by Admin | Apr 2, 2018 | Building and Grounds
by Linda Pietrzak
There are stealth Building and Grounds volunteers out there. They are people who work around the church without getting much recognition besides their friends. I have been catching them doing many things to make this church building and grounds a better place for us all: Gudrun Eastham seems to spend so much time here that I have been looking for where she hides her bed. She straightens the sanctuary chairs, maintains the bulletin boards, has sewn curtains for the alcoves, and many other jobs I cannot name. Several of the Safe Sleep monitors go the extra step to pick up and empty the trash. Kappy Paulson not only emptied the SS trash but also filled the empty containers with overflow from the previous week. Jennifer Luce, the Office Administrator, called Harrison to pick up ALL the barrels plus any other bagged items. We must always remember the Kitchen Crew not only for our weekly post service sustenance but also many other functions at the church. You, too, can join their ranks. Start easy when you see trash on the ground pick it up, either carry it to a trash can, or take it home with you. We will all thank you for your efforts.
The March Saint Patrick’s Work Party was such a success. It is amazing what 14 people can do. Our focus was on the weeds on the Ralston side of the church. Check out the work that Sherry Anderson, Ruth and George Owens, Kitty Merrill, Joyce Sattler, Merle Oberg, Geoff Dann, and George Naugles did. Mark Mendelsohn removed graffiti from behind the Whale’s Tail Bench. Mike Sixbey whacked the weeds around the trash enclosure, Bill Peltola, Ruth Owens, and Ted Lombard picked up and emptied trash around the property. Joyce Lombard scrubbed the tables in Berg Hall. Linda Pietrzak, Wil Devine, and Phil Wiseman worked on cleaning the gutters and making sure the drainage around the building was working properly.
Please take time to thank all volunteers when you see them. Contact Linda Pietrzak: linda.w.pietrzak@gmail
by Admin | Feb 27, 2018 | Building and Grounds
by Linda Pietzak
It is amazing how the monthly Work Parties can be so different. The February Work Party had three of our members off camping for the long weekend. We still had a good group of volunteers show up. Several of the people were new to our Work Party. Their work is really appreciated.
We also had members of a Covenant Group come to present a project idea to make the entry to the church more visible. It is the second or third group to volunteer their time. What a good idea someone had for the Groups to volunteer to help at the church. The group that came consisted of Susan Franzblau, Phoebe Higgins, and Diane Walmsey. The group’s co-facilitator is Veronica Bear. Watch for the implementations they have in mind.
There were two points of focus for the February Work Party; (1) pulling weeds along the front of the church and (2) sweeping the parking lot.
Kitty Merrill, Georges Naugles, and Geoff Dann tackled the weeds. The parking lot was swept by Haibiba Peterson, Geoff Dann, Ted Lombard, Jean Skinner, and Phil Wiseman. Merle Oberg and Wil Devine worked on the front sprinkler system.
Linda Pietrzak worked on training the ants in the kitchen to go in to the ant traps. In another month or so they may learn. Wil and Geoff worked on a sticking restroom door. Geoff checked the lights. We all wear many hats each Work Party day.
Everyone worked so long and diligently that they forgot my favorite part, “Kickback, socialize, relax, and eat snacks.” We’d love to see more of you come out for that part of the morning. Contact Linda Pietrzak: linda.w.pietrzak@gmail.com
by Admin | Feb 2, 2018 | Building and Grounds
by Linda Pietrzak
It is amazing how much work can get done when you get seven B&G people focused on a single goal. The goal was to remove the dead bushes along the block wall on the west side of the property as well as the majority of the pine needles. We had a three-cubic yard (a small dumpster) dumpster delivered to the property for the Work Party. Mike Sixbey, Bill Peltola, George and Ruth Owens, Geoff Dann, Joyce Sattler, and Haibiba Peterson all pitched in and filled the dumpster including stomping down the pine needles, at least the same amount of debris was put into plastic bags, the three toters were also topped off. AND there is still one more bush at the very back of the property!! I hope you got a chance to notice the improvement when you do please thank them for their hard work.
Geoff Dann checked the lighting in the sanctuary. Linda Pietrzak watered the olive tree by the entrance and cut up two large carboard boxes. Merle Oberg repaired one sprinkler out front. The second sprinkler got him before he could repair it. His coat got quite wet. Such dedication!
Thank goodness the repairs on the gutters were completed before the big rain storm and didn’t appear to leak. Without this work the damage could have been substantial.
It was such a busy Saturday for our church family. Not only were there all the parades and demonstrations commemorating the Women’s March last year, there was a new member orientation, and a UU Board retreat.
What makes the B&G people so special is several people wanted to know when they could come and make up the time they missed. I love these people.
Want to help? Contact Linda Pietrzak: linda.w.pietrzak@gmail.com
by Admin | Jan 1, 2018 | Building and Grounds
by Linda Pietrzak
The December Work Party occurred on the 16th after most of the fire danger for Ventura had passed. What remained was the ash and smoke in the air. There were still piles of pine needles around the parking lot. Would anyone come out to rake and bag the pine needles? Twelve members of the congregation came out! Be sure and thank Geoff Dann, George and Ruth Owens, Rob March, Bryan Buck, Mike Sixbey, Haibiba Peterson, Sherry Anderson, Joyce Sattler, Bill Peltola, Merle Oberg, and Linda Pietrzak. They donned their masks and manned their rakes and got the parking lot looking great.
They also found time to complete other chores. Bill Peltola checked emergency lights and fluorescent lights replacing any that needed it, George blew pine needles into piles, Mike Sixbey and Ruth pruned bushes in the raised beds, Sherry weeded along Ralston, Ruth also sorted the Lost and Found, Bill emptied the trash cans out back, Merle worked on the sprinklers, and Joyce picked up trash outside the church building and checked restrooms for sufficient paper products, Geoff worked on the light fixture in the RE women’s restroom, and Linda finally watered the olive tree.
Remember the last time it almost rained? Merle Oberg noticed drops of water falling on him from under the eaves of the church. John Puccetti checked on a drizzly day and found that ALL the seams in the gutter were leaking. When the gutters leak, the water soaks through on to the wood soffit around the building. Not good! We finally found someone who would patch the seams and clean all the pine needles and debris out of the gutters. That work was completed last month. Just like your home, you fix one thing and something else pops up!
by Kitty Merrill | Dec 4, 2017 | Building and Grounds
I am sure many of you have noticed the improvement to the front of the church. Sherry Anderson, Joyce Sattler, and others have been working on pulling weeds. After the windstorm in October, we decided to spread pine needles out front to suppress the weeds.
If you who have been at church at night you have noticed the bright new lights along the entry side of the church. You can thank John Puccetti for getting that project done.
This month we had a whole army attacking the pine needles. Ruth and George Owens, Bryan Buck, Rob March, Mike Sixbey, Joyce Sattler, Merle Oberg, and Krista and her son Garrick were the enthusiastic rakers. Almost everyone seemed to find time to do more than rake.
Mike hung a white board for RE and consulted on another project. Merle checked irrigation out front and changed a broken sprinkler head. Bryan replaced a light in RE restroom. Kitty Merrill and Ruth trimmed plants in and near the raised beds. Ruth also broke down cardboard boxes for the trash. George swept the front of the church and along the front of the building he removed spider webs. He and Joyce picked up trash. Joyce also replaced the sign and a stepping stone in the Covenant Garden. Linda threw away old flowers and old décor on the flower-arranging shelf.
How wonderful to have so many enthusiastic workers. The camaraderie this group shares is inspiring. Come experience it for yourself on December 16. It’s called a work party because we always schedule time to socialize and always have snacks. In November we had a yummy Concord Grape pie made by Erin Merrill and donated by Joyce Sattler.
by Kitty Merrill | Nov 4, 2017 | Building and Grounds
by Linda Pietrzak
One of the wonderful things about the people who come out for B&G Work Parties is their willingness to pitch-in and take on a job when they see a need.
In the middle of October there was a windstorm. The next day, Monday, Bryan Buck, the president of the church board, stopped by to check on the amount of needle fall there had been. He filled three toters (trash cans) and called Harris to do an extra pick up. On Tuesday Bryan came back to fill them again. He found Merle Oberg out raking pine needles. They filled the three toters and then just raked the needles into massive piles that were placed as out of the way as possible.
Another example that really impressed me was when Beverly Jordan, Community Life Coordinator, introduced me to Haibiba Peterson and Wil Devine, prospective members who wanted to get involved in B&G. Haibiba had already decided she wanted to take on sweeping the entry of the church each week but needed to find out how to make it happen. She figured out how to make it work and I helped fill in the other parts. That is such a generous offering to the church. Please thank her when you see her.
There are many areas I am sure you notice need attention at the church. We are willing to work with you to help make our church home a more welcoming place. You can have the feeling of accomplishment that you have added to the enjoyment and appreciation of us all.
