scc highlights - may 2012
DESCRIPTION
SCC Highlights - May 2012TRANSCRIPT
A monthly publication of the Somers Congregational Church, UCC May, 2012 Gathered in Somers, Connecticut, March 15, AD 1727 Volume 285 Number 5
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.
Wisdom for High School Seniors
As we have for the past several years, once again this
year we will be presenting our graduating high school
seniors with the book of wisdom. The Book of Wisdom
is compiled and printed by the church and contains
quotes, poems and short notes from members of the
church.
The deadline has been extended to be part of this year’s
book. We will recognize the graduating seniors on June
17, so we are looking for your wisdom to be turned into
the Office by June 1. After last month’s announcement
we received only one submission of wisdom – surely
more of you have wisdom to share, and surely more
than one of you would like to be part of wishing our
graduates all the best. Wisdom can be a note you write
to the graduating seniors giving them advice, or it can be
a poem, quote or short bit of wisdom from another
source.
You can submit a hard copy or an electronic copy of what you
would like to share. Hard copies can be sent/given to Barry or
dropped off at the office and electronic copies can be emailed
There are some things that really seem like they ought to
be simple, and in theory they are, but when it comes down to
practice, they can be quite a challenge. As a church we pride
ourselves on being friendly and welcoming, making sure that
visitors and guest feel at home in our midst and we try to organize
to show our best face to everyone on Sunday morning. But, this
can be a challenge.
In order to organize the welcome we extend on Sunday mornings we count on members of the church
to be Greeters, welcoming each person who attends worship; host coffee hour, being sure there is coffee
made and maybe a few snacks for people to share as they talk informally and get to know each other after
worship; share the leadership of worship as lay readers, leading the Call to Worship and reading the First
Scripture Reading. None of these three things is very difficult and although they require varying amounts of
preparation, none of them is overly taxing. With nigh on to 150 people sharing worship each Sunday it
seems like there could be a sharing of these responsibilities.
So, why is it difficult to get people to sign-up for any of these things? Why do we often have the same
few people stepping up rather than a variety of people involved? As we do our best to maintain some kind of
normalcy even as we worship at JMMC, I would hope that the members of the church would be willing to
offer a little help. The sign-up sheets are out every Sunday and all you have to do is put your name down.
Someone from the appropriate committee will make sure you know what you need to do.
Along the same lines, there is usually an opportunity to provide flowers for the front of the auditorium
on Sunday or two in most months. In the list of donated flowers elsewhere in this issue of Highlights any
Sunday marked “OPEN” is an opportunity for anyone to provide the flowers. Many times the flowers come
from one of our local florists, but anyone with garden flowers can use the opportunity to share them with the
church community. With all the people we have in our lives to be thankful for, with many happy events to
celebrate, and with significant people and events from the past to remember, the Sunday flowers are a great
way to give and to share.
There is a reminder in this issue of Highlights that we are still collecting “wisdom” to be included in the
book we put together for our high school seniors. For many years it fell to me at graduation time to secure
an appropriate gift for the graduates. I found this to be a pretty tough task, trying to find something that
was meaningful to our kids and our church, that was suitable for all the graduates, and that did not strain our
budget too much. Year after year I felt like I could have done better. Then I came across the tradition one
local family had of gathering wisdom in a scrapbook to present to a young adult on his/her 18th Birthday.
That seemed like a good idea and seemed to have application to our graduating seniors. Our Book of Wisdom
was born. The first couple of years we received quite a few notes, poems, quotes and other bits of wisdom, but in
recent years we have gotten very little. This year only one member has had wisdom to share. I think we could do
better. I think most of us would agree there is a need for wisdom shared among the kids around us, and this is a
wonderful opportunity for our church to reach out in a low key but positive way. You can submit your gift of wisdom to
me up until June 1. It will be appreciated.
Since the Meeting House Fire we have been facing many large challenges and we have done well in meeting
them and in moving ahead. I hope we can all think again about the many little things that go into making our church
the community we have cherished, that we can step up and take our part in enhancing the worship we share and the
life we have together. It takes all of us.
Peace -- Barry
Second Tuesday Book Club
The Book Group Tuesday May 8– 7 P.M. -- Open to EVERYONE!
May's book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins If there really are only seven original plots in the world, it's odd that
boy meets girl is always mentioned, and society goes bad and
attacks the good guy never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451, The
Giver, The House of the Scorpion—and now, following a long
tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games. Collins hasn't
tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less
1984 and rather more Death Race 2000, hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world
where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two
children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death. Katniss, from what was once
Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate
sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta, who
recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a
credit to Collins's skill at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold, calculating
and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner, where Peeta has the grace to be a good
loser. It’s no accident that these games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects
its fear: runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now, reality TV. The
State of Panem—which needs to keep its tributaries subdued and its citizens complacent—may
have created the Games, but mindless television is the real danger, the means by which society
pacifies its citizens and punishes those who fail to conform. Will its connection to reality TV,
ubiquitous today, date the book? It might, but for now, it makes this the right book at the right
time. What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be
obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as
questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she
stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. They're so unlike people that I'm no
more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet, she
thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines
them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch.
Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent contest for audience approval.
Because this is the first book in a series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered
is the central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has given up to survive,
but not whether the price was too high. Readers will wait eagerly to learn more.
From the Church Historian . . . .
In the early days of New England history, the Congregational Church and the
business of the town were closely related. In Somers, until our present Town Hall
was built in the late 1940s, town meetings and school meetings were held in our
meeting house.
The following is a letter written in 1842 describing how the foundation room, which
was to be used for town meetings, should look. Note that there were two flights of stairs from the foundation
room to the vestibule and there was a wood room since we heated the church with a wood stove at that time.
Description of the Foundation Room for our 1842 Meeting House
The following is an agreement entered into by the committee chosen by the town and the selectmen and the
meeting house building committee as to size and finish of a room for the purpose of doing town business in and
for holding town and school society meetings – to wit
Length of room (making deduction for wall) 66 ft
Space for a wood room and stairs hereafter described 6ft
Width of room (deducting for walls) about 40 ft
Height of room 9 ft i.e. 2 ½ ft below ground and 6 ½ ft above the ground
There are to be two doors (one on each side of the building) leading from out to the inside and also to be two
flights of stairs leading to the vestibule from the room above named and near the flights of stairs and at the
south end of the room there is to be a closet portioned off of 6 ft in width and as long between the stairs as the
space will admit of for wood for the use of the Congregational Society.
The floor is to be of yellow pine and laid on chestnut sleepers 3 by 6 inches and one and half feet apart; the
floor to be cut in.
The walls are to be ceiled up as far as the windows; the remainder of the sides and ends and overhead are to be
lath and painted with one coat of brown morter and also one coat of white morter. Previous to lathing and
plastering the walls are to be well furrowed.
There are to be three aisles running lengthwise of the room. To wit, one 4 feet wide in the center and 3 ½ feet
each of the side aisles.
A drawing of the room shows seats or chairs along these aisles for meeting use.
Ailene Henry
Church Historian
Altar Flowers for the Month of May May 6 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Jane Gamble and family in loving memory of Bryant Gamble
May 13 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Scott and Donna Hanks & daughters and Glennis Hopkins in memory of Everett F. Hopkins May 20 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Marion Champion in loving memory of her husband “Champ” May 27 OPEN Thank you from the Flower Committee to all those who
helped deliver Easter Lilies.
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 May, please call Judy Mehl (860-749-6329)
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, May 8 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 6,413 is currently at the
Zion Episcopal Church in North Branford, CT.
The display will be there until April 30.
Weekly Scripture Readings for May 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
May 6 Fifth Sunday of Easter (Communion Sunday)
Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 22:25-31 1 John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8
May 13 Sixth Sunday of Easter (Mother’s Day)
Acts 10:44-48 Psalm 98 1 John 5:1-6 John 15:9-17
May 20 Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Psalm 1 1 John 5:9-13 John 17:6-19
May 27 PENTECOST SUNDAY
Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Acts 2:1-21 John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
A Generous Gift from the 2011 Confirmation Class
The newest members of our church, the ten confirmed on March 25,
celebrated their Confirmation in a unique and generous way. During the
service they presented a gift to the Deacons’ Fund. Throughout the year
members of the class learned about how the church reaches out to those in
need in our community. They helped with Champ’s Place, walked in the
CROP Walk to raise funds for the hungry, and served meals at Enfield
Loaves and Fishes and the Stafford Springs Friendship Kitchen. It seemed
only natural that they would make reaching out through the Deacons’ Fund
a part of their celebration. The newest members of the church are leading
the way in generosity and mission.
We are grateful to Darcy Anderson, Nate Stanton, Allen Paskewitz, Amanda
Milliken, Hannah Christian, Zach Bley, Kyle Trusch, Kaitlin Gagne, Melissa
Morton and Jake Anderson and welcome them as our newest members.
James Donald Shannon, Esq. died on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. A Memorial Service
was held at the Somers Funeral Home on Monday, April 9 and the Rev. Barry Cass officiated.
Virginia Finley died on Friday, April 6, 2012. A Memorial Service was held at the
Somers Funeral Home on Saturday, April 21 and the Rev. Barry Cass officiated.
Thank You from the Mission Board
Thank you to everyone who participated in One Great Hour of
Sharing. As of the end of March we had received a total of $361.55 in
donations. These funds will help communities all around the world who
suffer the effects of disaster, conflict, or severe economic hardship. Today
there are projects underway in more than 100 countries, including the
United States and Canada.
The Mission Board would like to share the following letter that we received from Soldier On:
“We would like to thank you for your continued support of the Soldier On program. Your recent
donation of clothing, toiletries, and towels will be extremely helpful. Your continued dedication to Soldier On
despite everything your church has been thru is heartwarming and deeply appreciated.
Soldier On is a nonprofit organization that has developed an effective and proven strategy to end
homelessness among veterans. Through peer to peer managed housing and programs, veterans make the
transition from homelessness to homeownership all while receiving Soldier On’s platform of services where
they live.
Please take a moment to visit our website www.wesoldieron.org to learn more about our mission and
how your donation will help. Also, find out more about all of the exciting upcoming events.”
Sincerely,
John F. Downing
President/CEO
Thank you to everyone for helping the Mission Board continue with our mission goals, in spite of, as
Mr. Downing stated, everything that our church has been through since the fire on January first.
Somers Congregational United Church of Christ
599 Main Street, Somers, CT 860-763-4021
Free Community Supper Tuesday, May 15 5 to 6:30 P.M.
In the BUGBEE CENTER at the Church 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
Upcoming Sunday School calendar for May
May 6 Sunday School / Communion / Grades 6-8 stay in church
May 13 Sunday School
May 20 Sunday School
May 27 Sunday School
PRE REGISTER NOW………..
Vacation Bible School
Everything is Possible with God !
June 25- 29, 9am to Noon
Somers Congregational Church, Bugbee Center
Ages 3 to 11 years old, $5.00 a child / $ 20.00 family max
Please fill out attached registration form or forms are available each Sunday or in the trailer.
There are many fun filled things the children will do each day as they learn the Bible Point of the day
They will start each day together at UP & Away Sing and Play, and then rotate to several stations which include
Imagination Station, All Star Games, Sky High Movie and Missions with Chadder, Wild Blue Bible Adventures, and Sky
Dive Diner where they will take turns making the snack for everyone else one day. At the end of each day, they will come
back together to end with Fly Away Finale.
Please let me know if you are able to donate any of the following items to help with the Vacation Bible School Sky Dive
Diner snacks:
Popped Popcorn 20 bags
Hershey Kisses 1 bag
Starburst candies 1 bag
Individually wrapped lifesavers 1 bag
Jolly Ranchers candies 1 bag
Tootsie Rolls 1 bag
Blue Jello (8 serving size boxes) 18 boxes
Whipped Topping 5 containers
Strawberries 3 flats
Prepackaged Vanilla Ice Cream cups 100 individual
Cans of rootbeer 5 cases of 12
Bags of Ice 3 bags
Whipped cream cheese ( 8 ounce containers ) 10
Marshmallow Fluff ( 7 ounce containers ) 10
Chocolate Syrup 4 Bottles
Pretzel Sticks 6 bags
Mild Cheddar Cheese Blocks 8
Seedless Grapes 6 containers
Plastic Spoons 200
Small paper or foam plates 300
Napkins
16 ounce colored plastic cups 200
Clear 8 ounce cups 40
Resealable Gallon sized bags 40
Drinking cups 500
Save the date!
Sunday, June 10th is Children’s Sunday and Teacher
Appreciation Day. Join us for the children’s service in Barry’s
backyard. Sunday school picnic to follow, featuring hot dogs
and hamburgers provided by the Board of Christian
Education. Starting in May, there will be a sign up sheet on
Sundays to let us know how many are coming and to write
down what you might bring for a favorite side dish or
dessert to share. Games to follow, including water balloon toss, sack races, volleyball, and
more!
Liz Scanlon, Christian Education Director
Registration Form for VBS 2012
June 25-29, 9:00 a.m. – NOON
For children ages 3- 11 years
One form per child please.
Child’s name __________________________________________________
Birthday ______________ Age _______ Grade going into_______
Parents’ names:
________________________________________________________________
Street Address _________________________________________________
City _____________________________ State _______ ZIP _________
Home phone________________
Parent/caregiver’s cell phone __________________
Email address __________________________________
Emergency contact person _______________________________________
Relation to student _____________________________
Phone ____________________________
Food allergies No_____ Yes_____ List
________________________________________________________________
Medical concerns No_____ Yes_____ Explain
________________________________________________________________
My Child has my permission to attend and participate in the Sky
VBS Program.
Parents Signature
_________________________________________________Date______
Council Corner April 17, 2012 Church Council Calendar. The annual giant tag sale will be on Saturday
May 5 and Sunday May 6. There are 3 upcoming benefits for the
Building Fund for our new church: Saturday May 5 at 6pm and Sunday
May 6 at 3pm is a benefit concert at the Hazardville United Methodist
Church. Saturday, May 12 is the Shoreline Bell Ringers benefit concert
at the Somersville Congregational Church at 4:00 pm and Friday, June
1st is the Silk City Chorus at Somers High School at 7:00 pm.
Sunday, June 3rd will be the last of 3 presentations by our architects showing the design development
phase: what our church will look like on the inside and outside: chancel, sanctuary, narthex, kitchen
design, Pilgrim Hall, furniture, carpet etc. so please mark your calendars. Presentation will take place in
the large room so you can walk around and look at the display boards. Plans also include for the
construction manager for the project to be introduced.
Insurance Committee update. There will be a large notebook in the church trailer soon with all of the
inventory lists by room number. People can review the lists to see if anything is not on the list.
Restoration Committee update. The ceilings, walls and woodwork on both floors have been painted. The
floor on the second floor hall and music room has been sanded and re-finished. New tile and carpet has
been installed on the first floor. New ceiling lights were installed on both floors. New fire rated doors
have been installed for the first floor with back up battery exit lights, as well as new cabinets and
appliances in the Bugbee kitchen. Work will begin on the Church Office Building soon.
Building Committee update. The Building Committee continues to meet weekly with the architects. (see
article by Mark Marshall)
Organ Committee update. The organ committee visited more churches to listen to organs, talking with
organ builders and meeting with professionals. The new organ will be located in the rear of the balcony.
They hope to select an organ builder by May 1st. It will take more than 12 months to have a new organ
built.
Appointments. No appointments were made in April.
Community Supper. The April 15th Community Supper was held in the Bugbee Center. Certificate of
Occupancy was given on April 13. The Church Council hosted the supper. We need volunteers to host the
suppers for May, June and July.
603 Main Street. New tenants moved into 603 Main Street on April 1st.
Building Fund. No money was requested this month from the Building Fund.
Questions or Comments about the new church? Reminder that if you have any questions or comments
about the new building (sanctuary, chancel, narthex, Pilgrim Hall, church kitchen) please send them to:
[email protected] You can also leave written questions/comments in the building
committee mailbox in the office trailer. Weekly updates of the restoration/re-building process are given
each Sunday with the church bulletin and the church website.
Anne Kirkpatrick ([email protected])
Silk City Chorus is doing a benefit concert
for the Somers Congregational Church
The Silk City Chorus, a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society from Manchester, CT, is
going to present a concert in the Somers High School auditorium on Friday, June 1, at 7PM.
All proceeds will go to the Somers Congregational Church Building Fund. The program will
begin with the chorus under the direction of Todd Lamson and will also include performances
by quartets from both the Manchester and Hartford chapters and will feature the choruses
from Somers High, and Middle Schools directed by Mrs. Machacek and the Elementary school
directed by Ms. Santavenere.
Tickets will be $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students. Tickets are available at the
church office, Somers Pharmacy, and from Ted Pero .
The Silk City Chorus members range in age from their 20’s to 80’s and come from 31
communities in CT and 6 from MA. If you enjoy singing, we would love to have you join us. We
rehearse every Monday evening at 7:15 at the Second Congregational Church at 385 North
Main St. in Manchester, CT. For more information call me at 860-328-1876.
**SAVE THE DATE**
Annual BIG Tag Sale
THE BUGBEE CENTER AT
SOMERS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Saturday May 5, 2012 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
&
Sunday May 6, 2012 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Donation Drop Off Saturday, April 28nd (9am-3pm), Sunday April 29th (12pm-5pm)
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, April 30th-May 2nd (9am-7pm)
(We regret that we cannot accept any clothes, large exercise equipment, computers,
printers, large outdated televisions, record albums or items weighing more than 50 lbs. with the
exception of furniture).
We need your help the week prior to the sale and/or the day of the tag sale. We
could use your help sorting, tagging, pricing and testing donations. We will be
working days and evenings all week. We are also in need of a separate clean up
crew the week after the sale.
If you would like to find out more on how you can help – please call:
Jill Conley 749.8687 Dorian Jones 749.1946
**WITH THE DONATION OF A TAG SALE ITEM OR
NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEM, FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE
INVITED TO SHOP AT OUR “BEAUTIFUL THINGS” PRESALE ON
OUR FIRST DROP OFF DAY SATURDAY APRIL 28, 2012 FROM
9AM-3PM**
Somers Congregational Church
Building Committee – May 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 Building Committee continued to work closely with our architects, Clohessy Harris & Kaiser, LLC (www.chkarch.com)
this month on the first two phases of our multi-phase process to build our Meeting House. Phase A, “Information
Gathering/Programming” work continued with the architects asking specific questions about overall aspects of the church
including exterior details and interior spaces, their locations, their functions, and their relationships with adjacent spaces.
Information the Building Committee received via the surveys distributed in the month of February and e-mails to
[email protected] was also used to help establish the footprint and layout of the Meeting House. Rich Kaiser
(Principal-in-Charge of Design), Hugh Schweitzer (Associate & Project Architect), and Erika Fairlie (Project Designer) of
CHK Architects began the translation of all the information they received in Information Gathering/Programming onto the
computer to develop several possible internal designs for the Building Committee to consider. It was exciting to see our
church reappear on paper in front of our eyes. The architects discussed the intricacies of each design including how each
space related to the spaces adjacent to it, how each floor related to the floors above and below, while pointing out all the
design features to meet today’s code requirements. Several meetings were held to review these design options, mark them up
with red lines showing changes/improvements, and making them on the computer to capture them. This continued until one
favorable design evolved that the Building Committee wanted to review with Church Council to get their feedback. Rich
Kaiser and Hugh Schweitzer presented the design (prints mounted on poster board) to the Church Council on Tuesday
evening, April 10th to obtain their feedback on the design and to help the architects prepare for their 2
nd presentation to the
congregation on Sunday, April 15th after the 10 am service. The poster boards with prints were displayed in the lobby prior to
the 8:15 am service and remained there throughout the morning. Rich Kaiser and Hugh Schweitzer presented a PowerPoint
presentation to 66 members of the congregation at 11 am that discussed the design, its evolution, its comparison to the former
Meeting House, and the next steps. They explained during the presentation that we have developed this Schematic Design
over the past month which essentially defines the outside footprint of the new Meeting House and the general layout of the
inside space. The architects needed to know that concepts such as the stairs and elevator tower shown on the east end of the
building were acceptable. The Building Committee would be asked after the presentation to approve the design based on the
feedback received. The architects explained the next step is to take this Schematic Design and to work with the various
committees and outside consultants to better define the interior spaces. After the presentation, the attendees had the
opportunity to get answers to their questions with detail provided by the architects and the Building Committee. The
Schematic Design was well received with all of the questions pertaining to the next phase of the project, Phase C, “Design
Development.” The questions and answers were recorded for the Building Committee to use with our previous survey
information. Approximately 10 e-mails were received after the presentation which will also be retained for later use. On
Tuesday, April 17th, the Building Committee unanimously approved the motion made to authorize the architects to proceed to
Design Development based on the Schematic Design that has been presented to the Church Council and the congregation.
The team of architects is also very busy working on several behind-the-scenes requirements to pull this project together.
They have been working with the Town Building Official to discuss aspects of the Schematic Design such as the set back
from Main Street and the proposed Pilgrim Hall “bump out” to the east. JR Russo, their surveyor, is working on updating
the information from the survey that was used for the 1998 addition. CHK Architects will be a major part of our search for
a Construction Manager (CM) now that we have completed Schematic Design. We will now begin the search for
candidates while we are working on Design Development so the CM is on board later in this phase to make necessary
inputs. Jackie Smith, Lead Interior Designer, has started pulling her thoughts together on interior designs that can be
proposed for the inside spaces. The mechanical and structural engineers have begun their work to define the structure and
provide the architects with critical information to define room heights, structural options, access points for wiring,
ventilation, plumbing, etc. A flow test has been requested by the water company to determine line pressure which is
required for the fire sprinkler design. There is much to this project that we don’t see, and the architects are keeping the
Building Committee informed every step of the way.
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. 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. Work with other
committees this month included: Insurance: CHK Architects had their structural engineer visit the site to inspect the slab
and remaining sections of foundation and issue a report of their findings which concluded it could not be reused as part of the
new construction. Similarly, one of the architects met the Town Building Official at the site who concurred with the findings
of this report. This information was given to the Insurance Committee to present to the insurance company at the appropriate
time.
Artifacts: All of the granite is located in the northeast corner of the church parking lot. One new idea discussed this month is
to use two of the former granite front steps to make new cornerstones for the new Meeting House. They could be engraved
with the dates of the former and new Meeting Houses to help define the history of the building. The church bell will be
discussed in the coming weeks to help define the structure in the steeple.
Organ: Bill Kirkpatrick met with the Building Committee on March 27th to review the Organ Committee’s activities and to
recommend to the Building Committee that the organ and choir be located in the balcony in the rear of the church. The
Building Committee unanimously approved their recommendation. Bill later announced this to the congregation on Sunday,
April 1st. The following week, the architects were able to provide the dimensions of the space where the organ and choir will
be located in the balcony so the Organ Committee could share that information with the organ builders who were asked to
provide a quotation. The Organ Committee also provided the names of an organ building representative and a recommended
acoustician to the architects so they can consult with them until the actual organ builder is identified.
Renovation: CHK Architects’ mechanical engineer continued to work on the design of the heating system for the Church
Offices along with Green Construction. On April 17th, another option to use the Bugbee Center boiler is being studied. Heat
for the Church Offices is one of the criteria to obtain a CO from the Town Building Official. Also, the architects have their
fire alarm system designer developing the design for the fire alarm system for the Bugbee Center that will be required for the
Pre-school to use the building in September. The architects sent a letter to the Town Fire Marshal stating this system would
be provided as one of the requirements to obtain the CO for the Bugbee Center.
Finally, the communication continues to be helpful and key to giving the Building Committee and the architects the
information required to develop the designs. We thank everyone for their encouraging confidence in us as we work with
CHK Architects to build our new Meeting House.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Marschall
Yes, we will have the………
Annual Strawberry Lunch!
Bugbee Center
Tuesday, June 12 10:45 am – 12:30 pm
Can you help with the Strawberry Lunch?
Packing lunches with 750 sandwiches and 900 shortcakes takes many hands……..
(and probably a few extra hands this year)
Can you come and help for one hour??
____ Help wash strawberries on Saturday morning June 10 (9:00 am-noon)
____ Help hull strawberries Sunday June 10 (12:00 pm-6:00 pm)
____ Help hull strawberries on Monday morning, June 11 (9:00 am-11:00 am)
____ Help make sandwiches on Tuesday, June 12 (8:00 am-10:00 am)
____ Help assemble shortcakes on Tuesday June 12 (9:00 am-11:00 am)
____ Help deliver lunches to businesses on Tuesday, June 12 (10:45 am-12:15 pm)
____ Help in the kitchen on Tuesday June 12 (11:00 am-1:00 pm)
Name ________________________________ Phone __________________
Donations of mayonnaise, bisquick, sugar and tuna will be needed………….details to come.
Questions? Call Sara Moriarty at (860) 749-4697
The Sunrise Service on April 8 was attended by over 200 people. There
wasn’t much of a sunrise this year, due to the clouds. Our faithful crew
to set up, cook, serve, clean up and put out the fires is greatly
appreciated by all. A special thanks to Dave, Lucille, & Kerry Gavlak,
Gary & Malia Michaud, Charissa & Kurt Holmes, and crew for all their
hard work.
Easter Lily Thank You’s
The lily was a lovely Easter surprise!
~Meg and Roger Bradley
To the Congregation,
Thank you so much for the beautiful
Easter lily that was delivered to me. I
am thankful for your thoughtfulness! I
pray you all had a blessed Easter.
Sincerely,
Beverly Landry
Thank you for the beautiful Easter Lily
Plant. It is so thoughtful of you to think
of me.
Thanks again,
Claire Birkenshaw
Spring Festival Concert
A concert of sacred and secular music presented by the Hazardville UMC Choir & their friends
Saturday, May 5 @ 6 pm
Sunday, May 6 @ 3pm
Hazardville United Methodist Church
330 Hazard Ave., Enfield, 860-749-7098
Freewill Donations Accepted
Half of all proceeds to benefit Somers Congregational Church
rebuilding effort.
The Shoreline Ringers will present a benefit
handbell concert at The Somersville
Congregational Church on Saturday, May 12 at
4:00 P.M. The Ringers are donating the proceeds
from the concert to our Rebuilding Fund. The Shoreline Ringers have performed several
Christmas concerts at the Somers Congregational
Church, but this program will range from classical
to jazz, allowing them to showcase their virtuosity
and versatility and to please varied musical tastes.
After the concert, a reception will be held in the downstairs meeting room with light
refreshments and drinks provided.
Deadline for Next Highlights is April 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