So since we last “spoke” the work at Calvary has continued.  American Eagle Electricians have been diligent working to get their work completed before the scaffolding is removed and it appears they have succeeded.  The chandeliers have been cleaned, rewired with LED lights and reinstalled.  And because the new service has been completed and not only these lights, but all lighting is on in the sanctuary. They were completing the installation of the fans at the top of the sanctuary.  I have include a picture of one of them and as you can see they blend quite well with the wood of the ceiling.  These will defiantly make the sanctuary more comfortable through out the year as well as help keep the air flowing in the room to help avoid moisture problems that have in the past caused paint damage.  The side lights have also been upgraded to use LED lighting, so with all of these changes our utility bill should be reduced,  Also the LEDs last a lot longer than the bulbs we were using, are more available and need changing less often. All positive benefits.

The sanctuary is also completely cleaned, scraped and repainted.  The scaffolding was to be removed this week.  I have not been there since last week but will try to get there this weekend for some update pics.

Peter S has taken the lead and has begun installing a new sound system for the sanctuary.  He has installed 3 tiny but effective microphones, and new speakers and a control panel will be installed.  So those of us that like the back seats and have compromised hearing should be able to hear everything – thank you Peter.

Also being completed before the scaffolding removal is the installation of the new alarm system in the sanctuary.  A sensor system has been installed along the ceiling of the room that will detect any smoke and temperature changes.  Charlie of CDR Alarm systems continued to add other modules required throughout the weekend.

Planning for the rebuilding of fellowship hall continues not only for the layout but the design of the finished look.  The fire committee again met with Geoff from Belfor to discuss options after our original plans were presented to the building department of Newburgh.  Tough decisions need to be made because we have a fantastic insurance policy but mo matter how you cut it there will be expenses above and beyond that which is covered,  We are planning on putting together a list of projects that need sponsors and will be sending that to our friends list in the near future and well as getting it to anyone that might be interested in helping.

The week at Calvary was a continuation of the previous week’s work.  American Eagle Electric and CDR Electronics continue to update our electrical service and our alarm system in the hopes of completing the major tasks before the scaffolding is removed later this month.

The new work that was started is the painting of the sanctuary walls.  When I was there on Wednesday one of the workers was scraping the pealing walls near the organ loft on the north wall.  All of the area accessible from the scaffold has been cleaned so once the area is painted the upper areas of the structure will be completely cleaned and free of the smoke damage.

The fire committee continues to meet with contractors to discuss possible installations of sound systems in both the sanctuary and fellowship hall.

Work continues this week at Calvary with Belfor back and working hard to wash and clean the sanctuary ceiling and walls.  We have sent a deposit to Lamb Stained Glass Studios and they will be onsite on Monday to start cleaning the stained glass winnows.

American Eagle Electric Co.continues to work on the service upgrade at the church and has started removing the chandeliers for cleaning and updating.

The committee met with Geoff of Belfor early in the week to discuss future plans for the reimagining of fellowship hall.  Discussion included possible layout changes for the building and HVAC upgrades Also at the meeting was Charlie of CDR alarm systems.  Because we had an alarm system that was monitored by a central station, the insurance company will cover the replacement and upgrade of our alarm system in fellowship hall to bring it up to code.  This is a major upgrade.  The existing system has been in place for almost 30 years and is really out of date.

The discussion about the organ continues and we are getting closer to a decision by the insurance company so the organ restoration can start.

The fire committed met with Jeff of HVAV (Hudson Valley Audio Visual) and discussed possible sound system solutions for both fellowship hall and the sanctuary.  They will be providing a proposal.  Other audio companies have been contacted and we are waiting for an appointment with them to compare suggestions.

Now that the restrictions from NYS PAUSE has been relaxed, much more work will continue to progress over teh next weeks so we can move forward to getting back into our buildings.

Hope everyone is safe and healthy.

Hello from the fire committee, the session and trustees!

This is a screenshot of our join meeting via zoom this past Saturday.  It is amazing that in spite of the fire and virus quarantine, Calvary continues to move forward.  This is the second joint meeting of the entire group and the fire committee has had many zoom meeting over the weeks since we have been hold up at home.  Though these are difficult times the technology available allows us to keep in touch and continue to work.  Once again I suggest you use it to keep in touch with friends and loved ones.  There are many choices, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom … please don’t let the quarantine keep you alone and lonely.

The fire committee continues its work to get the insurance company on board with the necessary restoration of the Skinner Organ.  Through the excellent communication skills of Luke P and Peter S we were able to get the company to send out a new appraiser and organ expert, Stephen J Russell of the Russell Organ Co of Chester, VT.  On Thursday, Peter, Luke and I had a good, long and thorough visit with Stephen.  He had an opinion much closer to our expectations than the original submitted by Art Conservation/Odell.  He poked into the console,  looked at the pipes as much as he could and had the extra benefit of being able to look down on the pipes from the scaffolding.  We also visited the blower bellows which he indicated the leather in them would need to be replaced.  This is something that no one else has mentioned.  He was completely in agreement with what we believe needs to be done to get our instrument back to pre-fire condition.  (Odell also stated this when he was at the church but then changed his statements completely when he reported to the insurance company.  I was smart this time and recorded our conversations with Stephen!  We have no reason to believe Stephen will change like Odell did but at least this time we have proof of his statements.) His report will be sent to the insurance company and with any luck we will be able to get Foley Baker (our organ company) started on the dismantling of the instrument for transfer to their facility for the complete cleaning and restoration.  Peter has covered the organ console in plastic sheeting in the meanwhile to help protect it from further dust collection. Here are some photo taken during the visit.

A deposit has been sent and received by Schulmerich Handbell company and we are now on the waiting list for our bells to be cleaned and restored from any smoke damage.  It is unclear when the bells will be completed, but we can’t have rehearsals for some time at this point, based on the condition of the sanctuary and the restrictions the Covid virus has caused.  (It would be a bit difficulty to keep the choir together with 6 feet between the ringers.  There are 9 of us – that would mean we would be taking up 54 feet of space!). I will be contacting Malmark Company next week to arrange for the cleaning of our choir chimes and let you know how that goes.

Keep our Facebook Live Sunday Service at 9 am on Sunday with Zoom fellowship to follow.  Meanwhile our special music for the Memorial Day Weekend is the Calvary Ringers playing the National Anthem.  This was recorded at a Renegades Baseball game last year.  On YouTube here, or on the website here.

I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend,