Webster Word

A Note From Your Moderator

My favorite time of year is here. And, I suspect all of you are equally happy that the forsythias and daffodils are about to bloom. Soon we’ll be opening the church windows and letting the fresh air blow through the church competing for space with the sound of the organ and the Words from our pastor.

Winter left its mark on our old building. We’ve addressed the siding being torn from the steeple. Now we have a new challenge.

During our roof renovations, we repaired broken slates and fixed the dilapidated copper corner flashing. However, at the time we didn’t have the funds to remove the snow dams – the little metal pieces on the roof edge that prevent snow from falling. These snow dams are causing damage. The snow sits on the roof and melts, then refreezes. The weight of the snow causes the nails holding the dams in place to loosen. When the snow melts, water starts leaking into the ceiling of the sanctuary.

I climbed the steeple and walked through the rafters of the sanctuary. With a flashlight, I found the leaks. I also noticed that the fascia boards that hold the gutters in place were rotting and full of holes. I could see the parsonage through these holes. The combination of the snow dams and failing gutters are destroying our ceiling and walls.

We need to address 3 problems: removing the snow guards, replacing the gutter fascia boards, and replacing the gutters, which are torn off in many areas due to the rotting fascia boards.

We have 2 estimates for repair. The first contractor quoted us $3000, the second $5000. The difference in price is that the $5000 estimate included 6-inch seamless gutters, while the $3000 estimate included 5-inch seamless gutters.

The church budgeted for repairs, but not enough to cover these costs. Note, we recently had to pay a $1000 insurance deductible to cover the steeple repairs – this cost ate into our Trustee repair budget.

The Board voted to address these repairs, but the Board will address how to pay for the repairs in the next meeting.

As such, we are starting a fundraiser to cover these costs. Please consider donating what you can afford to the repairs, as it is needed. I appreciate that everyone is on a budget, but if each family donates $50, we could do it. You can do so by putting a check in the plates or by letting Graham Silsby or me know how much you chose to contribute. We will include this donation as an addition to your annual, tax deductible, pledge. Please write in the memo box on your check “for gutter repair.”

Thanks in advance for your support to our church.

Respectfully Submitted,

Curtis Cohen, Moderator