LATE BREAKING NEWS: NOVEMBER 28. Just after I posted the message below, Karl, from A.R. Green walked in with this in his hand: The Building Permit!
The Old Rectory Journal
Notes and observations from visitors and staff
2008
April 6, 2008
From The Parish Administrator-Ann (Annie) Hondrogen
I love working at Grace and have met so many wonderful people, I've been here
since the end of November 2007.
To get up to speed, I worked more hours than we'd planned. Your good humor and
patience, have helped get me over lots of bumps. Your sense of fun and Bishop's
Blend coffee haven't hurt either! Christmas,the Annual Report, and Holy Week,
are now distant memories. Grace Notes, the Bulletin, and general "office
stuff" fill up a lot of time, but now there is some space to turn a little
attention to the web site and special projects like archives and the data base.
We are using new software for the web and are examining new software for other
Administrative pieces. Thanks for being so patient when some parts fell through
the cracks.
If you have a particular skill or some time to help out, let me know--It doesn't need to be on a regular basis. There is a lot of "one time" work to do. The restoration is wrapping up and the South side of the Old Rectory will be usable again soon. There will be even more to do when the new space opens up. Stop by or call if you have some time.
If we have not met yet, please come in when you are in town. I would love to meet you. I promise not to pressure you to wash windows!
2007
Season of Pentecost
September 21: It's About Time!
At least, there will no longer be any question
of time in downtown Amherst. The internal workings of the clock on our
tower have been restored by Jim Mead; now the four clock faces are being installed.
August 30: Darkness Falls At least in the Old Rectory's kitchen. The windows have been permanently boarded up both there and in the Parker Room (where, at least, the side windows are still unblocked). This is because the building will be adjacent. It certainly is gloomy to walk into a kitchen and stand at a sink with a view of plasterboard... perhaps we will find the perfect painting to hang there. Artists? The good news is, we have purchased a new refrigerator for that kitchen. We are hoping to see the savings reflected in our electric bill immediately, as the old one was barely shutting properly. The new one has a very good energy star rating!
August 16: What did you say moved mountains? Faith? The bobcat? WATCH out for that bobcat!! When its payload is full of the dirt that has been heaped in a giant mound in front of the old rectory it is taking no prisoners! We are happy that the mountain is almost removed, and now if you are on the Common you can start to see the wall emerging.
August 6: The Senior Warden returns from vacation
and makes the following observations:
I toured the church today and as far as I can see,
we are almost complete with the sprinkler piping. The pipes are being prepped
for painting. Ceiling imperfections are being repaired. The gold trim in the
chancel has been painted and the ceiling will soon be painted. The altar window
framing, which was not original, has been removed. The rear stair to the undercroft
is gone and a floor has been installed over that area near the font. The new
fire stair in the northeast corner of the church is being constructed. The undercroft
is being fitted with mechanicals and fire alarm wiring is being installed. New
underground conduits for new electrical and telephone utilities are being installed.
The cable TV wires that went through the Garth to the Town Hall parking lot
have been removed and once our utilities are installed the wire through the
columbarium will be removed. The concrete slab for the cloister and Grace Hall
should soon be poured. Windows and doors have been ordered and soon I hope to
see some framing. Work has indeed shifted inside as we need to get back into
the church. Work will progress on the cloister and Grace Hall.
July 6: What goes down must come up
At long last, the digging, the deepening, the spreading layers of gravel that allow bulldozers a foothold have given way to something that resembles--a wall. Between the Church and the Old Rectory it starts to emerge. What next!?
Easter tide
April 30 Lots
of activity these days. You'll notice a large I-beam is propping up a
corner of the old Rectory. They say this came from the Deerfield
Pickle Factory. Underneath it now they are pouring concrete. Apparently
there has been some concern that we are sinking!
And if that's not enough, a second BobCat arrives and starts digging right under the front windows. They haul out a big rhododendron, but think it will survive a few days out of the ground, and then they'll plant it again. They are digging a trench for a new water line. I always wanted a moat!
February 21 (Ash Wednesday) The abatement of the asbestos in the Undercroft is now complete and we are once again able to walk and breathe in that space!
January 22 - Our senior warden writes: Just a quick update to let you know where we are with the Restoration Project. We had our first construction meeting of the Project, Tuesday January 22, 2007. Jim Cullion, Russ Sprague and our other team members were present. We discussed many aspects of the project. The budget is still being worked on and Russ is committed to keeping it in line. A revised timeline for construction was referred to and seems to have the Restoration Project winding up in early September if all goes well. We discussed sprinkler locations within the sanctuary. We must try to blend the required pipes into the architecture, so that they may become less noticeable. We are all committed to having this project run smoothly and keep the flow of information moving and timely.
As we all know the Connector is gone. While dismantling the Connector we found a buried tank. Surprise! We went through the process of filing the removal paperwork, lining up the removal contractors and having the fire department inspectors on site. The tank was removed today. It was at least a 1000 gallon tank and had about 765 gallons of very old fuel oil still inside. It was drained, but the tank was found to be leaking. Not the best news. An environmental engineering firm that specializes in this type of problem was called and they came to the site and took charge. Many tests were done and we now believe that we will need to haul away 20 yards worth of contaminated soil. I guess it could have been much worse. We will see what the costs will be, but one of the contractors on the project, who has done this type of removal for another church, kept that figure down to near cost and we will be grateful if he extends this courtesy to us.
I have been in touch with the Amherst DPW director and their plans for Spring Street should be complete by the end of the month. Hopefully the project will now proceed as scheduled, but with the weather turning colder and snow being in the air we will have to handle other issues I am sure. Hope all is well. Chris
January 16
Rare Beasts have been seen in the space where the Connector
used to be. One is Bob the Bobcat. Bigger still is the Deere, like
no deer I have seen. It is yellow and eats earth, chomps rocks.
Then yet a greater one emerges in their stead by the end of the week: the Samsung,
Leviathan himself! Crunching rocks, the Old Rectory reverberates!
January 4: IT'S GONE! THE CONNECTOR IS DOWN!
2006
December 28: All that is left to connect the Connector to
the Church is one slim board. The remaining building looks little more
than a square room.
The workers have spent the last week or so removing a chimney that was discovered to be embedded between the Connector and the Old Rectory: there must have been a fireplace in the downstairs of the Old Rectory (we assume Santa had long since been aware that it no longer functioned!). With that removed, they began to dismantle the roof of the Connector and are up there now, in weather fine and foul.
December 12: Last Friday, we closed with the bank on the loan. Many thanks to Don Allison who has dedicated a great deal of his time to helping us make this happen!
December 7: ! The sign is up on a fence that surrounds the dumpster that appeared on the front lawn on Monday. Currently, Karl is removing the slate tiles from the roof of the walkway through the Garth (saving them for future use). Tomorrow we might see some pieces of the Connector entering that dumpster!
November 30: Surveyors have been working on Spring Street, lining up their devices and scrawling strange graffiti on the sidewalk in day glo colors. We have reason to hope that some repairs to our treacherous Spring Street sidewalk will soon follow.
LATE BREAKING NEWS: NOVEMBER 28. Just after I posted the message below, Karl, from A.R. Green walked in with this in his hand: The Building Permit!
November 28: While I was on Thanksgiving break, the sunroom (the glassed in space off the room formerly known as the apartment, and the DOG, and currently used by the Iconographers) was torn down. It had been a nice idea, but was always damp and moldy and will not be missed!
The bank has approved the appraisal, so we are just still waiting for the Town of Amherst to issue the construction permits before we can close on the loan.
November 6: The timing could not have been more perfect. In the morning, two workers were hammering and banging and the wooden ramp to the Old Rectory door was completed.
In the afternoon, Margo had an appointment to meet Rob, and rolled up the ramp, amazed that after all these years, she could come directly in to the Old Rectory!
November 3: I walk in this morning to see a table with circular saw set up in front of the Old Rectory. I think they are about to build the ramp, which will make this building once again wheelchair accessible. Also, one worker is installing some glass into the panel of the door into the library. Now that the room is fully contained, it needed to have the visibility that other offices and meeting rooms have in order to keep our church safe. Especially as the room may be used to accommodate some of the play room overflow during the 10:30 service as we are blessed by many new young members! Little by little... bit by bit...
November 1: still eerily quiet and strangely warm--this doesn't feel like any All Saints' Day I remember! Russ (the contractor) is mystified by his inability to find people who want to bid on the next stage of the work, which involves shoring up the Old Rectory so parts of it don't collapse when the Connector goes, and then tearing the Connector down.
While we do have a demolition permit, we had hoped that the Amherst Building Commissioner would sign the construction permit, which we need to close on our loan, before she left on her vacation, but that didn't happen. Well, if she does it sometime in this month, we should be able to close on December 1. Keep this in your prayers!
Meanwhile, preparations are afoot for the Harvest Festival. I think Elizabeth French will be amazing us once again with her artistic reredos!
Here is a picture looking from the connector, to where the door of the church was (click to enlarge)
The Connector:
October 27th: A temporary ramp has gone up that leads to the tower door. Ton and I discovered that opening the tower door can be challenging. It feels like the door is going to break off its frame, and then, suddenly, it bursts open!
The first walls have been built, turning the library into a rather cozy little space. Rob brought in his automatic drill and put up some of the blueprints on the wall. Usually, the 8 a.m. coffee hour will be held here, and it's also available for other meetings. I found out that these walls are not The Firewall, which will be built after the Connector is torn down.
The asbestos has been thoroughly sucked out of the Connector which has been gutted down to wood and nails. Asbestos removal workers will come back when the Connector is torn down and they can set up generators to suck the asbestos out of the undercroft. Russ (the contractor) tells me he is trying to find laborers to begin the process of shoring up the Old Rectory and tearing down the connector. Apparently, laborers are few: he can't figure out why, since it's only pheasant hunting and not deer season yet, but we're hoping to see some workers here late next week.
One thing I am pleased with: we moved the tract rack from the connector to the church's front vestibule and the tracts are getting snatched up daily. It makes me feel the same way as when I see the birds devouring my bird seed!
I am happy enough to have to go out for some fresh air and bring items over to the church now on a nice sunny day. I will probably feel differently soon... and am always grateful when people who stop by the office ask if something needs to go over to the church or the Parish Hall (if they're going that way.)
I plan to bring in my camera and post pictures of the progress!
So far, the noise has not been bad. In fact, the worst noise has been the leaf vacuuming on the Common and the vacuuming that takes place in the Old Rectory on Mondays and Fridays, so I have not had to miss any phone calls. They've also been tearing up Boltwood Ave!--we think they're putting in fiber optic cable... Robin
October 23, 2006: Daily Hampshire Gazette runs a big story on the renovation. We love how they explain that the "undercroft [is] an Episcopal word for basement." Rob also used the opportunity to explain that we would be naming the chapel after Mary Magdalene, who "had the courage to stay with Jesus when all the men had abandoned him."
The Stone Cross set in place during the liturgical ground breaking ceremony
September 10:
