The Building and Grounds Subcommittee, known as the Re-Mod Squad, hosted a Seminar on November 20th  titled “Taking Care of Your Church Home”.  They presented an update on the context, status and plan for addressing the substantial needs for repairs, renovations, replacements, and upgrades of our UCG campus.

Committee member, Liz Harvey, gave a tongue in cheek synopsis of the UCG Campus needs using medical analogies:

• The roof suffers from incontinence;
• the plumbing, gutters and grounds suffer from constipation if not blockage;
• the foundation suffers from stress fractures;
• joints need knee and hip replacements;
• room dividers are shuffling their feet;
• switches suffer from arthritis;
• cancer is eating away at trusses;
• and some of the HVAC systems have pulmonary embolisms that could cause their death at any moment;
• and the metaphors go on . . .

Most importantly, we heard why people attended the seminar, such as:  How can we listen, help and support?; How bad is it?;  No secrets/no surprises.  A key priority given by the Seminar attendees is that we need to educate and communicate to our congregation about the UCG Campus needs and what it will take to address them.  “We can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”

Thanks to Erick Smith, another committee member, who led a UCG Landscape Work Day on Saturday, November 19th.  Fifteen people provided their sweat equity to cut back ten years of growth along 5th Avenue, the parking lot and the north side of the Sanctuary.  THANK YOU!  People featured in the attached photos:

Sadie Darnell, Jane Emmeree, Elizabeth Franco, Jim Harper, Ron Hix, Dave Kramek, Carol James, Angela and Aaron Mickle with Olivia, Eve and Mia, Sally Simonis, Stephen Bottomly, Liz Harvey, Glenn Mans, Lois McNamara, and Erick Smith.