Capital City Grange

The Friends have been awarded the grant! Getting closer to new bathrooms and basement exits!

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The Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall got some good news last Friday–the grant application which the FCCGH made to the Vermont Cultural Facilities Coalition has been granted!  The proposal submitted will cover building new bathrooms downstairs, and will modify the fire exits so that the Fire Marshal will increase our legal capacity for people using the lower level.

S0–when does the construction start?  Well, first we have to raise the matching funds–the grant covers 50% of the cost, and must be matched with money raised by the Friends.    This is a project which will cost about $50,000 overall, so it’s a big goal.    And we won’t receive the grant money until the project is successfully completed, and the official report is accepted.   The Friends have a good start on the matching funds, but more will certainly be needed.    Your donation is tax-deductible, and will be greatly appreciated!  You can find the donation forms at the Grange website: https://www.capitalcitygrange.org/node/345#attachments  And watch for the new version of the Grange website, soon to arrive, which will allow direct donations with Paypal!

What else do we need to get started?  We need your help raising that money–will your employer make donations to community projects like this?   Will they match your contribution?  Contact Patty Giavara of the FCCGH (pattycope@comcast.net) to find out how!  We’ll be needing some volunteer labor to do demolition, when we are ready to start construction, and also for painting the completed projects.  Contact me to sign up to help during the construction!  We need to fine-tune the plans before we start.   We’ll be planning the schedule for the work so that we can minimize the time the bathrooms are out of commission–we are expecting to put a couple of Port-A-Potties in the parking lot to help out, and won’t want to do that in the middle of winter!

Watch for the Friends’ fundraiser, which ends on Sept. 6th!  Every year, the FCCGH and the Contra Dance Umbrella (CDU) hold a “challenge fundraiser”, which asks the dance and Grange community to match a “challenge” amount raised from a small number of loyal supporters.   This year, the total to match will be $2,000, and the goal is a total of $4,000.   Half of this will support the Grange’s operating expenses, and the other half will go to the renovation project.   We’ll be collecting donations starting on August 16th, with the big push coming on Saturday, Sept. 6th, at a contra dance featuring Nils Fredland and the Free Raisins!  And did we mention the dessert potluck?
We’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Capital City Grange this year, so please be generous!   It seems as if we have a great opportunity to “reboot” our Hall with this major project, we look forward to lots of contributions, as we all work together to update our community Hall.

How can we afford all these projects? (editors comment) 7/23/14

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       The question for me is not whether we can afford to make the improvements we’re discussing, but whether we can afford not to.   Some things, like the replacement furnace seem unavoidable, and the question is only whether we should invest in the most efficient choice, even if it’s more expensive.   Other projects, like the bathroom improvements, may seem more “optional”, since we have bathrooms that work.   The problem is that we also need to increase our number and quality of rentals–at this point the Grange is not covering the expenses of running the Hall.    Improving amenities like the bathrooms will make a significant difference in making our facility appealing to renters, as well as easier to clean.  Our design offers flexibility as well as increased numbers of toilets, so tenants will find shorter bathroom lines, as well.  The sign for the Grange is another opportunity for improvement of our image and visibility–we would like to take the need for a new sign as a chance to display our availability more visibly.
        The bottom line for me is that we may have to take some chances in investing in our Hall, if we want to survive as a Grange with a Hall to rent out for the community.   Many of us believe that providing our Hall is a major part of our service to the area, and it’s time to bring it more up to date.
What do you think?   We’ll be having meetings to discuss all of these questions–like the furnace meeting announced in this issue of Grange Notes.   We’d love to have your input!

Furnace Update 7/23/14

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During our summer hiatus from regular Grange meetings,the need for decisions hasn’t gone away.  Those of us who can remember back before warm weather arrived know that it won’t last forever–this is Vermont!   Alert readers will remember we’ve been warned that our furnace is on its last legs.   Heating oil is one of our largest annual expenses, and of course we need to keep the Hall warm once cold weather comes back.    So some of us have been studying the options.

We’ve gotten quotes from a couple of heating system contractors, for a couple of options:  replacing our current single furnace with another oil furnace, or changing to a pair of gas furnaces, to independently heat the 2 floors.  Sizing of these has been based on our current fuel usage, and the current furnace size.

We’ve been lucky to get help from a new member of the Montpelier dance community, who has about 40 years of experience in HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning).   Bill has stepped forward to use his expertise to evaluate the heating and ventilating needs of our building, using spread-sheet based tools.   He’s surveyed the building, and interviewed me about the structure and the insulation levels–including the 12″ of cellulose which we put in the attic floor back in 2007.   By doing this study,  Bill expects to recommend the size of the furnace(s) we need, to run the most efficiently and minimize our fuel usage.   He also expects to give us recommendations on where we should consider adding insulation to reduce our heating load and save money every heating season.

As we also prepare for the planned renovations of our basement fire exits, and of the downstairs bathrooms, we’ll be looking for opportunities to improve our insulation during the reconstruction of these areas.

On August 2nd, before the CDU contra dance, I’d like to hold a meeting to discuss Bill’s recommendations, and to make some decisions about which way to go.  By that time, we should have some solid numbers on the heating needs of our building.  This will not be a regular Grange meeting, but a meeting focused on this one issue.   I’d like to meet at 5:30, planning on an hour of discussion followed by a potluck dinner; there will be a dance that evening with set-up starting at 7:00 as usual.   Please contact me if you can join us in helping to make this decision!

Tim Swartz, Master (with everyone’s help)
Capital City Grange #469
225-8921

Spring 2014 – Grange in Trouble; More Funds Needed

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Here are some facts and figures about the Grange budget (2013 figures):

EXPENSES

Real estate taxes                  $6631

Heating cost                         $5627

Snowplow/sanding            $3625

Mortgage for renovations            $2162

Cleaning/janitorial supplies      $2465

Insurance                             $1426

Phone/electricity               $1397

Total Expenses$23,333

 

INCOME

Contra Dance Umbrella Rent  $6300

Montpelier Church                    $3650

West African Dance                 $1280

Afro-Caribbean Dance            $1750

One-time rentals                      $2590

Fundraising/donations         $2605

Total Income $18,175

What’s wrong with this picture? We need help in creating more income.

A diminishing number of Grange members meet once a month (first Saturday at 4:30 p.m.) to discuss all the topics necessary to keep the building functioning. We would like to encourage more dancers to be actively involved. If you feel that dancing in Montpelier is important in your life and you have a couple hours to give to ensure this wonderful resource is able to continue providing dance space, donate your time now. It could make all the difference.

We need help with web updates, advertising, fundraisers, grant writing, rentals and building maintenance. If you’re interested, e-mail Fran at keepsakepearls@gmail.com.

The Grange is a lovely space with lots of parking. Got any meetings coming up that need a great spot for gathering, a convention, party, class, graduation, wedding?

We also now have wifi service at the Grange. This new and faster service will hopefully help the Grange attract more rentals. We believe wifi will be an attractive service for organizations doing training seminars and public meetings. If you have an idea for a prospective renter, let Jody know 802-522-6171.

We love the Grange culture because there is such a wide spectrum of participants. The dances are so great because all ages and socioeconomic groups mingle. Where else do you get that??

Spring 2014 – Dancers’ News Classifieds

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HELP WANTED

Like Facebook?

Facebook is an important communication tool for the Grange. We need dancers to like our Facebook page and add their own posts: visit facebook.com/capitalcitygrangemontpelier.

Are You a Web Wizard?

The Grange needs your web help. We’re looking for folks to help with our new wifi hotspot, our website, and general marketing. For more info, contact Fran: keepsakepearls@gmail.com.

Can’t stop dancing?

Another way to increase the Grange’s income is to start up a new dance series. Are you are a creator of new dances; family or funky or any other? Contact Fran at keepsakepearls@gmail.com.

Happy 100th, Grange!

May 2 will commemorate the Capital City Grange’s 100th birthday. If you would like to help celebrate this momentous year, contact Merry: merrykays@yahoo.com.

Contact Us

Tim Swartz, President, CCG#469
802-225-8921 (cell)
grangepresident@capitalcitygrange.org

 

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