New info added at bottom of document.  To find particular topics, use Search or Find function.

Please advise B&G Chair (Martin Berger, saabmb@yahoo.com) of omissions and other errata.

This document includes occasional observations on Trash & Recycling and Security matters, since the committees that ought to deal with those functions do not formally exist and activities are apt to go unrecorded unless they are included with B&G.

B&G annals for previous years may be accessible on the Church website; if not, interested persons should inquire of the B&G Chair as above.  Anyone wishing to receive this Chronicle via e-mail should do likewise.                                                                                   

[Infrequently-Asked Question: Why are B&G activities recorded in such detail?  Response: Especially in an organization that runs on volunteer efforts, there is a lot of turnover in who does what, so the collective memory as to what was previously done and why tends to be weak.  We have had many substantial projects undertaken by one individual who took care of business and then threw away all records.  In many instances questions like Where does this wire go? or the recurrent historian’s query What were they thinking?  have no ready answers.  If we write stuff down in a searchable format, future generations can determine what we did and why it seemed like a good idea, or the least of the available evils, at the time.  Also, my own memory, even for stuff that I did not so long ago, is increasingly unreliable.]

Chronicle entries are composed by B&G Chair (MB) unless otherwise noted.

Initial 2022 (non) Work Party.  29 January.  We skipped the monthly Work Party because of weather and distractions.  I would have liked to collect some people to move the adapted pews back into Channing Hall after the recent work that repaired rot and renewed the finish on the Channing floor, but since we haven’t been doing Coffee Hour, the pew-moving did not seem urgent.  It will be an arduous process, because the pews have been crammed into the Patio Room at the most remote end of the RE Wing, and the pews are heavy.  I’m considering using pieces of carpet to slide the pews.  Any suggestions?

Snow-clearing has not always been prompt, but Jim Rak and I have managed to make at least the Illinois Avenue entrance accessible.  The handsomely-paved Illinois driveway continues to prove itself a worthy expenditure, because unlike the previous collection of weeds, odd bits of concrete, and rubble, it can be cleared with the snow-blower. 

Steam Heat Issues, Old Building.  29 Jan.  Cleaners reported finding water on the Channing floor and Sarah King, our Office Manager, called me c. 10 AM.  I went to the Church and saw no water on the floor; Sarah indicated where it had been discovered:  near the southwest window.  [Note for readers new to UUYO B&G:  The 1920s building is heated by a steam boiler, the late-60s RE Wing by three forced-air furnace/AC units.]  The steam pipe that runs between the exterior wall and the ovoid that occupies the mid-ceiling has a white plastic shell covering, which was distorted and shriveled by escaped steam.  I called Paul Nadrich, who has been dealing with some of our boiler problems, and Jim Rak.  Jim removed the ruined covering and determined that there was a very small leak at its connection with the radiator line.  After consultation with Paul and cleaning of the joint with alcohol and wire brush, epoxy sealant was applied to create a secure seal.  Updates to follow.

Boiler Room.  The ADT water alarm woke me a bit before midnight on the 17^th, so I hastened to the Church expecting a sump-pump failure.  There was water—2+ inches on the floor, more coming in from the raised area where the RE Wing furnaces sit, a small jet pouring in from the edge of the raised area, and a gusher coming in via the partly silted-up old ceramic-tile inlet above the sump well.  The sump pumps were both functioning, though unable to cope with the volume of incoming water.

I set up the emergency pump, setting its hose in the Kitchen sink, stabilized by a concrete item found in the Boiler Room, and set the little pump in the sump well; the water level went down and the sump pumps were able to remove most of the water from the floor.  I found that some water had sprayed into the Kitchen, but I was unable to determine why, since plugging in the emergency pump in the Boiler Room does not permit observation of what’s going on in the Kitchen.  I cleaned up the Kitchen with rags.

Positive points:  (1) water alarm works; (2) sumps work.

We need to determine how the water arrives around the Boiler Room to force its way in.  It’s hard to test unless there’s another deluge like this one, which was caused by massive snow-melt plus hard rain.  I don’t think that the old blueprints show much about the drainage; we may have to engage subterranean cameras.

Work Party, 26 Feb.  Present:  Jim Rak, Lowell and Ellen Satre, Lisbet White, MB.

I arrived at 9:30 AM, made coffee, and used a push-broom to clear light snow from the approaches to the Illinois entry.  (Snow-clearing was unnecessary, since sun melted everything despite 20-degree temperature.)  Replaced battery in the Kitchen wall clock.

Lowell arrived at 10 AM and we moved all six short pews from the Patio Room into Channing Hall, using pieces of Muppet-fur-like material to slide them along the floor.  (An illustration of the ease with which two people can accomplish something impossible for a single person.)  We were done with the pew-moving in about 45 minutes.  We also reinstalled the grating covering the middle radiator on the South Channing wall.

We spent some time hunting unsuccessfully for a plastic bucket to be used in assembling a new mousetrap; such a container was later found in the Fall Room, when it had become too late to mess with the mousetrap gadget.  I’ll deal with it soon.

Jim appeared, then Lisbet, and we discussed the next job to address; that turned out to be the repair of the piano bench, whose bottom had become semi-detached, allowing books to fall out.  (This problem had not been reported to B&G; had it been reported, I could have brought some appropriate tools from home.)  We used available materials, including Jim’s construction adhesive, to secure the bottom to the bench.  The small miter-box and saw that I believe had been in the B&G Closet could not be found.

Lisbet spent some time scraping loose paint from pipes around the repair recently made to the Channing.  As is the case elsewhere in the old part of the building, inappropriate paint has been applied to pipes that get hot and cause the paint to flake.

In the Sanctuary, Lisbet drew attention to peeling paint on the ceiling, where some problematic areas are within reach via the long ladder, after pews are moved out of the way; another problem may be accessible with difficulty from the Choir Loft with long-handled instruments; and less conspicuous cracking is out of reach without major lifts and scaffolding.  We ought not to spend major effort on the ceiling until we’re certain that the roof is intact; we need to determine the age of the roof; whenever we have to replace the shingles, we should consider installing solar collectors.  It would be a mistake to enter on any solar projects until we have a new roof, because we would have to remove the solar array to get at the roof when it does need replacement.

Lisbet and I rolled the movable bar unit of the Channing counter into Channing and reinstalled it.  One of the several roller-wheels broke off from the unit’s bottom as we crossed the threshold between the RE Hall and the short hallway north of the Kitchen; it will require reattachment, which will involve unloading everything from the bar unit and turning the very heavy unit on its back to allow access to its bottom.  This can probably wait till the March Work Party.

A useful Work Party; thanks to all.

Work Party, 26 March.  Present:  Lanore and Matt Jones, Jim Rak, MB. 

Matt was already on the scene when I arrived c. 10:45. I made coffee, put away items left in drainer, and discarded a small bag of ham chunks left on the kitchen island.

Lanore used silicone spray to lubricate all door hinges and latches on the first floor, except those that were locked.  Matt worked on the Choir Loft, which is now ready to paint.  I found Dulux primer in the Boiler Room paint collection and determined that it was fit to use despite age.  Matt will apply primer to the Choir Loft, and follow up with paint.  The Choir Loft is not conspicuous to most visitors to the Church, but it has been in disrepair for many years; damage to its ceiling and walls was a primary indicator of the old steeple’s fatal decay. Repair has been delayed by steeple replacement, the need to get everything dried out, lack of resources, and many distractions. The prospect of the Choir Loft’s rehabilitation is most welcome.

Two new cans of paint, apparently matching Sanctuary walls, were found in the former Sound Room as Jim removed clutter and moved Christmas decorations out of the way.  Information as to the origin of these cans of paint, intentions for their use, and why they were in the former Sound Room would be welcome.

I searched in the Office files for the Paint folder, which records many years of dates, colors, etc., for paint in the building, and could not find the folder. Any hints as to what has become of the folder would be welcome.  [Subsequent inquiries have revealed that the 4 cans found in the Choir Loft were brought in by Tim Raridon, who had them as surplus from a non-church job; they may be a near match for existing colors in the Choir Loft.]

A useful, if small-scale, Work Party.  Thanks to the hardy few.

Work Party agenda, 23 April, plus some general comments.

Here are some observations on what needs to be done.  Most of these items were listed by Jim Rak.

11.  Windows, Channing south wall—at least some of these were left open for a long time, allowing crap to accumulate and costly heat to leak out during at least one winter.  I wiped out the crud last month, and this time it will be warm enough to paint the areas between windows and storms.

Work Party Results, 23 April.  Present:  Jim Rak, Bob Seibold, MB.  I set up coffee and refreshments; missing pitcher for use with the airpot machine reappeared.  Failed to put carafe in machine—evidently distracted; probably Jim cleaned up mess.  I stained the door-edges in the restrooms, as per #8 on the above agenda.

Cleaners reported unlocked doors between Patio and Patio Room.  Also reported problem with plastic trash-can liners; evidently someone had put a roll of bags atop a steam pipe, allowing heat to melt some plastic.  Minimal loss.

I could find no major instability in chairs at the back of Sanctuary; glued one connection between chair-arm and its support.

Jim mowed—first mowing of the year, leveling vegetation.  Bob dug out weeds, dealing with most of the sloped area outside the Channing south windows.  Jim helped get one of the Channing windows sufficiently open for me to clean up the bottom area between window and storm window, and I painted that window area.  Three more windows to deal with.

Found blue paint in Boiler Room, clearly labeled as used in Accessible Restroom; will remove and trash the leaky soap dispenser and repaint the fouled portion of wall.

A small but useful Work Party.  Perhaps next month more of our people will recognize that the transition to actual physical use of the building necessitates actual physical presence of volunteers.

Accessible Restroom, 7 May.  Yesterday I removed the leaking soap-dispenser, cleaned up the wall that it had ruined, and painted the damaged area with paint from 2006.  (Paint can was clearly labeled; the paint record is still missing from the Office file cabinet.)  Paint was thickened but not lumpy, and responded to additional water and lots of stirring; matched very closely and required only one coat to cover.  Can lid was rusted and remaining paint transferred to 3 labeled jars.  Discarded aged, crummy green masking tape from Boiler Room.  Stainless-steel dispenser has hole in corner; corrosion has made the hole bigger and thus more easily visible during the 16 years since I last worked on it.  So, stainless steel does corrode.  I’ve wire-brushed the perforated area and applied a patch of JB Weld.  After an additional layer of sealer, I’ll sand the patch and test for leakage, and if all is well, reinstall the unit.

Also in that restroom is a damaged toilet-paper holder, evidently bent out of shape by someone intent on demonstrating that there’s no such thing as foolproof.  I’ve bought a replacement and will probably get it installed tomorrow.  [Done, with assistance from Jim Stone.]

Salt, 7 May.  I moved the various containers into the Cave, where they belong during the no-snow portion of the year.

Work Party, 14 May.  Board has allocated scheduling of Work Parties to Office; Sarah has lined up 3d Saturdays through the end of the year.  This scheduling may be altered as necessary to avoid conflicts with other activities, etc., but we have a default schedule in place and need not depend on the sometimes-distracted B&G Chair to send timely reminders to the usual roster of volunteers.  A useful reform.  [Actually scheduled for the 21^st; I failed to call and notify Bob, who doesn’t see the e-mails, and he weeded solo.]

Agenda for 21 May Work Party. 

1.   Dry portions of the floor need sweeping—pushbroom, followed by shopvac; top of boiler should be wiped.  No need to wax it.

• Marguerite intends to use blower to clean up; probably could use assistance in sweeping up and disposing of crud.

• Probably still needs cleaning.

• Three of these still need cleaning out and painting.  At least one of the windows will require help in opening.

• It’s going to be too hot, so mowing must be done in short installments, c. 20 minutes, with intervals for cooling off indoors.  We cannot afford to lose any volunteers, so we need to observe this cautionary procedure.  If all the lawn doesn’t get mowed, the grass/weeds will still be there another day.

• Jim Stone and I are both bringing string trimmers, so we should be able to neaten up a lot of the edges.

• Check operation of locks, including the vertical locks at top and bottom of the semi-stationary doors; silicone spray as needed.

• One of the doors has a stationary handle that is broken or maladjusted; needs to be removed and fixed (or trashed if not fixable).

• Need to renew the effort to clean up hinges that are corroded; carefully remove one cruddy hinge per door, for me to take home, wire-brush, and refinish.  Removal and reinstallation need to be done very carefully, so as not to ruin brass screws.  We have extra-large screwdrivers in the B&G Closet.

1. Closet, and the ugly concrete outside the door, need to be cleaned; use shopvac.

May Work Party.  Present:  Marguerite Felice, Erika Germadnike, Linda Mohn, Gene Pusateri, Diana Shaheen, Bob Seibold, Jim Stone, MB.

I arrived 9:30 AM and made coffee.  (Kitchen in good order.)  Marguerite and Diana were already at work in the Patio, where they were long occupied in removing trash, sweeping, and power-washing the crud-blackened concrete.  Linda and Erika joined the effort later.  The power-wash blasted the grime impressively well, but the suspended particles of dark matter were difficult to dispose of.  It’s hard to imagine the thinking of whoever laid the concrete floor neglected to include a modest slope toward the central drain.  The dead electric wheelchair remains in the Patio porch, awaiting sufficient lifting power to get it out and disposed of.  Moss from the Patio went to the compost bins.  Trash and recycling bins were not properly fitted with bags and contents were mixed; some order has been established.

Much of the other work of this Work Party consisted of greenery-management.  Gene and I mowed, avoiding prolonged exposure to sun and heat; Jim, Gene, and I used our string-trimmers, all of which ran out of battery power.  Bob weeded, mostly in the sloped area outside the Channing windows.

I replaced batteries in the motion-detector light in the Men’s Restroom vestibule, using the last of the AA batteries in the Office.

Nobody dealt with the Kitchen freezer, but when I found no ice I turned on the icemaker.  Frozen unwrapped chocolate cake dated 2 May was consumed, getting one item out of the freezer.

Comparing this summary of Work Party accomplishments reveals that there will be plenty to do at the June session.  The May effort got considerable necessary stuff done, and the turnout of volunteers was gratifying.  Thanks to all.

Mower.  30 May.  I ordered new rear wheels after the 14 May Work Party, since both were worn smooth and the tire on the right-hand one was coming off.  Used model info from the manual in the Office file and received 9-inch wheels instead of the 8-inch originals; replacement wheels arrived yesterday (ordered from info plate on machine) and I installed them.  Mowed the small bit between the Fall Room exit stairs and sidewalk, and the Illinois Ave. devil-strip to celebrate repair.  Anyone who wants to mow is hereby notified that the machine is ready to go; might wait till later in the week, since grass/weed growth isn’t spectacularly high and a later mowing might look nicer on Sunday.

Cables.  14 June.  After reconnaissance a few days earlier, Tim Raridon, Andy Crabb, and I strung ethernet cable from Channing Hall to the corner of the Office, in order to facilitate Zoom presentation of Sunday services from Channing.  This process involved fishing cable through the dropped-ceiling tiles where possible and running the cable through the foot-thick brick wall between the 1920s original building and the late-60s addition.  Cutting edges of both of the long masonry bits (one belonging to the Church and one of mine) wore off during the prolonged effort to bore through the brick; anyone who has to drill through the brick in the future is advised to spend the money for a more durable high-grade long masonry bit.  The hole is above the window between Channing and the Kitchen.  The cable was successfully set up and the motion-detector reconnected.

Work Party 18 June.  Present:  Marguerite Felice, Elaine Habeger, Jim Rak, Bob Seibold, MB.

I arrived c. 9:30, made coffee, and put away many spoons left in drainer.

Elaine arrived punctually, helped me remove brick dust from the ledge above the Kitchen-Channing window and return the small percolators to their perch, and assisted Marguerite with vegetation-management in the Patio.  I mowed until Jim took over that task.  Bob weeded.

A useful Work Party, enhanced by surprisingly cool weather.

Thanks to all.

Vegetation.  26 June, revised 29 June.  Discussed with Gary Davenport after today’s service:
 
1.  Compost—all three bins are filled, topped up with tall leaves from recent pruning of decorative plants; this material is not going to rot quickly into compost.  Gary recommended strewing non-woody plant parts atop the lawn to be shredded in next mowing, after which fragments will merge into grass.  This should be tried.  Rotted compost at bottoms of compost bins will require some effort to extract, after which it can be applied around desirable vegetation.

2.  Reduction of grassy area, substitution of other plants—Thetrees in the Church lawnshould get mulch several feet wide and several inches deep (like a donut and not a volcano). The Black-Eyed Susan bed around the large sign should be expanded by about a meter.  This Summer or Fall, a contractor would turn the soil upside down, lay cardboard over it, and apply several inches of mulch.  Next Spring, the bed around the sign should be thinned and the Black-Eyed Susans planted in the cleared area.  [Note: the Susans presently surrounding the sign require trimming to prevent them from obscuring the messages on the sign; not a big problem as Susan population expands.  There needs to be a path through the Susans to facilitate the monthly installation of a new message.  MB]
The space outside the Fall Room exit stairway (this space includes two small bushes, groundhog holes, and gas meter) could receive the same treatment, reserving a mulched, unplanted zone to allow access to the gas meter and a proposed bike rack.  This would eliminate a tedious-to-mow area.
Gary notes:  “Alongside Black-Eyed Susans, we should include other species of similar height such as Butterfly Weed, Red Columbine, Downy Wood Mint, and Purple Coneflower. There are numerous others possible. These would offer different color and bloom at different times of year and support a broader diversity of insects without taking away the advantages of the Susans. My personal preference is 75% Black-Eyed Susans and 25% other species. Our congregation and denomination are anything but homogenous. There should always be at least one Purple Coneflower in a Black-Eyed Susan bed to match our commitment to inclusivity and abolition of systems that marginalize people based on real or perceived differences.”

I’ll provide a condensed version of the above horticultural proposals for the Bulletin and recommend that interested persons check out the full version as posted on the Church website; also, now that we’re back to having actual people in the actual building, I’ll resume pinning a print edition of the B&G Chronicle on the B&G bulletin board in the 1^st-Floor hallway.

Channing-Patio Door.  4 July.  Yesterday after the service I was notified of a problem with the westernmost door (left end of the 2-double-door pair, the door with vertical latches at top and bottom).  The lateral portion of the door-bottom was not only rotted, allowing crud to fall into the space between door and threshold, but tilted, so that one end of the lateral piece hung down.  I trimmed away hanging crud with a multipurpose buzzy tool and secured the piece in its correct position with a couple of finishing nails, and then screwed a board along the indoor door-bottom, securing the lateral piece to the vertical sides.  The door is now functional, and its problem would probably remain unnoticed for years by almost everyone.

It does need to be made right, and on Jim Rak’s suggestion, we’ll try at our 23 July Work Party to remove the door, trim away the bottom of the door, and attach a replacement.  The grafted-on piece can be secured with long wood-screws and adhesive, and the suture should be invisible once all is sanded and painted.  We’ll need to find some old-school lumber, because modern 2x4s are close to 1.5 inches, unlike the 1.75 specimens that were standard when the old section of the Church was built in 1925.  (Amazing that so much of the original building remains in such good shape after nearly a century.)

I’ve removed, cleaned, and reinstalled one of the hinges, resuming a hinge-cleaning project that was interrupted and forgotten some years ago.  I’m doing one at a time, allowing doors to remain operational.  [New brass screws for hinges, purchased some years ago, are gone from B&G Closet as of 15 July.  Some of the old screws are chewed up, so I checked on replacements and found screws priced @ $1.25 each.  I’ll pursue other sources.]

Work Party Rescheduled.  We’re moving the July Work Party from 18 July (3d Saturday, per usual schedule) to the 23d, so as to accommodate a wedding in the Patio on the 18^th).  [Info as to date of wedding turned out to be wrong, but Work Party remains set for the 23d.]

Patio Bushes, etc.  15 July.  Jim Morgan and I trimmed bushes this morning.  Church has a new corded hedge-clipper, which I’ve stored in the B&G Closet; I’ll devise a proper hanger for it.  The new clipper and the Little Giant-type ladder enabled us to finish in under four hours.  We found only two small poison-ivy infestations; poison-ivy herbicide was missing from its place in Boiler Room, but bottle turned up almost empty in the Cave.  [I’ve since refilled the bottle and put it where it belongs.]

Water in the Boiler Room.  21 July.  SOS reported water alarm c. 12:30 AM.  I gathered boots and duct tape and proceeded to Church, where I found that during a brief but vigorous rainstorm, water had risen near the height of the bottom step, or about 6 inches.  Floor was damp but there was no standing water; the sump pumps had coped successfully.  I could not get the flood alarm to reset, however (indicator on control pad by the Illinois door showed an asterisk, and went into a screaming fit after I’d followed the clearing procedure).  Need to display the SOS phone number near Kitchen phone.  SOS tech recommended wiping the Water Bug sensor to remove dampness, which might be deceiving the device into thinking that it was still submerged.  This worked.  (Bits of damp crud adhering to the sensor may have provided enough dampness to prevent the reset.)  Summary:  sumps are working; we still need to figure out whence comes a lot of water into the Boiler Room after storms.

Work Party.  23 July.  Present:  Elaine Habeger, Matt Jones, Jim Morgan, Jim Rak, Tim Raridon, Ellen and Lowell Satre, Bob Seibold, Randy Tullis, MB.

I arrived c. 8:30 to watch Matt and his colleague examine and diagnose the peeling paint on the Sanctuary ceiling.  Made coffee, arranged B&G refreshments, and began assembling items for the repair effort on the rotted Channing/Patio door.  I labeled the new box of big plastic trash bags and put it away in the Kitchen cabinet.  The pair of black plastic sawhorses that were kept in the Boiler Room were missing, so I deployed three of the square tables to support the door during the repair effort, using cardboard to protect the tables.

Jim Rak and I did the door repair, with assistance from Jim Morgan and Tim Raridon.  I had prepared a splice to replace the rotted bottom of the door, and we attached the prosthetic door-bottom using construction adhesive and long screws from below.  An unrotted corner of the door was left in place, as it contains the vertical latch.  (Sometime between the construction of the original building c. 1925 and now, a metal plate with a hole for the vertical-latch projection has gone missing, but the latch mechanism works.)

We’ll have to sand and repaint the bottom of the door, and will find and install a plate to cover the repair, but the door is secure and solid.  The brass hold-open device at the top of the door was gummed up and has been cleaned and lubricated.  Identical devices on all the Patio doors should be cleaned and lubed.

Tim was at work on the table that he has built for the audio and Zoom apparatus in Channing Hall.  He had painted the basic structure and was working on refinements until I left after 3 PM.

Elaine moved tree branches that have lain in the corner of the Parking Lot for some time and lopped small branches, which are now in the mound of wood for the chipper-shredder.  (Jim Morgan pumped up the wheelbarrow tire; we’ll need to deal with its slow leak.)  Larger branches are across the sidewalk from the mulch mounds, awaiting chainsawing.  Elaine weeded and trimmed, discovering previously-unrecognized poison ivy around the tree west of the Illinois doorway.  She also removed some poison ivy from the Patio fence area.

Jim Morgan trimmed vegetation hanging over the Patio wall on the side near the synagogue and mowed some of the weedy area across the street where the pile of branches had been.  Ellen conferred with Tim on a bike rack to be installed east of the Illinois entrance.

Randy mowed, Bob weeded.

I’ve probably failed to note some useful activities because I was too deeply engaged in the door-repair effort to check out everyone’s activities, but despite the shortage of opportunity for conviviality, this was an unusually productive Work Party.

Thanks to all.

Airpot Coffeemaker.  24 July.  Hospitality crew reported before this morning’s service that the coffeemaker wasn’t working.  I verified that there was power to the outlets.  The coffeemaker had worked fine a day earlier, at our Work Party.  Sue Anzelotti and Jim Ray delivered the gadget to Jim Stone’s home after Coffee Hour, and Jim investigated the problem, determining that a thermostat was burned out; there were parts available, but it was not clear which of two thermostats was which, and prospects for a successful repair seemed unpromising.  Jim will deal with recyclable bits and we’ll get a new device, compatible with the insulated carafes on hand.  (I’m reminded that the current crop of all-metal carafes represent a great improvement over the older glass-lined specimens, which were often broken and frequently left on the counter full of cold coffee and glass shards.)  The deceased coffeemaker was purchased when Rev. Alspaugh was in office, and has served through many years with our caffeinated congregation.  I hope that we’ll have its successor in place by next Sunday.  [Coffeemaker arrived morning of Saturday 30 July, and I’ve unboxed it for use on Sunday.  Works fine.]

Vegetation/Mulch.  30 July.  I cut up most of the limbs collected at last week’s Work Party.  There’s enough material to warrant bringing my chipper-shredder, whenever someone would like to assist.

Another task that could be done before the August Work Party is sanding and painting the repaired Channing-Patio door (see above).

Patio Door.  13 Aug.  Yesterday I sanded the indoor side of the above Patio door and packed some Plastic Wood into the cavity where some of the door had rotted out.  I’ll sand it down and see if the inserted material holds up.  [17 Aug.:  I discussed the door with Matt Jones after church on the 14^th, and he suggested that Bondo (used as automotive bodywork filler) would solve the problem.  That afternoon I sanded—learning that the Plastic Wood had hardened and filled most of the cavity) and applied Bondo, demonstrating that it would not be possible to do the job with the door in place.  On Monday 15 Aug., the next morning, Lowell and Ellen Satre helped me remove the door and lay it out on two square tables in the Patio.  After multiple stages of applying Bondo and sanding, it was reasonably smooth; Satres returned to help reinstall the door.  (Security note:  the building couldn’t be fully locked up between stages, since the door was on the tables in the Patio, so I set the alarm to Away to ensure that anyone who looked into the Patio, noticed the open door, climbed the fence, and entered the building would set off the motion detectors.)  Since then I’ve applied two coats of Kilz primer over the repaired areas.  This is a visual match on the outside of the door, but not on the inside, since doors were done in one of the 50 Shades of Beige applied during the Channing remodeling.  Repainting the inside of the door will be necessary.

Some time ago I noted that the bottom rod on the door’s curtain had disappeared; I brought in a replacement and set it in the Fall Room, whence it has disappeared.

Wheelbarrow.  17 Aug.  At our last Work Party the wheelbarrow’s tire was nearly flat, and Jim Morgan had to pump up the tire with a bike air-pump, as noted above.  I have purchased a new inner tube and will try to get that installed before our next Work Party on the 27^th.  [Done.]

Work Party, 27 Aug.  Present:  Marguerite Felice, Matt Jones, Roger LaFontaine, Daphne Mann, Jim Morgan, Jim Rak.  I arrived c. 9:15 and made coffee.  Kitchen drainer full, coffee apparatus parts dispersed, gooey liquid on floor near island sink.  Put away some stuff.  Dumped Kitchen compost container, which contained many insect eggs.

Daphne arrived early and began weeding.  Joneses painted inside of the double doors discussed above. 

I took Sarah King’s spouse, Shawn, to cupola to examine the roof (whose age and condition are unknown, thanks to the unfortunate custom of destroying records).  We learned that the ladder that had been affixed to the cupola’s entry hole had been removed and set in the Choir Loft, by unknown persons for unknown reasons.  We lifted an extension ladder from the Choir Loft into the attic and used it to enter the cupola, where we confirmed that there is no easy access to the roof from the cupola.

Jim Morgan mowed lawn spots where vegetation (mostly weeds) had grown noticeably, and trimmed branches.  Roger and Marguerite did more trimming and weeded around the trees near the Illinois entrance.

Jim Rak was preparing to paint some exterior Sanctuary windowsills when I left.

Several of those in attendance discussed Boiler Room water issues, disintegrating bricks in the enclosure of the Fall Room exit stairway, and the increasingly dangerous tripping-hazard joint between sidewalk and curb outside the Elm Street entrance.

A productive Work Party; thanks to all.

Work Parties, September and October.  We canceled the September Work Party because I had Covid and was contagious and exceedingly tired.  The October Work Party will convene on the 15^th; the stuff slated for September remains undone as of 30 September.  YSU home football game on 15 October is at 2 PM.

My chipper-shredder remains at Church in the northeast RE entryway; I’ll try to get in and do some solo mulch-grinding.

Yesterday I investigated the problematic Ramp Door.  Jim Rak had proposed grinding at the bottom of the door without removing it, but there is almost an inch between the door-bottom and the concrete; I was able to determine that the brass seal on the door-bottom is folded so that when it’s working properly the seal surrounds the brass threshold.  At present the seal is bent so that it interferes with closing the door.  When we take the door off to get at its bottom, we’ll be able to straighten the seal and to reattach it to the wooden door, using different holes so that the loosened nails will stay put for a while.

The door-closing spring device also needs attention.  I’ve adjusted the air valve so that the door can close more easily, but the device has worked loose from the door jamb.  Removing four screws will permit access to the bracket, which can then be reattached after the holes into the wood are tightened.  I don’t recall who recommended scrapping the device simply because it is old, but I oppose that option as wasteful.  It’s a well-designed, first-class device whose only problem is its attachment to the wooden door frame.

Dealing with the door will require several people, because the door is large and heavy.  I’ll bring sawhorses to hold it while we fix the bottom.  (As noted above, we had a pair of plastic sawhorses in the Boiler Room for some years, until someone disappeared them.  So it goes.)

Mulch-Grinding.  6 Oct.  I ran the machine Sunday afternoon (1 Oct.), and returned on Monday and Tuesday.  The pile of branches, etc., is now gone, converted into a much smaller pile of mulch to be used as needed.  I took home some relatively thick pieces, which will burn.  What constitutes suitable mulch-material seems to be unclear to some persons, since bundles of grassy weeds were in the pile, as were a large charred lump of wood, far too big for the grinder, and a weedy mass of roots, also too big.

Kitchen Refrigerator.  6 Oct.  Last night I learned that there was a problem with closing the freezer door on the fridge, and that the issue had been noticed at least a couple of weeks earlier, probably at the Pub Night, 17 Sept.  Nobody had informed me, or Jim Rak, or the Office.  I went in to work on it this morning and discovered–once a lot of loose ice cubes were cleared out and freezer contents removed—that the left side of the freezer drawer was out of its track.  I’d guess that someone tried to close it, encountered resistance from spilled ice cubes, and applied enough force to pop the gear out of its track, so that the drawer was notably off-kilter and could be closed only by forcing it shut.  I was able to wrestle the mechanism back into place; some damage to a tab on the left side, but now it works.  Reflections on the mentality that can lead someone to mess something up and conceal the problem are too depressing to include in this Chronicle.

October Work Party, 15 Oct.  Present:  Elaine Habeger, Jim Morgan, Lowell Satre, Bob Seibold, Jim Stone, Jeff Wagner, MB.

The main thing on the agenda was the door at the Accessibility Ramp.  Both Jims, Lowell, and Jeff arrived soon after out 10 AM start time, and we removed the door (more easily than I had expected) and laid it on sawhorses to allow access to the mangled copper insulating strip on its bottom.  I had hoped to straighten the strip and reinstall it, but it was beyond repair; we did one pass with a belt-sander and put the door back in place (again more easily than I had feared).  It really makes a difference to have enough people on hand.

The door-closing mechanism had to be disconnected, of course, and remains disconnected because we were unable to remove it from the door-frame to tighten its screws.  The screw that is readily accessible had no wood to grab, and the hole could not be improved with the gadget in place.  More effort will be required to get the device out and reinforce all three holes.  For the moment, the door closes easily.  I’ll procure a sealing device to attach to the outside of the door.

Jim Rak arrived as the door project was finishing up, and turned his attention to the mess in the Cave (storage area under the Office).  I had complained of the difficulty in getting out the metal ramps to load the chipper-shredder into my car to take it home, and Jim has rearranged the items in a more rational manner.  This will reduce the hassles involved in getting out the snowblower as winter approaches.

Elaine removed the accumulated leaves and twigs from the screens atop the window wells on the East side of the RE Wing.  [On Monday 17 Oct. I worked on one of those screens, removing and reinstalling staples to correct the mismatch between screen and wooden frame.  Screens should be slathered with spar varnish to reduce weather-caused deterioration, but that effort will probably have to wait till warmer weather.]

Bob worked on weeds, perhaps for the last time before Spring weather arrives.

All in all, a successful Work Party.  Thanks to all.

Further Notes on the Ramp Door.  23 Oct.  I’ve ordered a “door sweep” for the bottom of the above-mentioned door; estimated delivery 31 Oct.  I looked at local stores, but Handyman, Lowe’s, and Home Depot have only 36-inch sweeps, and we have a 42-inch door.  Item is aluminum, with a brush bottom that should hold up better than a rubbery strip.

Washbowl Faucet, Second-floor Restroom.  23 Oct.  It was reported this morning that the faucet was emitting very little water and leaking around the bottom of the fixture.  Jim Rak and I investigated, and Jim observed that the faucet spout was in fact clogged by corrosion (unclogged with screwdriver on my Swiss Army knife); so much for the limited water flow.  As to the leakage at the bottom of the fixture, it was apparent that water emitted by the spout was drooling from the spout opening and clinging via surface tension to the exterior bottom of the spout, making its way on the surface to the bottom of the fixture.  I found in my miscellaneous-plumbing-bits stash at home an insert for the spout opening, which I’ve installed.  The insert changes the profile of the spout opening so that water no longer adheres to the exterior of the spout.  One small victory, at no cost to the Church.

Bike Rack.  24 Oct.  Jim Rak has installed a rack, constructed from pipe, on the wall of the exterior stairwell leading to the Fall Room (left of the Illinois Door as viewed from outdoors).  This should be more convenient for cyclists than chaining bikes to the gas meter. (This improvement may be dubbed the “Rak Rack.”)

Fall Room Exit Door.  29 Oct.  Jim Rak has attached an aluminum patch on the exterior door, after removing rotten wood from the bottom 10 inches.  Screws, construction adhesive, and caulking should preserve the door for some time.  A significant task, which has remained undone for a long time, and needed to be dealt with before winter sets in.

Leaves.  29 Oct.  Lawn looks surprisingly good; seasonal leaf accumulation to date appears to have been chopped up with mower and absorbed into the grass.  Thanks to Randy Tullis.

Window Wells.  30 Oct.  After today’s service I used pushbroom and shopvac to clean out the RE window wells, which had the expected carpeting of acorns and other tree-crud.  The north window has a piece of its exterior bottom frame rotted away; should be simple to replace.

Ramp Door, Again.  6 Nov.  The door strip arrived—not white as ordered, but silver/aluminum.  Prolonged communications with Amazon appear to indicate that in fact the white finish isn’t available; so I painted the strip.  The brush has disappeared; door-bottom actually fits tight, so I’ll install the strip as is, to look neat and cover the ragged bottom of the wooden door. 

After struggling with the inaccessible screws that held the heavy, probably 1920s closing apparatus, I painted it and filled the screw-holes with dowels secured with JB Weld.  One of the holes needed to be dug out to remove a broken-off bit of the old screw.  (Replacement screws are #14 2-inch wood screws, oval-head Phillips, found at Lowe’s.  I’d have preferred Torx-head but could not find them.)  Yesterday morning, before the Sunday service, Tim Raridon assisted in reattaching the closer to the door-frame, a process that required enlarging the pilot holes that I had drilled.  After the service Jim Rak connected the device to the door, and I worked on smoothing the bottom of the door, using a “Multipurpose Tool” vibrating device with a cutting edge.  Adam Lee helped with the testing and trimming of the door-bottom surgery, and the door now seems to close properly.  I’ll apply sealer to the door-bottom.  [Done.]

Agenda for 19 Nov. Work Party.  14 Nov.

As our weeding specialist, Bob Seibold, has pointed out, we’re pretty much done with weeding until Spring.  Leaves are surprisingly well managed, thanks to Randy Tullis’s mowing, which has shredded the seasonal deciduous deposit.

The Cave [that is, the storage area beneath the Office] was brilliantly reorganized by Jim Rak, so stuff can be found and used without maddening, time-wasting excavations.  We need to see to it that the snow blower is ready to haul out when needed, not blocked in by other gadgets.  Important Fall tasks:

Get out salt containers from Cave and put them where they need to be, inside Illinois and Elm Street doors.  Get out anti slip mat (“Big Holey Mat), which should be atop fridge in Fall Room, and put it in place, with instructional signage.

If we have small laminated signs to put up near electric switches, install them with double-sided tape.  (These sometimes help when a circuit-breaker pops, if someone is capable of reading the signs instead of freaking out.)

If I’ve obtained a handle for the inside of the Fall Room exit door, install it.

[The problematic light Office fixture—fluorescent light not working, latch for translucent cover missing—is not something that can be done at a Work Party, since the Office will probably be in use and at least one electrically-confident person will be necessary.  Two specimens of the fixture are in the Choir Loft and one can be transplanted.]

Sweep floors in Boiler Room, B&G Closet, Fall Room, Illinois Closet, Chair Closet, and such places that are not on the menu for our regular cleaners.  Sweep stairwell outside Fall Room exit door.

No big projects conducive to large-scale collective activity; unless some painting project comes up, we may be maintaining defensive positions until Spring.

I expect to be at Church by 9:30 and make coffee, as usual; I hope to get to the YSU football game at noon, so I intend to leave c. 11:40 AM.

Work Party, 19 Nov.  Present:  Elaine Haberger, Matt Jones, Jim Rak.

Matt and I got out salt and anti-slip mats from the Cave and deployed them at the Illinois and Elm Street doors.  [I got snow shovels out of the Illinois Closet the next day.]  We rearranged the Cave contents so that the mower is toward the back of the space and the snowblower nearest the door.  One of the ramps for moving the snowblower has been damaged; I’ll replace the metal extensions with heavier-gauge pieces.

Elaine and I installed the door-bottom sweep on the exterior of the accessibility-ramp door.

Jim discussed with Matt and me the water flow along the south side of the building (outside Channing Hall).  Jim proposes to remove some of the wooden enclosures around the Channing windows, to encourage water to move toward the drains.  We also discussed issues with the boiler that heats the original building, particularly the enormous buildup of muddy brown crud that Bob Dieter and his assistant had removed on the previous day. 

Louisa Berger, probably assisted by others, cleared off the work table in the Fall Room, and it remained clear for at least an hour.

A useful Work Party; thanks to all.

Minor Improvements, 27 Nov.  This afternoon I applied a coat of Kilz2 primer to the outside sill of the north RE window-well.  I had installed a replacement for the rotted sill two days earlier, and the surprisingly warm weather made it possible to paint.  I also succeeded in tightening the remaining screw holding the door-closer on the Accessible Ramp door, using a newly-purchased screwdriver extension.  Genia Pierce had contributed a clock which I hung in Channing Hall above the window to the Kitchen.  I had wondered what had become of the previous clock; my spouse believes, plausibly, that the clock from Channing was moved to the Sanctuary to replace the dead clock on the back wall. 

Heating, Old Building.  11 Dec.  I got a call c. 6:40 AM; Joseph and others were setting up for a meditation session in chilly Channing Hall; thermostat was blank.  I took AA and AAA batteries to church and found that there were three AA batteries in the thermostat.  I had brought only two, but one of the previously-installed batteries showed no visible corrosion, and worked when reinstalled alongside the new ones.  Comments:  there were no AAA batteries in the Office drawer where batteries are kept—therefore someone in the past had taken away the last AAA without notifying anyone that the battery stash needed replenishing.  Presumably not an act of sabotage, but certainly an instance of inconsiderate and regrettable behavior.

Got a call c. 10 AM, reporting that boiler had not resumed heating.  Met Jim Rak, who checked various possibilities, and who had an extended phone consultation with Bob Dieter.  Boiler proved to be choked with excess water, which was drained; heating resumed.

I looked for batteries in the Sanctuary cabinet in the northwest corner, where we used to have batteries for assisted-hearing devices, and found that at present AA batteries for those devices are in a basket behind the last pew on the north side.  One of the cabinet’s doors could be opened only with the aid of my Swiss Army knife’s screwdriver, as the knob was missing.  Another inconsiderate and regrettable situation, as somebody must have had the knob come out of its place on the door, and must then have decided to disappear the knob instead of reinstalling it or notifying someone that it had come out of its place.  The cabinet compartment contains candles, not batteries, and needn’t be opened often, and I can find a substitute knob; but the all-too-common behavior of ignoring a problem instead of reporting it is distressing.  [Later installed substitute knob.]  MB

Work Party, 17 Dec.  Jim Rak wants to have a meeting, so we’ll assemble—probably in a small assemblage.  We’ve been skipping December for Work Parties because of the holiday distractions, but those who appear may be able to accomplish something.  10 AM as usual.  MB

Work Party, 17 Dec.  Present:  Matt Jones, Jim Rak, MB.  I arrived c. 9:40, made coffee, and began putting away stuff left out in the Kitchen.  I had received word earlier in the morning that our cleaner was detained by a snowstorm and would not be able to do the scheduled cleaning, so it was clear that much of the Work Party effort would have to be devoted to cleaning the building in time for the following day’s Sunday events.

Jim, assisted by Matt, repaired the sump pump which had been leaking for a long time.  Now the pump no longer has to re-pump water to get it out of the Boiler Room, so the pump should last longer before wearing out.

Matt and I swept and cleaned throughout the building.  Several sizeable cardboard boxes that has been left in the way in various places were flattened and set in the cardboard-recycling area.  The wastebasket from the Fall Room was found and returned to its proper place, and some labeling of trash containers in Kitchen and Channing was done. 

One of our upright vacuum cleaners (we have two, stored in the 2d-floor RE Hall near the restroom) proved to have a broken belt, and I’ll get a replacement Monday.  [Done; noted lack of suction and subsequently replaced dirty filter; worked ok when I tested it 1 Jan.]

This Work Party, the last one for 2022, was small but useful.  Thanks to Jim and Matt.  MB

Boiler, etc., 20 Dec. 2022—Responses to “Lisbet’s Thoughts” Memo      Martin Berger

Existing Steam Boiler and Radiators. 

I have found in my computer notes from 1996/97 indicating that that’s when the current boiler was installed.  I’ll look through the paper file in the Office for confirmation.

At that point there was no consideration of alternatives to installing a new boiler to replace the dead one; replacing the radiators with ductwork was beyond imagining, and in any case, moving heat via pipes was assumed to be more efficient than forced-air.

When the Channing remodeling was done, Dieter went over the existing radiators and cleaned up connections and control valves, and installed a new smaller one in the northeast corner of Channing, where for unknown reasons there hadn’t been a radiator.  The cosmetic redesign concealed the Channing radiators from view behind reasonably attractive, reasonably accessible gratings, and devised wooden shelving/sills above them.  Dieter proposed modification of the steam pipes to enable independent heating of the Sanctuary and Channing, so as to reduce the expenditure of energy, but could not persuade those who were making the decisions.

The pipes that carry steam to the radiators and water back to the boiler have been there since the original building’s construction in the 1920s, and it is not surprising that rust and crud have accumulated in nearly a century.  We have not been diligent in bleeding and purging the system (Dieter says it should be done weekly, at least during the heating season).  It is not surprising that rust and crud have been able to gum up the air vents, including the new one that Paul installed near the Channing elevator door, I believe in 2021 or even early 2022 (on that recent date we should have info on file).  I was impressed/ grossed out by the crud that Dieter and his assistant removed from that vent a few weeks ago, as the assistant and I scrambled to carry buckets of reddish crud to dump in the Kitchen.  Whether a chemical purge would help clean the pipes I do not know; we’ll have to consult experts in the field.

Jim Rak says that he spoke with Dieter this morning, and that Dieter was unable to come in and commit to substantial work on the boiler system; he was in the midst of restoring heat for a freezing family.  He told Jim that some companies that did boiler work had recently closed up.  In the short run, Jim and/or Paul will move the air vent in the Boiler Room, which may have been repositioned lower than it should have been; hope is that repositioning will discourage clogging of the valve and consequent overfilling of the boiler’s pipes, which causes the boiler to shut itself off.

Alternative Heating Systems.  I know nothing of “electric mini-splits.”  How they disperse heat needs to be explained.  If they create heat through induction, that’s widely considered to be an inefficient means of heating; electricity is still mostly generated by fossil fuels, and might even be environmentally nastier than burning gas for a boiler.  Ane electricity seems unlikely to become cheaper.

During the Channing remodeling, Dieter suggested installing an air-conditioning system in the Patio, to cool Channing in the summer.  Another good idea—increasingly attractive as the planet warms—that was rejected as too practical.

Roof and Solar Panels.  I think that we can agree that solar panels on the South side of the old-building roof are a promising prospect.  Issues to consider:  (1) We don’t know how old the roof is, or what its condition is.  It’s been there a long time, and will cost a lot to replace; until at least the side to be covered by solar panels is modernized, it would be idiotic to put solar panels on a surface that would soon require replacement and removing and reinstalling the panels.  (2) How would the energy from the solar panels be integrated into the Church’s electrical system?  I assume that the power companies’ political weight makes it unlikely that this state will soon allow surplus solar power to be fed into the electrical network, producing revenue for the Church.  If surplus power needs to be stored in batteries, how does that process work, what do the batteries cost, how long do they last, etc.?

Boiler Issues.  26 Dec.  Most current readers of the B&G Chronicle are aware of difficulties with the boiler that heats the Old Building (Sanctuary and Channing Hall)  For readers in later generations, if any, the boiler has been shutting itself off; see above, 11 Dec., for instance.  We’ve continued to have problems, as with pre-Christmas and Christmas events that have been chilly.  Very cold outdoor temperatures have intensified the difficulties.  We’ve been able to get the boiler to relight by turning the thermostat down a bit, then back up to the desired temperature; sometimes the restart effort has been accompanied by bleeding the system to get the water level down to where it belongs.  How long the boiler keeps boiling as it should is unpredictable.  [2 Jan. 2023—Jim Rak removed several gallons of decreasingly brown water from the valve/vent near the Channing elevator on 30 Dec.  We’ve checked boiler operation and thermostat settings repeatedly, and all has been working; it’s almost as perplexing not to know why it’s working as it is to know why it is, on other occasions, not working.]

This state of affairs is of course unacceptable, but assured short-term fixes are hard to envision.  Bob Dieter, who has handled boiler problems in the past, cleaned out a clog in the pipes more recently, and explained basic issues to me and Jim Rak (who understands it better than I do), is currently overwhelmed by other commitments.  Probably our problems result from crud in the 90+ year-old pipes and/or bad communication between boiler and thermostat.  We (Jim, Matt Jones, Lisbet, and I) are actively engaged in seeking expert aid, directed in the short run toward making the current boiler resume the reliable operation that it has delivered for years.  Longer-term (and monstrously-greater-cost) options can and should be considered, but they won’t keep us unfrozen during the present winter.

Work Party 21 Jan.  We’re scheduled for the third Saturday, as usual.  Some paint flaking on ceiling of Elm Street vestibule can be dealt with—a doable indoor job even if it’s frigid.

B&G Organization.  I am retired from being B&G Chair (no official notice received, but this has been discussed and I have reliable hearsay).  Plan is to place B&G leadership in the hands of Jim Rak and Matt Jones; I shall continue to serve as scribe or recording secretary.  I have come to realize that the B&G Chronicle should be conveyed regularly to the Board of Trustees, and I’ll commence send it to the Board as well as the list of builders and groundlings.  

Martin Berger

Boiler Issues.  26 Dec.  Most current readers of the B&G Chronicle are aware of difficulties with the boiler that heats the Old Building (Sanctuary and Channing Hall)  For readers in later generations, if any, the boiler has been shutting itself off; see above, 11 Dec., for instance.  We’ve continued to have problems, as with pre-Christmas and Christmas events that have been chilly.  Very cold outdoor temperatures have intensified the difficulties.  We’ve been able to get the boiler to relight by turning the thermostat down a bit, then back up to the desired temperature; sometimes the restart effort has been accompanied by bleeding the system to get the water level down to where it belongs.  How long the boiler keeps boiling as it should is unpredictable.  [2 Jan. 2023—Jim Rak removed several gallons of decreasingly brown water from the valve/vent near the Channing elevator on 30 Dec.  We’ve checked boiler operation and thermostat settings repeatedly, and all has been working; it’s almost as perplexing not to know why it’s working as it is to know why it is, on other occasions, not working.]

This state of affairs is of course unacceptable, but assured short-term fixes are hard to envision.  Bob Dieter, who has handled boiler problems in the past, cleaned out a clog in the pipes more recently, and explained basic issues to me and Jim Rak (who understands it better than I do), is currently overwhelmed by other commitments.  Probably our problems result from crud in the 90+ year-old pipes and/or bad communication between boiler and thermostat.  We (Jim, Matt Jones, Lisbet, and I) are actively engaged in seeking expert aid, directed in the short run toward making the current boiler resume the reliable operation that it has delivered for years.  Longer-term (and monstrously-greater-cost) options can and should be considered, but they won’t keep us unfrozen during the present winter.

Work Party 21 Jan.  We’re scheduled for the third Saturday, as usual.  Some paint flaking on ceiling of Elm Street vestibule can be dealt with—a doable indoor job even if it’s frigid.

B&G Organization.  I am retired from being B&G Chair (no official notice received, but this has been discussed and I have reliable hearsay).  Plan is to place B&G leadership in the hands of Jim Rak and Matt Jones; I shall continue to serve as scribe or recording secretary.  I have come to realize that the B&G Chronicle should be conveyed regularly to the Board of Trustees, and I’ll commence send it to the Board as well as the list of builders and groundlings.  

Martin Berger