panels, electrical wiring and spray foam

The progress continued since I sent out the last Grange Notes on Dec. 26th.   Northern Basements completed the insulation of the basement, by putting up the rest of the black foam insulation panels (you can see crew-leader Hunter measuring for the stairway panels), and foaming all of the rim-joist areas.    The bottom right picture shows how they got access on the South and North ends, where they drilled 1-1/2″ holes from the outside.   On the long sides, they had to reach over and around heating ducts….but they did what they needed to do!   We have been impressed with their thoroughness in sealing any potential leaks of cold air.   We also appreciated their excellent communication as they moved through the project.  It was clear that they are really motivated to do a good job, asking repeatedly if there is anything they were missing, and looking for ways to make sure all possible air-leaks are sealed up.  
      Since then, electrical contractor Alana Norway (ARJ Electric) has roughed-in the electrical wiring for the new outlets in the walls, and the circuits for the new sump pump and dehumidifier.
      Also, a great crew of volunteers helped Stan Carlson, our carpentry contractor, to move the sheetrock and FRPs down the fire-exit stairs (see pictures below).   Many thanks to Sam Planck, Thomas Begley, Jill Murphy, Kurt Giavara & Dean Grondin for picking them up and bringing them down!  We literally could not have done it without them!
Besides moving the sheetrock….        ….we will have other ways that people can help with this project.  In addition to giving people a chance to help out, volunteer hours count toward our “match” with the grant from the VT Arts Council, which will fund 50% of the project cost.  Here are some of the needs we can foresee:

• Painting above the Fiberglass Reinforced Panels, which will cover the bottom 60″ of the walls.
• Painting new trim–around the windows and on the stairways.  Stan will buy pre-primed lumber, and we can pre-paint the edges before installation, and the faces afterward
• Brushing on varnish on the new hand-rails for the basement stairway.
• Installing new ceiling tiles in the existing grid.
• Taking the old ones to the transfer station.
• Providing a pickup truck for moving the ceiling tiles and other construction debris.
• Moving the furniture for carpet-tile installation–we’ll need to move the tables into the “alcove” space, and the chairs and other smaller items into the kitchen, so that Country Floors will be able to put tiles down in the cafeteria–and then move the tables back into the cafeteria so that they can tile the alcove.
• Cleaning up after this work–we will be scheduling a work-day to make sure that the newly refurbished space is clean and as dust-free as we can make it.

       Can you pitch in on some of this work?  What skills do you have that will help?   Please contact me (Tim) via email:  swartztim15@gmail.com and let me know how we can fit you in!  
      We look forward to showing off the renovated basement once it’s done!

Feb. 1st program:  discuss end-of-life choices, and VT Act 39

The next in our bi-monthly series of programs with discussions will happen on Saturday, Feb. 1st, with Betsy Walkerman, Director of Patient Choices Vermont, an organization which educates Vermonters on medical aid in dying and patient choice.  There will be substantial opportunities for questions and discussion about Act 39, the 2013 bill which set up our current system.  Vermonters are currently allowed–through a legal process–to choose to use a prescription medication to hasten dying.
The organization also promotes use of Advance Directives, conversations with medical practitioners and family about end-of-life decisions, and much more.   Please join the discussion, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM on Saturday, Feb. 1st, followed by a Community Potluck!

Small Grange meeting in January considers rental rates with our “new and improved” Grange Hall

   With freezing precipitation forecast, and cold temperatures, several people were unable to come to our Jan. 7th meeting.  So we had a small-group sing-along, and a good discussion with  the 5 of us present. 
      Merry, Patty, Liz, Mat and I spent time looking at our current policies and rates for renting the Grange Hall, and considering how we may change them.
       A few major considerations guided our discussion:

1. The basement renovations will provide a much-improved space for rental.  The renovations provide insulation and humidity control, plus the new surfaces on floor, walls and ceiling adding to attractiveness and comfort.  The Grange itself  has invested $5,000 from our savings to help the FCCGH fund the project.  We feel that we are quite justified in raising rental rates for this renovated space.
2. Our general building costs have kept rising–especially plowing and sanding for the long winters.   Part of this is increased use leading to needing more snow-removal and sanding; part is increased cost from SR Services.   We have gotten bids for comparison, and they are still a good deal for us–but we pay over $6,000 per year!  Winters recently have featured more “mixed precip” and ice, which have required more sanding of the parking lot and driveway.  Cleaning costs have also gone up, with increased usage.
3. Our increased usage has led to some increases in rental income, but not enough to keep up with costs.
4. We want to keep costs reasonable, to meet the needs of the non-profit community groups, families and classes who make up our renters; we also provide free rentals to Berlin families and organizations (in return for property tax exemption).
5. Storage space has become more of an issue:  with more long-term renters who want to store equipment and supplies, we run out of room–and must consider storage as a benefit that should be paid for as part of the rental cost structure.

      Our discussions ranged across all of these issues, bringing up specific cases, looking at cost increases and the reasons for them, trading our spotty information about the rental costs at other venues that are our competition, and discussing possible scenarios for fairly structuring our rents.
      As we expected, we did not come up with a full-blown plan, but we did set up some research to learn how other venues (the Labor Hall in Barre, the UU Church in Montpelier and others) set up their rents.   Our ad hoc group will meet again to come up with the next version of our rental rates.  Stay tuned!

It’s a new year–and that means it’s time for Grange dues payment

Annual dues for members of the Capital City Grange are $30 per person–and it’s that time of year.  
      We have a small group of dedicated folks who are members of our Grange.   Members come to Grange meetings most of the time, and they are the only voting members–the people who get to make decisions about things like setting rental rates (see above), spending Grange funds for donations, scheduling Grange special events, voting on Grange resolutions, and much more.   They are also the people who help us figure out what it means to be a Grange in–now–the decade of the 2020s.   We need you!
       We also need to have Grange members, to keep our Grange alive!   In the worst case, if we ever stop having enough members, we would have to close the CCG–and the VT State Grange would get title to our Grange Hall.   The VSG doesn’t want that to happen–and neither do we!  The Grange has a mission to build bonds among rural communities, for the benefit of all of us.   We’re proud to be part of that, and hope that you will join us to do even more.
       So the bottom line is that we need people to be paid-up and active Grange members.  If you’ve been a member, now is the time to send in your $30.00 annual dues!   If you want to join, we’ll make it easy!    Come to a meeting, bring your check (or cash, even), and we’ll vote you into the membership, unless you’ve really offended us somehow!
      Checks for dues payments, made out to “Capital City Grange” go to our Secretary: Charles Martin
639 Minister Brook Rd.
Worcester, VT  05682        Or bring them to a Grange meeting on the 1st Saturday of every month.

Dried Flower class with Carol Noyes of Lightfoot Farm!

When it’s cold outside, consider spending some time with flowers–the kind that will last. Carol has been working with plants and flowers for decades, at her small farm in Northfield Falls.   One of her specialties is making arrangements and wreaths out of dried flowers, grasses, seedpods and other natural objects.  You can see more photos on her Lightfoot Farm website.
We have arranged with Carol to do a class on Saturday, Feb. 8th, at the Grange Hall.  Carol will provide materials–wreath rings, wire and ribbons, plus flowers (like larkspur, celosia and others), dried grasses and more.   She’ll also bring forty years of experience making these sorts of wreaths and other arrangements.   We’re limiting this workshop to 10 participants, so everyone can get personal attention.  
If you are interested, please sign up on the Grange Facebook page event to reserve your spot, or email merrykaysings@gmail.com.  Please plan to bring $10 to cover the material costs  We also ask for a $10 to $20 donation to cover Grange expenses.  

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help), December 26, 2019

The basement project is underway!–more details below, but We have one big, (almost) immediate need for help:  moving in sheetrock on Thursday, Jan. 2nd       

We have 44 pieces of sheetrock arriving sometime on the 2nd–we’ll know a more exact time as we get closer–and will need some more folks with stronger backs than mine to help carry it down the fire stairs.  If you can help sometime that day, please contact me, Tim, by email or phone:  802-225-8921!  My 68-year-old back is no longer willing to lift items like these, unfortunately.

Sing-Along brings enthusiastic singers and a variety of songs

A convivial crew gathered for our 3rd annual Holiday Sing-Along just before the longest night of the year began.   Grange Musician Mat Nunnelly accompanied the singers on the Grange piano, and we bounced from one carol to another.  Taylor Nunnelly kept up with projecting lyrics on the big screen, so we were often singing the same words!   We had carols jingle-y and jazzy, dealing with red-nosed reindeer, King Wencelas, and chestnuts, full of fa-la-la-las and good wishes for the new year.
       Singing together–sometimes in a variety of keys–we enjoyed a lot of standard Christmas-time carols, and then got a chance to try out some Hanukkah songs, led by Andrea Soberman.   We are glad to have a variety of types of celebrations to share in our Grange; this ties in so well with fulfilling our core mission of bringing people together to participate in community life–with the accent on participation!
       We were also able to keep kids occupied, if they didn’t want to join in all the singing, thanks to Wendy, Dan and family, who set up crafts tables on the side of the Hall (see photo below).  I would not have imagined that a candy cane could be turned into a reindeer with a red nose if I hadn’t seen it myself!   As usual, it takes a number of people bringing a variety of talents to pull off these events.
      We also collected some warm socks and other items which are being donated to homeless folks who need every bit of warmth; Mat does volunteer work on homelessness among his other commitments!

Boxes–and bags–of plenty go out to folks who need them

Kudos to Merry, who filled up the freezer, boxes and bags with tasty treats to give away!      

On the 19th, Merry was able to meet up with our partners at Capstone Community Action, which runs Head Start for Washington County, who distributed the food.   What is in all those boxes and bags?  Well, a partial list includes: turkeys, pie shells, chocolate pudding mix, whipped cream, canned vegetables, butter, stuffing mix, sparkling cider, pasta, clementines, peanut butter, crackers….and that’s just the beginning!   Merry, who did all the shopping to supplement the items donated by Grange members and Hall users, put together items that will make for fun holiday season dinners (and likely some lunches and breakfasts) for six families with kids.   Capstone found it all too easy to identify six families to receive this bounty, who would not be able to celebrate as many of us are lucky to do at this season. 
       Many thanks to others in addition to Merry, including Jacinthe Pellerin, who donated the stipend we tried to give her for running the Sweet Treats cooking workshop, the Premont extended family, who collected donations at their family Thanksgiving dinner at the Grange Hall, Kids Trade & Play donors, Alison Forrest who decorated boxes and donated food, and other donors whose names I don’t know!   
       If you missed the chance to donate, and want to help out next year, let us know!    If we can expand the amount of food we can donate, we will have no trouble making more families happier at this festive time of year.
       The other thing we need is more folks to help with food buying, sorting and handling–this is not something that Merry can do without help!   Neither Merry nor I is getting any younger, and we have the MRIs of our backs to prove it!  

The Basement Renovation project is underway, right now!

Project carpenter Stan Carlson (hard at work in the top and bottom pix) removed trim, and finally the stair landing, to make things easy for the Northern Basements crew that came in on Monday, the 23rd (see below).   With help from me, Patty & Kurt Giavara, Stan got the outer ceiling panels and old wiring from some previous sound system removed, and plastic hung to contain the dust from jack-hammering for the new drainage channel!

Northern Basements comes in and does it!      

Monday morning, the project truck and trailer from Northern Basements arrived with concrete, gravel, drainage channel, sump, piping, jackhammers, vacuums and a crew to use them.   By late afternoon, their jackhammers had created a space in the floor, exposing the footing, and drainage channel was laid to capture any leaks, draining to a new sump set in the floor.   The sump pump will removenot only groundwater that comes in, but also the condensate from the dehumidifier which will be installed.  They covered the channel with concrete, with a couple of access ports to allow hosing out–if it’s ever needed.
       Today, Thursday, the foam wall-insulating panels are being installed, and Friday will include foaming the rim-joist all the way around, so this has been an exciting week, bringing to fruition nearly two years of planning and fundraising by the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall.   Thanks to everyone who has contributed money, time, expertise and advice for this project! Besides moving the sheetrock….        ….we will have other ways that people can help with this project.  In addition to giving people a chance to help out, volunteer hours count toward our “match” with the grant from the VT Arts Council, which will fund 50% of the project cost.  Here are some of the needs we can foresee:

• Painting above the Fiberglass Reinforced Panels, which will cover the bottom 60″ of the walls.
• Brushing on varnish on the new hand-rails for the basement stairway.
• Installing new ceiling tiles in the existing grid.
• Taking the old ones to the transfer station.
• Providing a pickup truck for moving the ceiling tiles and other construction debris.
• Cleaning up after this work–we will be scheduling a work-day to make sure that the newly refurbished space is clean and as dust-free as we can make it.

       Can you pitch in on some of this work?  What skills do you have that will help?   Please contact me (Tim) via email:  swartztim15@gmail.com and let me know how we can fit you in!  

Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) December 13, 2019

The shortest day may be coming, but that doesn’t mean we stop getting together      

December 21st will mean that the sun goes down early, but we choose to use that as an excuse to get together and sing, rather bewailing the lack of sunlight.  Please join us for an afternoon Holiday Sing-Along on Dec. 21st, from 4:00 to 5:30, followed by a bonus Community Potluck Dinner, from 5:30 to 7:00!
       We started our holiday sing-alongs on a December afternoon, in a snowstorm a few years ago, when we weren’t sure if anyone would show up–but the people who did were so grateful to have the opportunity to sing some songs together that we decided to make it an annual event.  Last year, we had at least 40 people, with activities for kids, lyrics projected on the screen and cookies to share.
       This year, we’re taking it to the next level, with a sing-along, cookie sharing, and then a potluck dinner for extra socializing.  
       Bring your favorite carols–if we don’t have the lyrics ready, we can find them on-line thanks to the Grange Wi-Fi, and our Grange Musician, Matt Nunnelly will accompany to the best of his considerable ability.   We’ll have a lot of the “standards” ready to go, too.   Previous years have included rousing renditions of songs ranging from Adeste Fidelis to Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, so don’t be shy!  
       And remember, this is singing along, so solos, no auditions and no judgments–which is good news for me and many others who enjoy singing, even if we’re not very good on our own!

Filling up–but still room for more!

We’re pleased to see that donations have come in for our “Holiday Food Boxes”, but we still do better!      

The holidays are fast approaching, and our partners at Washington County Head Start, who have picked out 6 families who need a helping hand to have some special holiday meals, want to pick up the boxes next Thursday, Dec. 19th!  
       A few people who have brought in non-perishable food items have added to the stock in the boxes, but there is still time, if you are coming to the Grange Hall, to drop off anything you want to add.  We have 3 boxes, and 3 donation containers spread around the Hall.
      We have also gotten some generous monetary donations–from Jacinthe Pellerin, who led our “Sweet Treats” baking workshop, and from the Premont extended family, who held a large Thanksgiving dinner in our cafeteria, plus more from Kids Trade & Play.  Using these donations and others, Merry will be doing a shopping trip on the 18th to get more food, particularly perishable items.  She arranged to get 6 turkeys at a sale price, from Shaw’s!   If you haven’t had a chance to contribute, be assured that we value everyone’s contributions, so let us know if you want to pledge some “buckage”, or bring cash or a check to the Hall before the 18th, and we’ll happily increase the amount we can buy!

Dec. 7th meeting gave us “the Dirt on Compost” and a lot more recycled information!

We had another great program in our bi-monthly series, featuring Theron Lay-Sleeper and Dora Chi of Central VT Solid Waste Management District (CVSWMD).   They taught us a lot about ways to reduce our contributions to our landfills, while gaining healthy compost and increasing the quality of our recycling. 
      We talked about a wide range of topics, and they answered a lot of questions; I can’t include it all in these notes, but I’ll pass on a few things that were new to me, after years of “amateur” composting, and recycling for decades:
Composting:

• Improve composting by making big things into small ones–e.g. cutting up banana peels with kitchen scissors.
• Meat scraps, bones, seafood and dairy waste can all be composted–and kept safe from animals–by using a “Green Cone”. It needs to be in fairly full sun to get the solar heat it requires.
• Adding 3 parts “browns”–sawdust, leaves, dried plants” to 1 part “greens”–grass clippings, food waste, etc. will speed up composting.
• Never put florist flowers in compost–they often contain fungicides.
• There are a few commercial composting drop-off places, to which food waste can be taken, if you can’t compost where you live.  Click here for a list for Central VT, compiled by CVSWMD.  There are also tips on what can and can’t go into these commercial composting operations–they can handle more than your backyard pile can!   

Recycling:

• Aluminum foil (cleaned of food) can be recycled–but should be accumulated in a ball at least the size of a baseball to avoid “tangling” in the recycling sorting machinery
• It’s OK to leave plastic caps on bottles for recycling–in fact, if they are loose they will fall through the sorting belts.
• If you do take caps off, they need to be taken to the “Additional Recyclables Collection Center” in Barre, along with other items less than 2″ x 2″–pill bottles, bottle caps, floss containers, and much more can be recycled there, for a small fee.   Plan on sorting your items into individual bins when you go.  For more info on the ARCC click here.  They take an amazing variety of things!
• Black plastic can’t be recycled–the black dye prevents the use of the plastic resin to be used for anything other than black or gray items, so it needs to be discarded.
• The basic mantra for recycling is:  when in doubt, throw it out.   Keeping recycled materials as “pure” as we can is the best way to keep the market paying for recycled materials!

      As I said, this is just a sampling of the information we discussed–we also got into vermiculture composting (worms are amazing processors), the international recycled materials market, and much more.  You can find a lot of information about waste reduction on the CVSWMD website to improve your “waste management” practices.
      Our next “program” will happen on Saturday, Feb. 1st–stay tuned to learn the topic and presenters, presently being finalized by Grange Lecturer Carl Etnier.

Here’s what I heard…      

…from callers, sound-people and musicians at contra dances, about the acoustic panel project which the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall has completed this year:

• What a difference!
• It’s like night & day!
• I don’t have to turn up the band and caller to get them to be heard at the back of the hall!

      These comments came from people who have played, called, or set up sound at the “Montpelier Contra Dance” in years past, and came back recently.  
      I can personally vouch for the improvement in the ease of hearing meeting participants at Grange meetings and programs–there is less “reverb” when there are only a relative few of us in the Hall, as well as when there are 100 to 150 or more for the dances!
      Many thanks to the FCCGH, to the people who have donated to the Friends, making this project possible, as well as the upcoming basement renovations, and other projects!  Also to our volunteers who put together the panels, and hung them on the walls.

Basement renovations:  starting this weekend!

Kids Trade & Play, on Saturday 12/14 will be the last event to be held in the basement, until after the renovation project!   The usual clean-up following that popular event will be a bit different, as Erin Barry and her crew will move the shelves and the many bins into the kitchen, or other locations away from the outside walls.   Stan Carlson, who will be our carpentry contractor, will be starting to do prep-work for the Northern Basements workers who will come in starting Dec. 23rd, to install drainage under the stair-landing and along the East wall of the basement.   NB will also put foam insulating panels on the East, North, West and furnace room walls (except the kitchen on the West wall, and the bathrooms), and will foam the rim-joists all around the basement (except behind the bathroom–that was already done!).   Stan will make sure that there is a safe stairway put back once the insulated panels are done, in case anyone is wondering!  We will make arrangements for the basement to be used for coats and shoe-changing for the contra-dance on Jan. 4th
       Following that work by Northern Basements, our electrician Alana Norway will rough-in the electrical outlets for the outer walls, and the dedicated circuits for the sump-pump and dehumidifier which NB will install.   Then Stan will sheetrock the insulated walls, as required by the Fire Marshal, and put up the “FRPs”–Fiberglass Reinforced Panels–that will protect the walls from damage, and make them easy to clean, too.  He’ll have to re-trim all the windows, among other things, and put up new railings on the main basement staircase.
      By the end of the project, we’ll be replacing all the panels in the dropped ceiling, and having Country Floorsinstall carpet tiles on the entire floor, and a new carpet runner on the stairs.  Our goal is to have that carpet help remove the grit and wet from people’s shoes and boots as they go downstairs.
       All in all, this is a major improvement for our lower level, which we expect will save us significantly on our heating bills as well as making major improvements in the attractiveness of the basement!  Removing moisture from the air with the internal drainage channel and the dehumidifier, along with the insulation of the cold exterior walls will bring a major reduction in the mildew we now have. We hope you are wondering…how can I help with this exciting project?        Besides the generous contributions which many of you have made to the Friends, which help match the grant money we’ll get from the VT Arts Council, we’ll also be needing help with some parts of the project:

• Moving sheetrock from a delivery truck into the basement
• Moving FRPs from a truck into the basement
• Painting above the FRPs, which will cover the bottom 60″ of the walls
• Installing new ceiling panels in the existing grid, and
• Taking the old ones to the transfer station
• Cleaning up after this work–we will be scheduling a work-day to make sure that the newly refurbished space is clean and as dust-free as we can make it.

       Can you pitch in on some of this work?  What skills do you have that will help?   Please contact me (Tim) via email:  swartztim15@gmail.com and let me know how we can fit you in!  

OK, now what’s going on?      

Since you’ve stuck it out this far in these Grange Notes, you will know that our plan is not to flood the basement, but rather to prevent floods with the interior drainage & sump pump…and Hannah has promised not to flood either the Main Hall or the lower level…
      This picture is actually to let you know that our Grange Hall is hosting another arts organization:  Hannah Dennison’s “Quarry Project” dance rehearsals will start taking place in our Hall starting in January.  You can read more about it in this article in 7 Days.  Props for these rehearsals have been stored in our basement for the last couple of months; Grange users have been very good about not disturbing them!   We’ll pass on news about the performance schedule as we get closer to its debut in August of 2020.