Grange Notes by Tim Swartz, Grange President (with everyone’s help) June 20, 2025
Starting the story of June 7th!
Today, I’m sending out this “first chapter” about the events we had at the Grange on June 7th, and will follow up with a report on the Grange meeting, the Sing-Along and the potluck in a few days, when I have a bit more time.
A sampling of the cleaners at work!
We got a great turnout!
the day, we were very pleased (and a bit overwhelmed) when about 20 volunteers showed up–in addition to a few Grange officers. Thanks to a lot of patience and good humor on the part of the volunteer cleaners, and some scrambling to find room for everyone, we were able to keep everyone busy–and to get a LOT done!The pictures above show only parts of the action! I compiled a list of what I know got done (in no particular order):
- The floor mats that protect our beautiful dance floor were scrubbed and mopped with citrus cleaner and water, so they are a LOT cleaner and brighter.
- Both entrance porches got swept and vacuumed–and the siding under the porch roofs vacuumed too.
- The stage was vacuumed and swept, and the trim wiped down.
- Windows were cleaned inside and out (both floors!), and the screens vacuumed (and some paint on one of them picked out).
- Window and door trim were wiped down, upstairs and downstairs!
- Cobwebs were removed from the ceiling corners–and all over the Main Hall ceiling.
- The stairway to the Lower Level was wiped down, including cleaning the handrails.
- In the Main Hall, all the lamp globes were wiped down, and a couple of bulbs replaced too.
- Bathroom walls and trim were wiped down.
- Flower beds also got a lot of loving attention–see the pictures below.
Thanks to the cleaning crew!
We think we got the names of almost all the people who showed up and helped to clean the Grange Hall, but if I left your name off this list please let me know! These are in no particular order:
Tyler, Alejandro, Thomas, Relief, Stan, Jody, Bill M., Ellie, Bill P., Patty, Nicholas, Bailey, Siouxsie, Dorothy, Amy, Jinky, Dan, Julie, Caroline, Merry, Grant and Tim!
Among these folks are people from many groups that rent the Grange Hall, as well as Grange members. I know we had folks from at least: Gnomenclature band, Montpelier Contra Dance (dancers and committee members), Afro-Caribbean dancers, Senior Jazz Ensemble, West African dancers, Ballroom dancers…it was a great gathering of the diverse groups whose paths cross at the Hall.
P.S., if you weren’t able to join us on June 7th, we still have a number of projects we’d love some help with, and we’ll be happy to talk about what fits your skills, interests and time available!
Flower Beds–special notes
Amy Handy has been taking her Grange officer role as “Flora” seriously the last couple of years! On top of work she’s been doing all spring, she got her sisters (visiting for a family reunion) involved in the Spring Cleaning project, so she had extra help.
Also, the line of Hostas by the West side driveway are the result of Grange Rental Agent and Treasurer Merry Shernock appealing via Facebook and other media for donations of Hostas–and she planted them herself a week or two ago as well!
Our “new” driveway and parking lot
At our brief Grange meeting, which followed the cleanup on June 7th, the Grange members present affirmed a decision by the Grange’s Executive Committee, to have the pot-holed driveway and the somewhat eroded parking lot re-graded. We had received a quote from our usual contractor for this type of work, Matt Dwire, for $3,800. The work included bringing in 2 truckloads of gravel, plus breaking up the pot-holed areas to incorporate the new material, re-grading the driveway to drain to the sides without creating ruts, re-grading the “driveway” on the west side of the Hall, including a new water-bar, adding gravel to the parking lot in front of the steps to the ADA entrance porch, and contouring the drainage for the whole parking lot. Because the Executive Committee made this decision in late May, Matt was able to get us on his schedule, moving his machines into place by June 14th (top picture) and completing the work on June 18th. The pictures above show the newly worked-over sections.
This large expenditure is affordable for the Grange, because we have significantly increased rentals over what they were before the COVID pandemic shutdowns. The increased usage, along with the increase in major rainstorms also result in more wear and tear on the driveway, etc., as you can imagine. Let’s hope for a non-repeat of the downpours that have happened on the last two July 10ths!
