It has been a challenging fall season for the Property Team. Our numbers on any given week have been limited for various reasons, yet we have managed to take care of most of the basic tasks on our plate. The normal, inside routine of tidying up things here and there has continued. A few burned out light bulbs remain to be changed as time permits. Nearly all of our bulb replacements involve a ladder of some sort, and sometimes, a reach rod. The ceiling fan in the sanctuary is currently out of service, most likely because of a communication problem between the remote control unit and the signal receiver unit in the fan. We are working on a solution. The problem and trouble-shooting are aggravated by distance since the fan unit and remote are at about the maximum recommended distance apart. If any of you readers have experience resetting fan control receivers and/or remote controls, please contact me. I suppose the good news is the fan light is now out! The added bad news is that the very dirty fan blades are now visible for all to see and we are also trapping nice warm air at the top of the sanctuary.
The lawn equipment has been winterized and stored, and the snow removal contract has been signed. The snow-blower has been test started and we have stabilized fuel ready to use. We should be ready for the inevitable snow. Some outside grounds work did not get done before winter this year and will have to wait for spring. I can't recall that happening before. We do what we can reasonably do, given our numbers.
You may have noticed two new, decorative pear trees recently planted near the lighted information sign and the prayer garden. These trees have replaced two older and larger decorative fruit trees that had become diseased and were progressively failing. The replacements were generously provided by Byrl Short and installed by Byrl's son, David, who operates Stratham Circle Nursery.
We have been gradually putting up seasonal decorations as the Advent season has progressed. To date this has included garlands, bows, door wreaths, and the Chrismon Tree.
A portion of the exterior lighting unit above the main entry doors failed requiring replacement of the entire unit. We also replaced two interior emergency light units, both of which were functional, but damaged. The test button for one unit had failed and the Fire Department could not verify that the light worked properly. A portion of the second unit was held together by duct tape, which is not a violation, but did attract Fire Department attention. We also have a quote to replace the two exterior lighting units for illuminating the steeple. These lights have been out of service for a long time and were probably damaged in the lightning strike we experienced in 2020. The problem went unnoticed at the time because they were on the same circuit as the parking lot lights which were not impacted.
Dave Mercer, Property Team Leader (pro tempore)