Capital City Grange

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

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

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

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

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

Dance statistics:

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

Remembrances:

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

Generosity:

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

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

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

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

COVID details for the next dances

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

Masks

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

Vaccination

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

Contact tracing

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

Ventilation & filtration

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

Common sense

  • If you have any COVID symptoms, please stay home.
  • If you or someone in your household has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, please stay home.
We know everyone loves to dance, but we ask for caution on the part of all for the sake of keeping the dance community safe.

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

What if things change?

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

All the info for dancers:

Price:

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

Role terms:

Gender-neutral role terms will be used.

Requirements for dancers:

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

In case you want even more dancing…
Here are a couple of dances this weekend:
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CONTRA DANCE at UVM
Saturday, April 30
6pm  to 9pm
LOCATION:  Mann Hall, UVM
208 Colchester Ave., Burlington VT  05405
LIVE MUSIC by Pete Sutherland and Oliver Scanlon
CALLING by Luke Donforth
Admission:  0 to $5, pay what you can
Vaccination proof required
Masks highly encouraged
More info at:   https://uvmbored.com/event/come-contra-dancing/, and on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1637041776638329/?ref=newsfeed
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ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCE in Jericho
Sunday, May 1
4pm to 6pm
OUTDOOR LOCATION:
Mills Riverside Park
open-sided, roofed pavilion w/concrete floor
338 VT-15, Jericho, VT
LIVE MUSIC (mostly acoustic): Carol Compton (keyboard), Sarah Babbitt Spaeth (viola), Will Patton (mandolin)
CALLER: Val Medve
DONATION (on-site):
$10, suggested (pay more or less, as you’re able). Your donation pays for the pavilion and the musicians.
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
Please reply with a photo of your vaccination card. If you’ve already emailed me your card THIS YEAR, no need to do so again — but please reply to confirm you plan to attend. val.medve@gmail.com
Upcoming outdoor dances (Sundays, 4pm to 6pm): May 22; June 19 & 26; July 10 & 24 & 31; August 28, September 11 & 25.
For 2022 musician and caller lineups: https://burlingtoncountrydancers.org/dances/2022-05/
WHAT TO EXPECT:
  • Attendance: Fully vaccinated, pre-registration with proof of COVID-19 vaccination (attach photo of vaccination card, which will then be deleted). Dances may be publicized beyond this mailing list of (mostly) local dancers. Others welcome to attend with pre-registration and proof of vaccination to val.medve@gmail.com
  • Dance space: Open-air pavilion (no walls) with roof overhead. Smooth concrete floor.
  • Masks: NOT required, but please wear a mask if you feel more comfortable that way.
  • Food & Drink: Bring your own FILLED water bottle(s) and your own snacks. There is no water source on-site.
  • Trash: Carry out your own trash. No trash cans on-site.
  • Bathrooms: On-site portolets in the parking lot, which is a few minutes’ walk from the dance venue/pavilion.
  • Sanitation: Pump bottle hand sanitizer will be available.
  • Weather Cancellation: Rain and wind could lead us to cancel the dance; we’d email you that morning if we need to cancel.
  • Waiver: On-site, we ask that you read, complete, and sign a hardcopy waiver.  If you’d like to see it beforehand, email Val (address above).
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I don’t expect to routinely advertise other dances in this newsletter, but as dance series re-start these days, I’m listing these in this newsletter.

Flushed With Pride: New Bathrooms Debut

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Ready for use!   Our new bathrooms got a trial run.
bathroom11bathroom1bathroom0bathroom2bathroom5bathroom6

On May 23rd, our almost-complete bathrooms were used for the first time by a crowd attending Annie Dunn-Watson and Moshe Braner’s “Honeymoon Wedding Celebration” event.   Reaction was generally positive, with people impressed by the concept and the design–and the contrast with the old bathrooms!
Our “multi-stall, all genders” bathroom design made sense to everyone with whom I spoke.  Some were aware of the plans we’ve publicized for over a year, while others only realized what we were building when they saw the finished product.  Having the ADA bathrooms upstairs and down, now, provides choices for anyone who is uncomfortable with the multi-stall plan.
One glitch:  we have found we need to modify the stall design before we declare it complete.  Once the toilets were installed last week, it became clear that the in-swinging doors don’t leave enough room for easy entry.  So we have come up with  alternative door plans–stay tuned to see how they work out!
Also, this coming week we will get the real lighting fixtures installed in the stalls, plus individual exhaust vents.   Lights for the stalls and the ADA bathroom are controlled by motion detector switches just inside the doors; the common area lights will all stay on.
We couldn’t have gotten to this point without the help of volunteers–besides the “permanent volunteers” who keep the Grange and the Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall going, see below for the people who answered my calls for painters and cleaners!

Volunteer painters get us to the finish line!

Over the past couple of weeks, some dedicated folks have given up their sunny outdoor afternoons in spring to paint the bathroom walls, the trim and the doors.  Pictures above show various members of the crew at work, including Dana and Marisa painting trim (first coat), Cynthia rolling paint, Marisa second-coating the trim, and John cleaning, while Marisa and Ann apply clear finish to the doors.  Many thanks to all the volunteers!

Time for Spring Cleaning–June 6th

With construction winding down, so no more dust will be produced, we have reached the logical time to do some more cleaning, more than playing catchup with construction work.
So–join us on Saturday, June 6th, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM to clean the dance hall, the stage, the windows (much easier than the old windows!), the lights, and more.  Bring some cleaning tools if you can:  window washing squeegees, rags, buckets, rubber gloves, vacuums, window and general cleaning liquids, etc.   We’ll have some supplies too.
We’d love to have someone bring food for cleaners!  Let me know if you can bring some snacks to keep us all going.
After the clean-up, Merry and I will have shower and nap space available in our home in Northfield Falls if people want to stay in the area before the Grange meeting at 4:30.

Grange meeting and baking contest follows the clean-up

We’ll have our usual Grange business meeting starting at 4:30 PM on June 6th, following the clean-up.   We have intriguing possibilities in developing relationships with the Town of Berlin, new liability insurance investigations, and we will celebrate the completion of the bathrooms!
We’ll also have the annual Grange baking contest judging at this meeting.   As usual, the recipe is the same for everyone–and the interest is in the variations that are found when different bakers work from the same starting point.   This year, the recipe is for Pineapple Cookies.
We ask that every entrant bring 5 cookies on a plate, with your name on a label on the bottom.  You can bring more to share after the judging, of course!
So:  here’s the recipe:
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup crushed pineapple

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together.   Beat the sugar and shortening in a mixing bowl until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until blended.   Fold in the pineapple.   Stir in the blended dry ingredients.  Drop by spoonfuls, 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.   Bake at 400 degrees until light brown.   Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, and remove to a wire rack to cool completely.   Yield = 3-4 dozen.
And don’t forget the Grange potluck at 6:30.   Bring something tasty to share–we hope to be well-supplied with cookies!

Community Fundraising That’s Fun For All!

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DanceDineFundraiser

Join us for a good time, for a good cause–bathrooms!

Dancing with friends and family in the afternoon (a great opportunity to share your love of the Grange and community dancing with people who don’t usually come), followed by a delicious Thai Curry dinner (freshly made spring rolls, tofu or chicken plus a mild coconut milk curry sauce and brown rice), followed by more dancing.   What better way to support the next phase of renovations for the Grange Hall:  brand new bathrooms on the lower level!
Needed:  volunteers to help prepare food for the dinner, starting in the early afternoon, and to serve it for the multitudes, and to clean up afterwards.   Our stalwart chefs:   Alison Forrest and Gail England will direct the operations.   Call or email me to volunteer (swartztim15@gmail.com)!
Mark your calendars for the 2nd dance in our finish-off-the-fundraising series, on Friday May 1st with Will Mentor calling, and Perpetual E-Motion playing their exciting brand of dance music!

Another special dance coming this weekend – Saturday March 21:

In addition to the always-popular CDU dances, this “prequel” dance presents Will Mentor calling more complicated dances  from 2:00-5:00 PM for those ready for a challenge.   Here’s one description:
For Experienced Dancers: This means you know how to do a roll away, California twirl, pass through to a wave and the basic moves without being taught. You complete flourishes safely and on time without disturbing the flow of the dance.
There will be a potluck dinner afterward, before the regular CDU dance for all comers at 8:00, with Will and Nor’Easter on stage again.
Don’t forget that  Will is coming back to call on May 1st, for another benefit dance!  Many thanks for his support!

Friends of the Capital City Grange Hall receive $25,265 grant from the VT Arts Council! 

CheckReceipt

The picture above, taken by Peter Arthur Weyrauch for the Arts Council, shows Alex Aldrich of the Council on the left, just after handing over a symbolic (but impressively large) faux check to Patty Giavara and Carol Noyes (Chair and Treasurer of the FCCGH respectively), while I keep watch on the right.

This event is really a pledge–we only get the actual cash once we match the needed amount with cash and in-kind donations, and complete the project successfully.   We’ve still got a ways to go, but we appreciate the help we are getting.    This grant (administered by the VT Arts Council in conjunction with the VT Historical Society and the VT Division for Historic Preservation) is a huge help for  small, volunteer non-profits like the Grange and the Friends.   The VT State Grange has agreed to give us a no-interest construction loan, since we need to pay the bills for the project until the Arts Council accepts our final report.
And finally, we thank all the Grange community members who donate and volunteer to keep us going, and to fund and complete special projects like this, which benefit us all!

Updated Grange Website

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Coming soon: an updated Grange Website!
I’ve mentioned before that Patty Giavara and others have been working on an update for the www.capitalcitygrange.org website. It looks like we are just about ready to “go live”! We hope that it will be before Thanksgiving–check it out when you get a chance, and let us know what you think!
The new site will be easier to edit and update with new articles, including information on rentals and meetings, projects and photos. The Calendar will also be easier to add information to, to publicize events at our Hall. Long-time volunteer Tova Cohen will continue to update the Contra Dance Umbrella events on the “new” version of the website, and expects to be able to put in more information about bands, callers and dances.
We’ve tried to design the updated website to appeal to potential renters, as part of our strategy to increase rental of the Hall to a wider variety of tenants. If you can help us reach out to corporations, legislators, government agencies and others who schedule meetings, trainings and workshops, or to other schools which rehearse and put on plays, or to wedding planners–get in touch! Make suggestions about how we can better use this flexible new website to publicize our (improving) facilities!
Many thanks to Rob Fish of the VT Digital Economy Project, sponsored by the VT Council for Rural Development, who has worked with us to develop this new website–and to get Wi-Fi for the Hall, plus starting me using MailChimp to compose these newsletters!

New Rental Manager and Phone Number

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New volunteer Rental Manager and rental phone number for the Grange
We are making a transfer from Jody Pettersen, who has very ably managed all the rentals of the Hall for about the last 8 years. Jody has done a great job, and she’s ready to pass the torch. We’re very lucky that Merry Shernock has volunteered to step into her very large shoes!
As part of this change-over, and along with putting up the new sign, we’re changing the contact info for the rentals. Merry is setting up the Grange’s existing phone number–802-229-9425–to be connected to “GoogleVoice” answering/forwarding service. This will forward every voicemail left to Merry’s phone, plus sending an email to her alerting her to the message. This way, she can monitor the contacts from anywhere.
Merry is looking for collaborators on rental policy and contacts–we all need help and input. If you want to help the Grange with an important part of our survival, please contact Merry–soon, you can leave a message on the Grange phone number to reach her!

Contact Us

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

 

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