scc highlights - july 2012

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A monthly publication of the Somers Congregational Church, UCC July, 2012 Gathered in Somers, Connecticut, March 15, AD 1727 Volume 285 Number 7 The Reverend Dr. Barry Cass, Pastor Church Email Addresses: Barry Cass - [email protected] Carly Sanborn - [email protected] Jacqueline Nappi - [email protected] Liz Scanlon - [email protected] Barbara Anderson - [email protected] Website: www.somerscongregational.org The First Sunday of each month is Name Badge Sunday! Be known! Wear your Name Badge. No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here. BACKPACKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (Note: Backpacks are needed for students grades K-12) 3 RING BINDERS – 1 inch and 2 inch LOOSE-LEAF NOTEBOOK PAPER COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS PADS FOR BINDERS DIVIDER, POCKETS, INSERTS FOR BINDERS ZIPPERED POUCHES FOR NOTEBOOKS GLUE STICKS PENS/PENCILS/RETRACTABLE PENCILS ERASERS RULERS STICKY NOTE PADS RULED INDEX CARDS SAFETY SCISSORS BASIC CALCULATORS BOOK COVERS ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF . . . . * FOR SOMERS KIDS IN NEED AND COVENANT TO CARE KIDS * Please drop the supplies you bring in the bin labeled “Back Packs” at JMH Educational Center by August 12 th

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SCC Highlights - July 2012

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A monthly publication of the Somers Congregational Church, UCC July, 2012 Gathered in Somers, Connecticut, March 15, AD 1727 Volume 285 Number 7

The Reverend Dr. Barry Cass, Pastor

Church Email Addresses:

Barry Cass - [email protected] Carly Sanborn - [email protected] Jacqueline Nappi - [email protected] Liz Scanlon - [email protected]

Barbara Anderson - [email protected]

Website:

www.somerscongregational.org

The First Sunday of each month is

Name Badge Sunday!

Be known! Wear your Name Badge.

No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.

BACKPACKS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

(Note: Backpacks are needed for students grades K-12) 3 RING BINDERS – 1 inch and 2 inch

LOOSE-LEAF NOTEBOOK PAPER COMPOSITION NOTEBOOKS

PADS FOR BINDERS DIVIDER, POCKETS, INSERTS FOR BINDERS

ZIPPERED POUCHES FOR NOTEBOOKS GLUE STICKS

PENS/PENCILS/RETRACTABLE PENCILS ERASERS RULERS

STICKY NOTE PADS RULED INDEX CARDS

SAFETY SCISSORS BASIC CALCULATORS

BOOK COVERS

ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF . . . .

* FOR SOMERS KIDS IN NEED

AND COVENANT TO CARE KIDS * Please drop the supplies you bring in the bin labeled

“Back Packs” at JMH Educational Center by August 12th

As I write this I have just come from the first day of

2012 Vacation Bible School. The Bugbee Center was filled

with lively sounds, creative and educational activities and a

very large amount of caring! Our CED Liz Scanlon has done

an incredible job getting this organized, rounding up and

supporting the volunteers and making sure everything was in

its place for today’s opening. Six months after the fire it is

great to see the kids having a good time and using the Bugbee

Center once again.

VBS is only one of the positive and encouraging things going on. I am finding that some of our

regular activities have taken on more meaning because I am not taking things so much for granted.

Using Bugbee for VBS used to be something we did without thinking about it, but this year it is a

special blessing to be in that building. There is so much going on in terms of the Meeting House, it is a

good thing to find some regular normal activities. As the weekly updates related to the Meeting House

have been saying, there are many things being done by many people to keep the church operating and

reaching out.

The fact that worship continues to take place twice on each Sunday is also a positive thing. I am

certainly aware that it is not easy for the Deacons to arrive early, get everything out of the closets and

in place in time for the 8:15 service. Jackie is doing a great job using the key board, and the work she

and the choir has done has helped keep all of us focused in the importance of worshiping together.

It is also a blessing that so many of you, the members of the church, have committed yourselves

to being present in worship while we are out of the building. We are very fortunate to have use of the

JMH Community Education Building and are glad that it is so well suited for our needs. But it goes

without saying that we will be glad when we can worship in our new sanctuary. Those of you who

make the trek up the hill every Sunday are certainly making it clear that the church is not the building

but the people. You are also showing your understanding that your church is counting on your presence

now more than ever as we work through this challenging time together. Each of you worshiping on

Sunday makes me feel happy to be your pastor and to be working with you.

The summer is always a challenging time to keep up church attendance, and being dislocated

will add to the challenge. It really is good to know that the outpouring of support we experienced in

January is being carried by so many of you into the summer and beyond. To be the church in this

difficult time takes the added commitment you have shown. As we have grown aware that so many

people have counted on the church to be there for them in the good and bad times of their lives, so now

it is good to see we can count on members and friends to be present as the church moves through a bad

time.

Facing the challenges together means finding the strength of God’s Spirit in our midst and

moving into the future with a fuller understanding of the blessings we have received.

Peace –

Barry

Tuesday July 10 - 7 P.M. – In the Bugbee Center

July’s book is The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn

nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose

Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads,

moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains.

Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his

children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all,

how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and

couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.”

Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a

painting that might last forever. Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life

faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town—and the family—Rex Walls had

done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for

days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for

themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the

resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and

intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity.

Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a

family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on

her own terms.

From the Church Historian . . . .

Pilgrim Hall Our beautiful Pilgrim Hall, while not completely burned by the fire that destroyed our meeting house, was very badly damaged. The Chapel or Pilgrim Hall was built in 1858 across the street from the meeting house on land owned by our church and where our Town Hall now stands. We have correspondence dated July 1947 between the Selectmen (Oliver C. Pease, First Selectman) and the Prudential Committee of the Somers Congregational Church (Margaret. B. Pease, clerk) stating that the Selectmen offered and the church accepted the offer to move the chapel onto a foundation provided by the church in consideration of a deed to the Town of Somers for the land on which the chapel stands. For several years Pilgrim Hall was used for church school classes and as a meeting room for Girl Scouts and Brownies. The basement was divided into two rooms, a kitchen and a meeting room used by Women’s fellowship and probably as a classroom. Later the two rooms were joined to form a larger kitchen. In the 1980’s, the Girl Scouts moved their meetings to the Bugbee Center and Pilgrim Hall was renovated to form the beautiful reception and meeting room that we knew. The 14 foot ceiling was lowered by a new sheetrock ceiling with recessed lighting. Walls were painted, wainscoting was added and a new carpet installed. Eight foot double paned windows replaced the five original windows of the building. A kitchenette was added which was used for receptions as well as preparation of communion. At that time there was a small lavatory which was removed when the new addition was added. Almost all the work was done by church members including the 8 foot bookcase at the north end that was designed and built by volunteers. Pilgrim Hall became our church parlor with Hitchcock furniture donated by church members. Some of the furniture was saved. Six pieces of Hitchcock furniture are being restored by the Hitchcock company. The bookcase was not destroyed so books and artifacts from there were saved. One of the things thoughtfully saved by our firefighters was the sign in the accompanying picture. After the death of his daughter Kristin, Rev. Randy Hammond, asked Judith Shaver, a high school classmate of Kristin, to paint the sign. Judith continued on to major in studio art. Judith is the daughter of Fran Shaver. When our new meeting house is complete we will have a church parlor but we will continue to fondly remember our old one and the events held there.

Ailene Henry

Church Historian

Altar Flowers for the Month of July July 1 Altar Flowers this morning are given by George and Shirley Warner in honor of all those who have served and are serving our country

July 8 OPEN July 15 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Dick and Anne Larson in loving memory of their parents July 22 OPEN July 29 OPEN

It is our custom that altar flowers are donated in memory of or in honor of loved ones. Arrangements can be bought or hand-done. An individual or a group of individuals can donate them.

There can be more than one bouquet on any given Sunday. If you would like to give flowers for the altar in July, please call Claudette Colby (860-749-3570)

Worship at Blair Manor On the Second Tuesday of each month our church is responsible for a worship

service at Blair Manor. Led by our pastor, worship begins at 10:30 A.M. and lasts

about a half hour. We are fortunate that Anne Larson accompanies the group in

singing two hymns most months. Other members and friends of the church are more

than welcome to join us, to be a part of the service and to add voices to the singing.

If you have any questions, talk to Barry.

The next Blair Manor worship service will be Tuesday, July 10 at 10:30 A.M.

www.somerscongregational.org The church website will have weekly updates on the progress of the Meeting House. They can

be viewed by going to www.somerscongregational.org/restoration. You can also like us on

Facebook to be notified when the updates are posted.

Field of Flags The Field of Flags with 6,469 is currently at the

Asbury United Methodist Church in Forestville

(Bristol), CT.

Weekly Scripture Readings for July 2012

* passage that will be Church School's prime focus for the week

**passage that will be Church School's secondary focus for the week

July 1 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Communion Sunday)

2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 Psalm 130 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43

July 8 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 5:1-5 Psalm 48 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13

July 15 Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Psalm 24 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29

July 22 Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

July 29 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalm 14 Ephesians 3:14-21 John 6:1-21

Somers Congregational United Church of Christ

599 Main Street, Somers, CT 860-763-4021

Free Community Supper Sunday, July 15 5 to 6:30 P.M.

In the BUGBEE CENTER at the Church

Hosted by the Membership Board EVERYONE is invited to share this free Community Supper and to enjoy the fellowship and

good time. Bring your family and friends.

Let us know you are coming by signing up at church, or calling or e-mailing the church office.

If you are interested in hosting a Community Supper, please call the Church office.

Have a SAFE AND HAPPY 4th of JULY

CHURCH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Because of everyone’s efforts, Children’s day and the picnic made for

a wonderful day of fellowship.

Thank you to everyone who helped move tables and chairs back and

forth to Bugbee, and to all who helped move chairs (many times) on

Barry’s lawn. Thank you for sharing your amazing foods and desserts.

Thank you to the Christian Education Board: Sharon, Jen, Jill, Mark,

Andrea and Karen. All their help with planning, setting up, shopping

for food, making sure tables were replenished, and their support was

invaluable in making the event a success.

A big thank you to Andy and Mark for manning the grill that day, and keeping up with the demand.

The children performed an interactive Noah’s Ark skit that was enjoyed by all. They worked so hard and should

be proud.

A special thanks to all the Sunday School teachers and substitutes who gave their time and dedicated

themselves each week.

Thank you to Barry for opening up his house for fellowship and fun. It truly was a wonderful day!

Liz Scanlon, Christian Education Director

For Summer Sunday School in July, we will continue to work on the 10

Commandments.

Look for details in the August Highlights for Fall Sunday School registration and

Homecoming Sunday.

We had over 95 children signed up for our 2012 VBS !!!!

A special thanks to Liz Scanlon, our Christian Education Director, and all our VBS

volunteers for their efforts and time. We also would like to thank all those

who donated the food items. VBS was a great success due to the contributions of everyone involved and we appreciate all that was done

to make it happen.

Special Thank You....... Silk City Chorus for the wonderful benefit concert held at

Somers High School, raising over $4000.00 for the Building

Fund

Cedar Knob Golf Course and Cedar Castle Restaurant for

hosting a benefit for the Building Fund which raised $1000.00

Sonny’s Place/Somers Golf Center for hosting our 3rd

Annual

Mini-Golf Tournament

Thanks…

To all of you who, in the past month have share with

me congratulations on the birth of my wonderful

grandson, Weston Thomas Cass. Your thoughts and

prayers have added to the family’s joy. Thank you

also to those who extended condolences following the

death of my dad on June 3 and of his sister, my aunt

Bernice, on June 10.

Again, it has meant a lot to me and my family to know that we are held in your thoughts and prayers. Barry

Thank you to all who took note of my 80th birthday. All

the cards and messages touched our hearts and made us

feel closer to our friends in Somers.

George Lelievre

I feel sorry for any of you who missed the Children’s Day festivities and service in Barry’s cool backyard.

After 47 years of children’s performances, this was our favorite. Noah’s Ark was simple, short, and so child

done. They performed and they made the scenery & costumes without too much adult interference. Noah

and the Ark were colorfully told. Those participating children may well remember this forever and think

fondly of that day.

Fun games for the children had been planned and the food was

excellent. Many a hot dog and hamburg were cooked.

Odes to Liz Scanlon and the CE Board for creating this experience

for the children.

~Dee and John Moak

Council Corner June 19, 2012 Inventory update. The inventory list put together by committees and the

list put together by the public adjuster have been sent electronically to the

Board/Committee Chairs for review. Each Chair has been asked to have

committee members review both lists to see if anything is missing (not just

the list the committee submitted). One member of each committee should

be designated to do a list of missing items so it can be sent electronically.

We need to make sure that any items that have been purchased as replacements are listed on an

inventory list. We hope to have the lists completed by the next Church Council meeting on July 17.

Items in Storage. The list of items that were removed from the building and put in storage are listed in

a notebook in the church trailer. These items will be delivered back to the church during the week of

July 2nd. We will need help sorting the items and deciding what is truly usable.

Restoration Committee update. Work on the Church Office Building should begin soon. The 3 bids for

the fire alarm system have been submitted to the Insurance Committee. Once we get approval we can

begin. The Fire alarm system must be installed before any sheetrock. (See article/photos of what needs

to be done).

Building Committee update. The Building Committee continues to meet weekly with the architects. (see

article by Mark Marshall).

Organ Committee update. The contract for the organ builder is being reviewed and should be finalized

very soon so our organ builders. can begin work.

Appointments. No appointments were made in June. All committees are filled. Community Supper. July

15th supper will be sponsored by the Membership Board. August is open. September will be sponsored by

the Mission Board. Any board or committee, group of friends, neighborhoods or families can host a

community supper. Just call the church office to reserve a month. Donations from the previous month

cover the expenses for the next month.

Building Fund. The Church Council approved up to $65,000.00 from the Building Fund which includes

$43,104.65 for the invoice from the estimator. The estimator was hired by the church council in

February to do a cost estimate to rebuild the church. The other seven items include money to move the

stairs in the memorial garden due to the new corner footprint of Pilgrim Hall which will be flush with the

side of the new church. Other items are “new” rather than replacement such as a special door for the

additional technology equipment, an additional window in the church office, glass in the door of the

adjoining workroom and needed framing for the new double doors that will go from the church office

building to the new church on both floors.

Questions or Comments about the new church? If you have any questions or comments about the new

building (sanctuary, chancel, narthex, Pilgrim Hall, church kitchen) the Building Committee still wants to

hear from you as decisions are not yet final. Please send comments to: [email protected]

You can also leave written questions/comments in the building committee mailbox in the office trailer.

Anne Kirkpatrick ([email protected])

Strawberry Lunch Takes Place On Schedule!

In January we announced the annual strawberry lunch would still

take place the second Tuesday in June. We didn’t quite know how we

would do it without a kitchen, but we knew we would come up with a “Plan

B”. With the efforts of many people pitching in, the strawberry lunch

took place on schedule! Members and friends donated most of the

mayonnaise, tuna, sugar and bisquick that was needed.

We rented a walk-in refrigerator from Polar Leasing. Larry Urban helped to cut our

rental costs by driving to Millfield, MA to pick it up on Friday and return the 8’ by 12’ trailer on

Tuesday. The 60 flats of strawberries were all washed on Saturday and stored in our new gray

bins in the walk-in. Lois Lindell headed up the advertising, mailing and was the hulling “Captain”

for the Sunday afternoon annual event with 60 flats of strawberries to hull and slice.

Women’s Fellowship made arrangements with the Methodist Church in Stafford and

cooked 1,200 biscuits on Monday and then transported all of them back to the church to store

on the racks overnight. At the same time on Monday morning Laurie Gorski did her masterful

matching of the boxes to all the orders as they were sorted by time and then geographically for

deliveries. Monday afternoon Tom and Judy Mehl arrived for their annual sandwich filling mixing

for the fillings for more than 800 sandwiches.

The sandwich crew headed by Anne Larson arrived early Tuesday morning to begin the

assembly line process of making all of the sandwiches. Women’s Fellowship and friends had their

assembly line going making over 1,000 shortcakes. Jill Conley, Lisa Gay and JoAnn Hornyak

started the packing process as Dee Moak and Shirley Warner handled the money as people came

to pick up their orders and our delivery helpers started doing their routes.

It all came together, once again, even though nothing was the same……no kitchen,

different rooms, different layout, different pickup area, very small kitchen for cleanup and yet,

once again, we did it and we made about $30.00 more money than the previous year with

additional expenses of $600.00. Thank you everyone for pitching in once again to help keep

things going normally in an abnormal year.

Anne K.

Annual

Strawberry Lunch

Held Without

Church Kitchen

Church Office

Room 206 Meeting Room

Work To Begin on Church Office Building

The Church Office Building suffered extensive damage due to the amount of water that was

pumped into the building in order to save it. We were very fortunate that the firewall

prevented the building from burning, but the moisture in the walls and insulation meant that the

sheetrock and insulation had to be removed from the floor to four feet up in some areas and

completely removed in other areas. The suspended ceiling and the ceiling grid on the first floor

was removed as well as all the plumbing and electrical fixtures. Furniture in the offices had to

be discarded because of the moisture damage. On the second floor the sheetrock ceilings had

to be removed, much of the sheetrock on the walls and again, all of the plumbing and electrical

fixtures. The tile on the four bathroom walls had to be removed. Some of the doors were

damaged and will be replaced. Others can be saved and will need to be re-painted. After several

cleanings the porcelain tile on the first floor has been saved, including our special dove in the

center.

One of the biggest problems to solve has been how to get temporary heat into the 2-story

building. The heat was controlled by the boiler in the church basement which is gone. Several

possibilities have been reviewed to see which is the most cost effective and covered by our

insurance. The project that must be completed before sheetrock can begin is a new fire alarm

system that is required by code for this building and for the Bugbee Center.

Bids have been submitted to the insurance company. The Restoration Committee has been

meeting to make the decisions on paint colors, carpet, light fixtures etc. Green Construction has

the contract for the restoration of the building. Some parts of this project will be paid for

from our Building Fund donations if they are “new” rather than restored i.e. replacing the one

door to the hallway to the “new” sanctuary with two center doors or an extra window in the

church office. The Memorial Garden stairs will need to be moved because the new Pilgrim Hall

and church kitchen will be flush with the outside line of the sanctuary. There is much to be

done. We hope to have the Church Office Building re-opened by September so our staff can

“return home” soon.

Were you ever . . . …. in a garage band? Did you play a mean bass, lead the group as a vocalist, keep everyone

on track with your strong drum beat? Well, since we had the chance to take part in

the benefit worship/concert led by the Worship Group from the United Methodist Church

of Simsbury, some of us have been thinking that there may be some hidden talent in our

pews. If there is, we would like to explore the possibility of using that garage

band talent - - and even some more traditional musical talent like brass and

woodwinds – to offer some alternative music for worship and celebration.

THIS IS AN EXPLORATION, but if you would be interested in being in on the ground

floor of this, thinking together about what the possibilities might be, talk to Barry. There is no

minimum and no maximum age for this – just an interest in seeing what we might be able to do together.

PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW THIS FALL

The Music and Arts Committee is sponsoring a Photography Show this

fall: "Somers Seen" will feature photographs of Somers and

environs. Anyone is welcome to enter up to four photos. Submissions will

be displayed in the refurbished church office building in the fall, exact dates

to be determined. Requirements and time for submissions will be available

soon on the church website, at the church office, and at Sunday services at

the hospital, but you can start now taking photos of our town and its

beautiful natural surroundings, or you can look through past photos for your

submissions.

Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism on June 24:

Grayson Ryll was born on August 30, 2011 in Manchester, CT. His parents are

Erik and Shannan Ryll. His godparents are Eric Marcoux and Nicole DeRealu.

Needed items:

PEANUT BUTTER

JELLY

PASTA

We gratefully accept monetary donations as they go a

long way at Foodshare.

Somers Congregational Church

Building Committee – July 2012 Highlights

Building Committee Members: Jim Jewell, Pat Jones, John Jones, Diane Joseph (secretary),

Tom Mehl, Sara Mulvihill, Mark Marschall (Chair), Barry Cass ex-officio, Anne Kirkpatrick

ex-officio. Donna Hanks will work with us as Treasurer of the Insurance Committee.

The project continues on a Fast Track schedule under the guidance of our architects, Clohessy

Harris & Kaiser, LLC (www.chkarch.com) and our Construction Manager, Petra Construction

Corp. (www.petraconstruction.com) that the Building Committee selected on May 22nd

. Petra

Construction began work for us the next day. They worked closely with the CHK Architects

design team to come up to speed very quickly. The team continues with the later stages of

Phase C, Design Development, and with Petra on board, their estimators were able to work with

CHK Architects and their consultants to develop the first construction estimate to present to the

insurance company. This is a significant accomplishment in a very short period of time.

Here are the highlights of what has been accomplished or is planned to be complete by the end

of June.

o On May 22nd

, the Building Committee listened to the on-site interview presentations of the

four Construction Manager finalists and selected Petra Construction Corp. to be the

Construction Manager for our project. The Building Committee achieved its goal to have

the CM on board right away to work with CHK Architects to develop a detailed

construction estimate to build our church. We are close to the end of Design Development

and we need to provide our Insurance Committee with this construction estimate so they can

present it to the insurance company. Petra committed to having this estimate to the

Insurance Committee by mid-June and it was delivered on June 15th.

o On May 29th

, John Sousa, CHK Architects’ kitchen design consultant, met with the

Building Committee and kitchen “experts” who could attend to review the kitchen design

with the improvements that were identified on May 1st. The meeting resulted in a final

design which CHK will incorporate into their overall design. John Sousa provided a final

set of cut sheets with itemized costs that could be used by Petra Construction for their

construction estimate. CHK Architects will continue work on design details for the kitchen

including a review of code requirements.

o Discussions on the design of the Narthex/Sanctuary/Chancel/Balcony continued during the

past month beginning with the Deacon’s meeting on May 16th. After that meeting, the

Building Committee discussed the option of a single pulpit on the right (east) side of the

Chancel with a location for the baptismal font and a lectern on the left (west). This option

was drawn up and a mock-up of this option was put in the Bugbee Center Chapel for the

Building Committee and Deacons to review.

o On June 3rd

, a Design Development table top presentation was made by CHK Architects and

Petra Construction at JMMC after the 10:00 am service. Petra Construction Corp. was

introduced to the congregation for the first time. Guido Petra, President of Petra

Construction and his wife Diane who is a member of their Business Development team

participated in the event. The congregation also welcomed back Hugh Schweitzer

(Associate & Project Architect) and Jackie Smith (Lead Interior Designer) from CHK

Architects. It was pointed out that these four individuals represent a team of professionals

at their companies who are working with the Building Committee and other committees to

build our new church. The presentation was a table top exhibit in the large room at the end

of the hall. There was a Design Table where members could meet Hugh and view and ask

questions about the design of the building, a Finishes Table where they could meet Jackie

and see samples and color charts of interior finishes for each of the spaces, and a Petra

Construction table where they could meet Guido and Diane and learn about their company

and the expertise they are bringing to the project team. The presentation was well attended

and a lot of good information exchanged between members of the congregation and the

project team.

o On June 5th, Ralph Richards of Richards Fowkes & Company who will build our new organ

traveled to Somers to meet with the project team. The previous week, the Building

Committee assisted our architects in the review of four acoustical consultants that provided

detailed proposals to become part of the design team. We recommended that our architects

acquire the services of Dan Clayton of the Clayton Acoustics Group to join their team as

their acoustical consultant. CHK Architects agreed with our recommendation and acquired

their services. Dan Clayton was also able to attend the acoustical design meeting on that

day. Members of our Organ Committee stayed for the afternoon session to meet the team

and watch them kick off their first design meeting together. Hugh Schweitzer of CHK

Architects led the meeting and there was a good flow of design ideas being shared by the

organ builder and the acoustical consultant to enhance the sound of the A/V equipment and

the organ. The challenge now is to show the enhancements in the design drawings and

understand the implications on construction costs. Hugh will continue to work with Dan to

identify and prioritize the acoustical enhancement design options and present them to the

Building Committee for review.

o A geotechnical engineering firm, Clarence Welti Associates, took a series of test borings on

site on May 31st and issued a geotechnical report to our architects so they can work with

their structural engineer to design the foundation and building structure. To summarize

their findings, the soils analysis shows we have an excellent base to support the building of

our church.

o The Building Committee is working with Attorney Mark Maniscalco of Somers, CT to

review the contract documents received from Richards Fowkes & Co., our organ builder,

and Petra Construction Corporation, our Construction Manager. Both companies have

begun work while their contracts are being reviewed. We are hopeful we can have signed

agreements by the end of June.

o Hugh Schweitzer and Noel Petra continue to keep the Somers Building Official informed of

their progress on the design of the church. Meetings are becoming more routine now as the

design is nearing the end of the Design Development phase.

o On June 19th

, the Artifacts Committee and the Building Committee met with two bell

manufacturers to hear their presentations on capabilities and costs to build and help install a

new bell for our church. A representative from Church Specialties and one from Verdin

traveled to Somers to make their presentations. Both companies are excellent bell

manufacturing companies and could certainly make a bell to ring from our new church’s

steeple. At the end of the day, the Artifacts Committee recommended we work with Verdin

to specify a bell for our new church. The Building Committee also felt Verdin was the

vendor of choice that best fit our needs. Both manufacturers were notified of our selection

and the Building Committee will work with Verdin to finalize plans regarding structural

details and the specifications for the bell in the coming weeks.

o Petra Construction issued a construction schedule on June 19th

that showed a construction

duration of 220 days to build our church. They show a starting date of September 19th and a

completion date of July 25th

of next year. We are entertaining an idea of having the

groundbreaking scheduled for Homecoming Sunday on September 9th

. We will work with

Petra to see if this would be possible. The committee would like to have construction begin

right after our groundbreaking event. More information will be issued when the

groundbreaking date is determined.

Communication and liaison with other committees: The Building Committee continues to

interface with the various committees that have been formed to cover all the responsibilities

associated with rebuilding our church. Communication continues to be helpful and key to giving

the Building Committee and the architects the information required to develop the designs. The

committee’s e-mail address: [email protected] will remain active for members of

the congregation to communicate with us. When e-mails are sent to this address, the message is

received by every member of the Building Committee. As the end of the Design Development

phase approaches, the design will be set as it is turned over to the Construction Manager to build.

Our construction estimate will be based on this design and will be shared with the insurance

company to compare with their estimate and the estimate received from World Claim, the estimator

hired by the church. Ultimately, Petra Construction will work with the insurance company’s

adjuster to determine the level of insurance coverage. Petra Construction and CHK Architects will

work with the Building Committee to define what will be built. Design efforts and effective

communications have been key thus far to avoid change orders in the future that will cost dollars

that we do not have. We thank everyone for their inputs and feedback to the design which have

helped the Building Committee make decisions along the way for our new Meeting House. More

decisions will need to be made as our Construction Manager works with our insurance company in

the coming months.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark Marschall

Proud To Be An American The Mission Board is sponsoring a “Red White and Blue

Collection” beginning on July 4th

and ending on Labor Day.

The goal of the drive is to collect items for members of the

military stationed in Afghanistan. The Mission Board’s

contact is Janice Morton’s cousin whose unit will be deployed

to Afghanistan this summer. Janice’s cousin is First Sergeant

Dawn Adams who, along with Capt. Tew, is in command of

the 287 members of the 2nd

Marine Logistics Group – Combat Logistics Battalion 2. Their unit is currently

stationed in Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and this is their second deployment to Afghanistan.

If you are interested in reading bios of Captain Tew and First Sergeant Adams, please see the link below:

http://www.marines.mil/unit/2ndmlg/clb2/Pages/leadership/TSCo.aspx

Below is a list of items that you can donate in the box for the Marines in Afghanistan:

Hygiene Items: Bar Soap, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Deodorant, Mouthwash, Sunblock, Shaving Cream,

Disposable Razors, Shampoo, Hand Lotion, Chapstick, Foot Powder. Note: Hand Sanitizer is not allowed

Comfort Items: New Magazines, Puzzle or Sudoku Books, Handmade Items (i.e. small pillow, blanket, prayer

shawl, etc.), journals, books with inspirational quotes…be creative!

The Missions Board would like to thank you in advance for your participation in this important drive.

Deadline for Next Highlights is July 18, 2012.

U.S. Postage Paid

Non-Profit Org. Permit Number

334 Enfield, CT 06082

Somers Congregational Church

599 Main Street, PO Box 295 Somers, CT 06071

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Sunday Worship: 8:15 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Office Hours (M-Th.): 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Telephone: (860) 763-4021 Fax: (860) 763-5146 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.somerscongregational.org

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Barry Cass Administrative Secretary: Carly Sanborn Organist/Music Director: Jacqueline Nappi CE Director: Liz Scanlon Care Room: Barbara Anderson