SEPTEMBER 400 DAYS BLOG

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
DAY #419

13 Volunteers
4 Contract Pipefitters
2 HVAC Installers
1 Contract Carpenter
1 Erosion Prevention Specialist
10 for Chinese Dinner

Another day of sheetrock and mudding by a crew that has grown to four. Insulation was installed around pipes, light fixtures for the temporary lighting were fabricated, coffee grounds and food were delivered. One volunteer rolled the magnet to pick up screws and nails and found 200 nails just outside the old boiler room door. We haven't a clue where they came from. Sign in sheets for October we dropped off and special thanks to Kirk Taylor for doing them for us.

Irrigation teams are being put together to install more of the system on Monday. We could use more volunteers to help with this. The erosion control specialist outlined what is needed to protect the street from rain runoff from the piles of dirt scattered around the BUUB. The deadline for doing that is October 15. It means digging a six inch trench, installing silt screens and covering all exposed dirt with composted mulch. There are certain contours that must be maintained, so at Chinese dinner El Viejo was recruiting contour-ers (and no, we are not sure that is actually a word). Another word might be diggers or earth movers. No experience necessary.

It took most of dinner to explain what the carpenter and a couple of volunteers worked on, but was finally described as "negative upside down gutters". They are triangles that will protect the top layer of the walls from water seepage. We have 1,000 running feet of wall, so that was a lot of cutting.

The HVAC technicians worked above the kitchen. They are pretty much done with the lines and now have to set the units, after doing the fine connections. The larger units will have to go on the roof and will be placed by a crane. Great photo opportunity there.

The fire suppression pipefitters worked in the social hall, sanctuary and storage room and are just about done.

One of the block pillars on the north side by the kitchen door got knocked askew (perhaps someone backed into it), and was repaired today. They are especially vulnerable before the concrete has cured completely. There was sweeping, kitchen cleanup and dish washing.

QUOTES OF THE DAY: From the PNW District UU news:

UU Church in Eugene On the Move
September 30, 2011 in All, Congregational News by PNWD News

Following a unanimous vote by the congregation on September 25, 2011, the UU Church in Eugene closed on the sale of their property at 477 East 40th Avenue on September 29, 2011 to the Saraha Nyingma Buddhist Institute, Inc. The UU church purchased the former Eugene Scottish Rite Temple in May 2010 and more than 270 individuals of their 340 member congregation have volunteered in excess of 25,000 hours as they remodel the 18,000 square-foot building. Their target completion date is April 15, 2012. The new church building is three times larger than the present church.

"First El Viejo gives sermons and now he does a blessing before dinner." (This was after he spoke about how special the vote was on Sunday.

When I commented on how difficult it is to find out what happens at the BUUB when El Viejo takes a day off, someone said, "You could probably find an elderly person in the apartment building next door who could tell you everything that's going on."

"We need to get this job done so everyone can get back to doing just one job. Now that the pressure is on we will each have three jobs."

"Keeping track of this project is like watching a wildly colorful fractal or crystal grow -- you never know which direction it is going to go."

TOMORROW - There will be a crew working - come on down - there is a lot of cleanup needed in addition to digging and brick cleaning. Hot coffee!

Sort out all your gardening tools that never got used this summer and donate them to the Clutterbusting garage sale.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 THURSDAY
DAY #418 SPECIAL EDITION!

IT'S OFFICIAL !!

The sale of our church building at 477 East 40th to the Saraha Nyingma Buddist Institute, Inc., an Oregon non-profit corporation closed today about Noon! The money is in the bank for our remodeling pleasure. Thanks to the Negotiating Team, Board of Trustees, realtor John Brown, Facilities crew, custodian, and office staff for all their hard work and diligence in making this happen.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 THURSDAY
DAY #418

13 Volunteers
3 Contract pipefitters
2 Contract Concrete Finishers
1 Contract Carpenter
1 Architect
1 Visitor
1 EWEB technician
1 Visitor

Lets start this out with some Lost and Found - In this case, all FOUND AT THE BUUB!

One Sonoma Size M - rust colored long sleeve t-shirt with round neck

One Calvin Klein Jeans Size L - rust colored hooded fleece zip up jacket with a woman's white cotton sock in one pocket

One Basic Reservoir Sportswear Size M (men's) 100% polyester blue/gray blue paneled fleece zip up jacket

Call 541-335-1637 to claim

The cub reporter collects information - what does she hear? sheetrock, sheetrock, sheetrock, sheetrock.....some of which involved putting up a type of temporary molding where two angles come together or where sheetrock meets beams. The molding protects things like the beautifully sanded beams when we begin painting the sheetrock. Once the painting is done, the molding comes down. Today it was installed on the sanctuary ceiling.

The carpenter built more forms on the top of the wall along Chambers in preparation for pouring concrete caps. There was additional digging adjacent to the walls and the concrete crew built more forms for pillars for the entrances. There was brick cleaning.

The new northwest corner exit door was created by removing bricks (now covered with plywood). Brick shards went to the dumpster; full bricks were salvaged and moved to the brick cleaning station.

One volunteer filled in all the air gaps she could find with insulation. Another did the weekly cleaning of the Project Office and sweeping. This was a major challenge because there are architectural drawings covering every available surface. I salute her efforts. Two volunteers began installing sheetrock in the ceilings of small spaces -- like closets -- as they perfect their skills.

Food was delivered, the kitchen was cleaned and dishes washed.

The visitor came to offer organic fall and winter vegetable plants and some late lettuce and invited UUs to visit his garden behind our warehouse at 1160 Grant Street. Ask for Michael, Fay or Eric. He had heard about our lasagna garden. Photo right: "making lasagna."

At the end of this report, I am rincluding an email sent to the Biz-UUCE list this morning by Rev. Forsey. I expect some people on this list are not on the Biz List.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I like UUs - I would be one but I think I'm a little too weird to be one." -- the permaculture visitor

REMINDER: Chinese dinner at The Fortune Inn, 1775 West 6th Avenue at 5:30 PM tomorrow night.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 WEDNESDAY
DAY #417

17 Volunteers
3 Contract Pipefitters
2 Contract Electricians
1 Contract Carpenter
2 Concrete Finishers
1 Architect
2 Hoosier UUs

George Struble drove down from Salem and spent the day on the "upper east side" painting facia boards and soffits with primer. Other outside work included waterproofing the block wall, demolishing the south west doorway and carting the brick shards to the dumpster, dirt work, constructing forms for the concrete top for the wall, and building forms on the east side for pillar foundations.

Inside there was sheetrock and mud edging in the sanctuary, sheetrocking on other walls, cleanup work, sanding on 4 doors, firewood cutting, de-nailing, kitchen cleanup, dish washing, and food delivery. One volunteer worked at the warehouse putting together the temporary light fixtures. Another volunteer insulated the library ceiling. (Professor Plum, in the library, with a machete).

Off-site office work included preparation of the Chalice Lighter grant application, a rental business plan and brochures by the rental task force, and bill payment.

Husband Ed and I took our UU friends (John & Marti McCoy) from our former church in Indiana on a complete tour of the building. John, a retired engineer, is a clone of Ed Zack and Bob Kaeser and was the go to person for the church and remodeling of a nature center at our first county park. The funny thing is, John has a white VW he uses to pull his box trailer! Sound familiar? John took lots of photos so he could show our friends in Indiana how Ed and I are spending our time these days. The Indiana church hopes to buy 5 acres for $95,000 and build a new church...(I'm not moving back...I might get drafted!.)

QUOTES OF THE DAY: "Momentum has great power."

"The kitchen crew has been assigned security and is responsible for closing up tonight."

"I could do seat readings with the dusty butt prints on these kitchen chairs."

THANKS! -- to Fred and Libbie Masarie for organizing the weekend benefit concerts, to Ken and Alex Masarie for their music, and to all those who attended or helped sell tickets and provide refreshments. All proceeds went to the capital campaign to support the BUUB. The concerts raised $2,063.00 - wow!

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 TUESDAY
DAY #416

16 Volunteers
2 Contract Electricians
3 Contract Pipefitters
3 Block Masons
1 Contract Carpenter
3 Contract Plumbers
1 Fire Suppression Inspector
1 Landscape Technician

Big news of the day was a plugged toilet - and keep in mind we have only one toilet. It turns out the offending material was the quasi cotton/paper wipe up towels -- never meant to be flushed down a toilet - ever! So please, do not put any type of paper product except toilet paper in the toilet. It is very expensive to call a plumber and it took them a while to find the problem.

Chuck Wagar is the Captain of the ship this week while Ed Zack and Mark Doonan take some well deserved time off to rest and regroup prior to the project taking off like a rocket. Chuck has organized his Mud Wagon, complete with five gallon and one gallon buckets, six inch utility knives, tape, mud, mudding trays and other assorted material related to installing and finishing sheetrock. Everything is well marked, waiting for a crew! Photo right: Chuck's mud wagon.

There was sheetrock and insulation installation, mudding, sweeping, food delivery, kitchen cleanup, recycling pickup, and dish washing. With the drywall and insulation cutting, along with the fluffy dirt outside, the inside of the building is once again dusty and gritty. Outside the masons worked to complete the wall as a crew did backfilling and more sealing on the walls and installation of irrigation pipes.

One volunteer worked most of the day putting together temporary lights with plugs, so they can be moved around as needed. The door man reports 22 are complete, with only 9 more to go (except for the frames). The location of the wedding pavilion along the east border was moved slightly to the north when we realized the original location would be right under the exposed balcony of an apartment next door. It will be in front of a large evergreen which makes for a better backdrop for wedding photos, etc. Our Lasagna Garden Queen has been transporting loads of composted leaves to mix with coffee grounds and cover the newspapers and cardboard. A good bit of it has been put together.

We could sure use more people to volunteer -- a lot of general cleanup is needed again.

We have several people who regularly volunteer after 5 PM doing cleanup and they are really appreciated.

QUOTES OF THE DAY: "Speaking of the excitement of Sunday's meeting, did anyone else notice the trees toward the end of the meeting when talking about how the Buddhist group found us, they swayed lightly like they were waving at us, then, just before the vote the trees got real excited and blew around as if in a storm, but during the vote were completely still. Gave me chills. The trees are as happy as we are. And, I think we made history with our total consensus vote! At least I've never been there for one before. A round of applause for all of us. yea! "

"Could you go to Jerry's and pick up five 5-gallon buckets, white, with lids, five 14-inch mudding trays, five 6-inch wide utility knives, and five 1-gallon buckets?" You Betcha!

SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 MONDAY
DAY #415

16 Volunteers
3 HVAC Technicians
2 Contract Plumbers
1 Contract Carpenter
4 Concrete finishers
1 Concrete supervisor
1 Architect
1 Gravel Deliveryperson
7 Attend BPOC Meeting

First thing this morning Conveyor Delivery Systems delivered 6-1/2 yards of gravel and the conveyor dropped it right where we needed it along the top of the drain pipe. First a vapor barrier was installed. More of the magic happened - they did not charge us for the delivery or the use of the conveyor - we just paid for the gravel.

All the volunteers were smiling and laughing and were in a great mood. They were energized by the excitement expressed by the congregation at the meeting on Sunday.

There was sheet rock installed, brick cleaning, insulation and mud work, all of the scaffolding and supports were removed in the project office and it is actually an office again. The paper dispensers were serviced and "gray goop" was painted on the block wall to make it waterproof (a true Tom Sawyer job). The concrete crew finished building the final forms for boxes and sidewalks on the south side of the building.

Another load of composed leaves was delivered to the lasagna garden and Marty, of the family living in the parking lot, made arrangements with an employee of Bekins Moving & Storage who is going to bring cardboard for the garden. One volunteer worked on the ailing halogen shop lights and got them working. He is hooking up temporary lighting because all of a sudden it is getting dark earlier and we don't want workers to leave for lack of enough light to work!

A team and captain were established to set up the wire trays that outline the building in the attic. There seems to be miles of wire to be strung, and the trays will keep everything neat and tidy. The brick piles were re-arranged and shrink wrapped. One volunteer served as the "tool director", pointing people in the direction of various tools needed throughout the day. Break room dancers supplied food and drink, there was sweeping and dishwashing. One volunteer got very excited about garbage - and while making order out of chaos in the dumpster, she retrieved $5 in returnables. She has been diligent cleaning up the parking lot and is researching some of the items being dumped that did not originate at the BUUB.

A few people have talked to Chuck Wagar about his seminar on installing and finishing sheetrock but he could use a lot more people for this work. Tomorrow the west end sprinklers for the fire suppression system are being inspected, and assuming we pass, then we can go gang busters with insulation and drywall. Those learning the drywall craft will be able to practice, practice, practice in some areas in the attic.

It rained hard on Sunday afternoon, and El Viejo is happy to report there were no leaks - not one drop. That might not hold as fall rains continue, but we are in a good position. We had a Building Project Oversight Committee meeting tonight, and I will report more fully on that tomorrow.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

 "Mark is acting like a general - he gave me a list three pages long this morning and said, get this done today."

"I'm happy as a clam. The Sunday meeting was so over the top, it took me several hours to come back down. I was really impressed with how the meeting was organized, and the work of the Board of Directors, Negotiating Team and especially the Capital Campaign for figuring out how to get the financial end of things done."

A woman who is involved with a lot of rentals at churches in Eugene visited the BUUB one day last week, and when she walked into the sanctuary her jaw dropped and she said, "This is going to be the best place in Eugene."

Amen to that!

SEPTEMBER 25, 2011, SUNDAY
DAY #414

A BIG DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH - at 11:42 a.m., by unanimous vote, in accordance with the requirements of the by-laws of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, the congregation thereof voted to affirm the decision of the Board of Trustees to consummate the sale of the church property at 477 East 40th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon 97405 to Saraha Nyingma Buddist Institute, Inc., an Oregon non-profit corporation, for the sale price of $500,000!

Following the 9 AM service, a 40% double quorum was reached in record time. Rev. Forsey gave opening words. Board President Mary Otten stated the purpose of the meeting. Wanda Kuenzli reviewed the process of finding a buyer. John Wagner explained the terms of the agreement. Kay Crider outlined the financial picture and reported that $205,000 in bridge loans have been offered. In combination with additional gifts, the down payment from the sale, and the amount in the checking account, there is sufficient money on hand to get back to full speed ahead on getting the building to occupancy. Realtor John Brown, of Evans, Elder & Brown, was there to respond to questions. Following a question and answer period, President Otten called for the vote and the response was a loud and enthusiastic YES!

Former member, George Struble, spoke following the vote. He said it was 50 years ago this month that he and his wife joined the UU Church in Eugene and he hammered a few nails in our present church when it was being built. He said Ed Zack is the perfect person for the job and we all need to support him. Momentum is a fragile thing -- it is precious -- he encouraged everyone who is able to join in the work at the BUUB.

***************************************************

PLEASE NOTE: I had a call from Ed Zack this afternoon - he wants everyone to know that tomorrow the call goes out to the subcontractors. It is time to ramp up activity again - HVAC, electricians, plumbers, masons, and storefront experts will all be back at work full time. By the way, "storefront" refers to those who will create the entrances. The roofers return tomorrow. The fire suppression system installers have promised to be back tomorrow as well. Gravel will arrive to cover the drain pipes.

We need volunteers more than ever.
 

CHUCK WAGAR will hold several seminars this week on hanging and finishing sheetrock, teaching as many people as possible how to tape and mud sheetrock. Please call Chuck directly at 541-541-1489 to sign up. Chuck and others have been perfecting their skills in recent weeks. They want to share the fun.....

A question arose about whether we can use donated vegetable scraps for the lasagna garden. The answer is no. Because of our location and the closeness of the family we are hosting, we want to use only materials that will not rot and be smelly or attract rodents. That's why we are using cardboard, newspapers, coffee grounds, leaves and dirt.

I have been following the discussion on SHARE about finances and the raw feelings expressed about whether members feel separated by the amount of money they donate to the church. As a member of the BPOC, what is really important to me is having cheerleaders giving encouragement and appreciation to volunteers, showing up for open houses and information sessions, serving on committees and sitting through meetings, reading this blog and having a good laugh, offering a smile and asking how the project is doing. Yes, I do appreciate those who have been generous financially or signed up to be Chalice Lighters. I appreciate the 180 individual volunteers who have shown up to work, but I also appreciate all those who have expressed an interest in the miracles happening at the BUUB. And speaking of cheerleaders - the YES vote today was a tremendous outpouring of love.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This is the first vote in 50 years that was unanimous." -- Joy Hainsworth

SEPTEMBER 24, 2011 SATURDAY
DAY #413

13 Volunteers
2 Visitors
1 Architect

I received some of this report about 4 PM, and hope to pick up a little more news at the Ken Masarie concert this evening. El Viejo made a run to Jerry's at 7 AM and dropped off additional materials for the drain pipe project and made coffee. As you can see, there was considerable activity for a Saturday. 

There were three major projects under the strict supervision of Mark Doonan. Two volunteers finished digging the trench for the drainage pipe along the landscaping walls. Then they threaded the four inch drain pipe through the equivalent of a 50 foot long tube sock - no easy task (kind of like stuffing sausage) - and put the pipe in the trench, followed by a shovel of gravel on top. This was in preparation for the big project Monday of filling the trenches with gravel with a pumper truck to cover the drain pipe.

Another volunteer spent the day with the pressure washer, either standing on a scissor lift or the roof (see two photos right). She cleaned facia boards, lap board siding, and bricks all the way around the north and east sides and part of the west side of the building.

Three members of one family tackled the herculean task of cleaning up the outside premises - loading cement and block scraps into wheelbarrows, picking up leftover drink cups left by the masons, cleaning debris from the shrubbery, picking up and stacking odds and ends of lumber, returning extension cords and tools to their rightful storage areas,

and doing work on the lasagna garden. It's always great to have a teenager come along to help.

The importance of a clean and safe work site is stressed over and over by our two leaders. Much of that work seems like "busy work" but all that sweeping, scrubbing, picking up, moving, and stacking are very important to the safety of the project and much appreciated.

Inside, the Bazaar (not bizarre) organizer was busy working on things that nobody could describe to me. I wonder what she is cooking up this year? (I asked her at the concert tonight, and even what she said was hard to explain. My hearing is not so good. When I asked what she was making, she said: "A bunch of different things." and I said, "a bunch of vegetables???") Must be time for a hearing aid. She did say she was using a drill press, saw, and sledge hammer!

There was installation of sheetrock and mudding. At one point the person on the roof noticed the truck of one of the workers being pushed rather than driven. It was in the way of the fork life which was needed to move lumber. The truck owner could not find the keys, so the hunt was on. After a room by room search and a few tours of the outside, etc., the keys were eventually found......under some papers on the front seat. When something gets lost, 17,000 square feet is a lot of territory to cover - and that's just inside.

Water was sprayed on the dusty, dry south 'lawn' where all the sod was removed.

This evening husband Ed and I attended the BUUB benefit concert presented by Ken and Alex Masarie. There were about 100 people in attendance and it was wonderful. Ken said song writing is like writing a journal, and his original songs reflected his life experiences. The concert will be repeated tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM in the church sanctuary. Ken has nine guitars but could only bring three - two Martins and a Gibson! We really appreciate his generosity in donating all proceeds to the capital campaign and thank his parents for getting the concert scheduled. A surprise guest was the architect who designed our present church, Grant Cedar.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"The outside of the building looks cleaner than me. I looked like I should go through a car wash in a convertible with the top down. I had dirt crusted on my contact lenses."

"I really appreciated Al -- he brought me a glass of water."

CLARIFICATION: I was sent the following regarding something I included in the report from last night's informational meeting: "There are no votes planned on financial issues on Sunday, just the sale. If we need to vote on financial issues, such as loans that increase our indebtedness or use of the endowment fund, that will be done at a later congregational meeting, not tomorrow. " -- Mary Otten

Friday  September 23, 2011
Day 412

Three strong, young, men spent the better part of the day digging a trench along the base of the landscaping wall on the south side of the building so that four inch irrigation drain pipe can be installed.  The drain pipe arrived late this afternoon and by some miracle and perhaps a little arm twisting, arrangements have been made for the delivery and conveyor belt dumping of the gravel to cover the drain pipe at no extra cost.  That will save many hours of back breaking work.  If not for the automated dumping, many wheelbarrows of gravel would have to be moved.  No thanks!

Two door openings were cut through the bricks on the west end for emergency exits required by code.  One exits through Room 3 and the other through the end of the south corridor.  A third exit is required in the southwest corner adjacent to the water source for the fire suppression system.  Guess what?  That means there are more bricks to clean!

Thanks to Charlotte Writer, an efficient solution was found for removing the black sticky glue from old carpeting on the concrete floors.  The popular non-toxic Simple Green worked like a charm.  Her figuring it out reminds me of the women who discovered an efficient way to de-fin the heat exchangers a year ago.  Without preconceived ideas about how to do a job, new solutions emerge.

El Viejo had to stop a guy from walking off with all our empty pallets - they are worth about $15 each.  He worked with a diamond toothed grinder cutting concrete and was covered with slurry just before quitting time, but was able to get cleaned up for Chinese dinner and the information meeting at 40th.  His afternoon also included a trip to Jerry's for pipe and extenders for the hose and sprayer wand for the pressure washer.  Tomorrow it will be used  by a person cleaning the north side of the building while riding along on the scissor lift.  Good idea, since otherwise they would have to be up and down on a very tall ladder all day.

I expect there will be a good sized crew working outside tomorrow, so if you want to come join the fun, we would love to have you show up between 8 AM and 5 PM.

There was food delivery, kitchen cleanup, dish washing, sweeping, vacuuming, paper dispenser servicing and sink cleaning.  A sink, stainless steel baker's rack and magnifying desk lamp were donated.  (A young granddaughter was a custodial runner.)   There was mud smoothing, pre-assembly of irrigation piping, and hose fixture application.  Three days of the illustrated journal were added, bringing it current to October 10, 2010.  I guess I better get busy on that project.  Bills were paid.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"Up until now, we have had everything but the kitchen sink, and now we have a kitchen sink."

Chinese Dinner Fortunes:  In our jaundiced minds, they relate to the vote on Sunday: "Investigate new possibilities with friends.  Now is the time!"  "Life is a series of choices.  Today yours are good ones."  "Contentment is just around the corner for you.  Look forward!"

AND - from the Friday evening Informational Meeting at the church

 66 PEOPLE attended the information meeting at the church this evening.  Several people who were unable to attend asked if I would report on it in the blog.  Wanda Kuenzli, gave an overview of the efforts to sell the church, and thanked Ken Ross and Susanne Giordano for their special efforts to improve the appearance of the building.  The property was put on the market early in 2010, with every realtor in town knowing it was on the market.  It was shown numerous times, and then nobody came for months.  The price was dropped twice, to a more realistic price for the Eugene market.  Some of those who looked at it early on were day care, private schools, art groups, non-profits and developers.  Developers wanted to tear it down.  It is a unique property requiring a unique buyer.  There was only one other offer and the group had no money.  A private school wanted to lease it but had no money.

Then a representative of a newly forming Buddhist group that is in an expanding mode saw our for sale sign.  One of their teachers gave seminars in our sanctuary in November 1980, so they consider it a sacred space.  They understand how much the building means to us and they will honor and respect those memories.  Memorial markers can stay and will be revered and respected.  The group is the Saraha Nyingma Buddhist Institute.  They are a religious group and can be grandfathered in for the present zoning.  Any other group would have had to get the property rezoned and that was a barrier.

John Wagner, Church Treasurer, handed out material with the resolution unanimously adopted by the Board of Directors on September 20, 2011 authorizing the president to execute all necessary documents to consummate sale of the property if the congregation affirms this action on September 25, 2011.  Wagner outlined the terms of the sale.An agreement has been reached with the Saraha Nyingma Buddhist Institute, Inc. to purchase our church at 40th and Donald for the sum of $500,000, with $200,000 to be paid to us at closing and the remainder to be paid over the next 6 years - $50,000 per year at 5% interest.  We carry the note and get the interest.  Closing costs for broker fees, title search, etc., are $17,500 to $19,000.  The broker's fee is half the regular rate, at only 2.5%.

The buyer has agreed to let us lease back the building through May 30, 2012 if necessary, and we will be responsible for paying all expenses associated with the upkeep and operation of the building, except in the event that the HVAC or the roof need to be replaced between the time we close and the time we move out. The cost of the lease back will be deducted from the payments owed to us by the buyers. The Buyer has 42 days to do due diligence, inspections, environmental testing etc. The agreement was signed on August 30, 2011. The due diligence period begins on August 31, 2011 and ends on Oct 11, 2011. The bank (Siuslaw Bank) and the UUCE congregation must approve the deal.

Siuslaw Bank has been great, absolutely sparkling. They are definitely a local bank. The original appraisal (included both properties) was $1,475,000.  The latest appraisal of just the BUUB in its current state is $1,360,000 and can be used as collateral with assignment on future payment and have authorized the use of the mortgage reserve as long as the money goes into finishing the building. The down payment, less closing costs can be accessed immediately.

Kay Crider outlined the status of the capital campaign funds.  There is $225,000 in pledges that are being paid on time but cannot be accelerated, so to meet the immediate need we are soliciting bridge loans (not taking out more debt) which will be paid back by June 2013. An additional amount of $150,000 in new money is needed to get us to occupancy.  Kay called on Audrey Maslin who spoke of being in love with our building project and her feeling that it behooves us to get into the building ASAP.  She looked at her personal money market and stock investments and will be liquidating some of them to give a bridge loan. She encouraged others to see what they can liquidate and be paid back in two years. As an indication of how much faith he has in this congregation, former member George Struble has gifted $55,000 so that skylights could be ordered.  So far, 76% of our 233 pledging units have pledged to the capital campaign.  All gifts are appreciated no matter what size.  Bridge loans pay .55% interest.  Marilyn Junkins thanked everyone for their time, talent and treasure.

There was a question about whether the Endowment or Schwab accounts could be accessed.  The Endowment Committee needs more time and will not have the information by Sunday.  The Schwab account is in the reserve fund.  Major bills for HVAC, electrical, and entrances with be due within the next few weeks when those contractors have finished their work.

Realtor John Brown, of Evans, Elder & Brown, thanked us for using him as our broker and wished us the best.  It was Brown who found the Scottish Rite Temple for us and donated a portion of his broker's fee back to the church.    The meeting adjourned shortly after 8 PM.

REMINDER - only one service on Sunday - 9 AM - to be immediately followed by a congregational meeting to vote on the sale of the property and other financial issues. A double quorum of 40% is required for the vote, so it is extremely important for everyone to attend.

Judie
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SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 THURSDAY
DAY #411

14 Volunteers
3 Block Masons
1 Contract Carpenter
1 HVAC Installer
1 Architect
2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Estimators

The carpenter finished creating the forms for the top of the south meandering landscape wall and did some integrating of the HVAC equipment and the access to storage units over the southeast entrance to the sanctuary.  I am so dense it took an explanation from the carpenter, the architect and finally El Viejo before I finally understood what he was talking about.  I could identify what was a ladder, hammer, saw, nail, screws, and scraps of lumber, but how they related to what I was being told was a mystery. 

The block wall outside, will be cleaned tomorrow.  I was a little premature calling it "beautiful" last night as it has a few things that need to be changed.  So far, only one volunteer showed up to dig in the dirt and fill in around the wall.  We need an army of diggers - for an hour or a day - you decide. With the extended dry spell, the dirt becomes somewhat airborne but this is important work.  Our one volunteer working on this today is 90 years young.  We need diggers.

One of the Bodacious Bazaar Blasters came by to pick up some odds and ends of interesting scraps in preparation for making exotic items for the December 3 Holiday Bazaar.  I purchased one of her bizarre items last year and have it displayed in my front yard - the dog walkers all want to know what it is and where I got it.....We still need diggers.

  The floor stripping research continues in Room 1.  Different non toxic solvents are being tried, along with the diamond toothed buffer.  Stay tuned for the magic bullet that works.

There was brick cleaning, food delivery, sweeping, dish washing, and pick up and delivery of a donated rug and a 42x56 inch mirror, both vetted by the Aesthetics & Logistics Task Force.  We still need diggers.

I don't often praise to the rafters all the good work done day after day by the Break Room Dancers.  Now that others have stepped up to do the dishes, I don't see the serving dishes or seldom seen leftovers.  By the time I stop by for my daily discussions as a cub reporter, the kitchen is usually sparkling and everything has been stored out of sight.  Volunteers and contractors do appreciate all the tasty entrees and the nice variety of juice and treats brought in.  By the way, Bi-Mart had Langer's juices on special this week - probably only for about one more day.  $1.97 - We still need diggers

The Electric Vehicle Charging Station estimator determined it would cost about $1,000 each to install the stations.  The company handling the promotion and study period for this project pays up to about $2200 per station.  No determination yet on whether this is something we want to do - there are other questions to be answered first.  We still need diggers.

Additional irrigation hose was cut into prescribed lengths and there was pre-assembly of some of the piping.  We still need diggers so we can continue installing irrigation system pipes and begin covering them.

TOMORROW - Chinese dinner at 5 PM at the Fortune Inn, 1775 West 6th - and then there is the information meeting with John Brown of Evans, Elder & Brown, Inc., the commercial real estate group that listed and sold our current church property.  He will present information related to the sale and be available to answer questions.  The information meeting is at 7 PM in the Church Sanctuary at 40th.  See you there.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:  "There are no crumbs on the floor."  "I didn't leave a drop of my beer on the floor either."

In case any of you wonder why I am so pollyannaish, and think anything is possible, the following might shed a little light.  I launched the first ever statewide beach cleanup in 1984 when Oregonians cleaned up all 362 miles of our coastline.  That model grew by leaps and bounds and is still going strong 27 years later.  The organization became too big a job for me to do as an employee of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, so the Ocean Conservancy took it over.  I am no longer involved in beach cleanups, but believe me, working on the BPOC and watching all the volunteers turn the BUUB into a silk purse from a sow's ear is every bit, if not more, exciting.  "Over the past 26 years of Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup, more than 8.5 million volunteers have removed 145 million pounds of trash."   Years from now, people will be talking about all the UUCE volunteers who donated thousands of hours and saved thousands of dollars as we worked on our new home.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 WEDNESDAY
DAY #410

11 Volunteers
2 Block Masons
1 Contract Carpenter
2 HVAC installers
5 Visitors
1 Architect

It was a bit of a slow day at the BUUB - The volunteers did a variety of chores - applied foam in dead space (but it didn't seem to want to adhere to the surface, so a different material will likely be used), installed insulation in nooks and crannies, put up sheetrock, mudded sheetrock, replaced screws that were holding up the metal reinforcement straps in the social hall. The screws were not flat head, so sheetrock could not be put on top. The screws were removed and flat head nails were added. The kitchen was cleaned and dishes washed. By some miracle, all of the rag tag odds and ends of insulation were cleaned up since I wrote the blog last night and there was no trace of it on the floor. There was more sweeping late today. A constant and forever job waiting for a person with a broom. 

The mason finished all the courses on the southeast section of the block wall and built about half of the block wall along Chambers Street. That wall is a work of art. The carpenter built the forms for the top of the walls which will be poured concrete. The HVAC technicians installed some equipment, did some measuring and then went back to the shop to build more equipment. Despite this being a day off for El Viejo he was wide awake at 4 AM, came into the BUUB and worked on paperwork for three hours, went out for breakfast and came back for a couple more hours.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:  

"Is there anything special you want me to say you need volunteers to do?" "Yes. We need help installing drain pipes for the irrigation system and there is a lot of dirt to move. We need diggers to fill in along the new wall."

"I am here checking the paper dispensers, and cleaning the sinks."

REMINDER: The Chinese dinner at The Fortune Inn will be at 5 PM on Friday rather than 5:30 PM so those who want to go to dinner can make it to the information meeting about the sale of our present church building. The information meeting is in the Church Sanctuary at 7 PM.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 TUESDAY
DAY #409

13 Volunteers
1 Contract Carpenter
1 Electrician
2 Block Masons
1 Architect
1 Board Member
5 Visitors
 

The master brick cleaner reports we are almost down to only 4 pallets of uncleaned bricks. Since moving the brick cleaning station to the Eastern border, it is not such a social hub. It did attract a neighbor from the apartments next door who was looking for some "physical therapy" for an arm injury.

It was a busy day, with the carpenter putting wood forms on sections of the block wall so concrete caps can be poured. The block masons began building the wall along Chambers. A volunteer sorted and folded all the large heavy plastic bags from the insulation bales and another hauled them off to be recycled after working on the lasagna garden. The newspaper collection box is getting a lot of action, and we appreciate everyone's diligence in taking out the slick paper inserts, since those cannot be used.

There was pre-assembly of the irrigation pipes, painting of doors, mudding sheetrock in closets, and installation of insulation. We could sure use some cleaner-uppers of insulation scraps toward the end of the day. There were scraps scattered throughout the halls. One person noted he had worked at "organizing people." There was cleanup in the kitchen and dishes were washed.

REMEMBER - information meeting on Friday evening at 7 PM to learn about the sale of our present church building. Meeting held in the church Sanctuary.

On SUNDAY there is only ONE SERVICE AT 9 AM, so those of you who like to sit around in your pj's reading the paper and watching TV, we need you to get up a little earlier so you will be there for the congregational meeting that begins at 10 AM. It is a very important meeting in the life of the church and we have to have a DOUBLE QUORUM which means 40% of our official membership must be present to vote. Items on the agenda include: sale of the building and new building financing.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"Each mudder will have their own bucket."

"Do you have a quote for today?" -- "What do you mean? I'm in the brick pile."

"If everyone who is a Chalice Lighter shows up for the congregational meeting, we will have a quorum, since 45% of our members are Chalice Lighters. Yea Team!!!!"

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011 MONDAY
DAY #408

14 Volunteers
1 Contract Carpenter
2 Concrete installers
1 Concrete Supervisor
1 Alarm System Installer
1 Electrician
2 Electrical Supervisors
2 HVAC installers
6 Visitors

RED ALERT:  There is only one service on Sunday --- at 9 AM - The congregational meeting will begin immediately following the service, and we need a double quorum (40% of our membership) when we vote on the sale of our church building.  This is a very important meeting.

Today at the BUUB - there was paperwork, custodial duties, cleaning of scissor lifts and sinks, sweeping, dishwashing and sheetrock installation and finishing.  One volunteer, from Salem, spent the day walking on the roof or the overhang to caulk all the way around the doghouse and other small openings and primed the north side above the overhang.  This is important work to seal up the building and prepare the trim for painting. 

The electrician is getting many of the lighting  fixtures mounted and installed conduit for wires to the outside to accommodate the hookup of electric vehicle chargers if we go that route.  A crew worked in the corridor to relocate some of the beams  for mounting light fixtures.  The master brick cleaner estimates there are only 1500 bricks left to clean.  I can't remember how many we started with, but there is an impressive number of pallets of cleaned bricks in the parking lot.

One visitor stopped by to pick up a hula hoop, and another dropped off the first of three donated lateral files. 

I hope everyone is planning to come to one of the two concerts benefitting the BUUB this weekend:
Physicist by day, musician by night, singer/songwriter Ken Masarie comes to Eugene!!  Let’s fill the house!  "Masarie is an acoustic guitarist who is known for his intimate live shows, which are filled with honesty and humor." -- Daily Camera, Boulder

GET YOUR TICKETS from Al Landy or Fred Schultz on Sunday morning, or at the church office during the week: $10 in advance, $12 at the door.  We can raise over $2000 for the church to help us with our Capital fund if we fill a hundred seats at each of the Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon performances. Invite friends who love a great evening of fine music.

Ken Masarie, is the son of Fred and Libby Masarie, lives in Colorado, but has Oregon roots.

Minor correction.  It's actually the fall of 2013, i.e. two years from now, that our next settled minister will start.  We'll be organizing a Search Committee next spring and they will work through the fall of 2012 and winter of 2013 to find a candidate for the congregation to vote on. (Yesterday's 400 Days reported the settled minister would begin in 2012.)

QUOTES OF THE DAY: 

     "If I worked any slower, they'd be cutting my pay."

     "I'm going to teach you some things not covered in the contractor's manual."

SEPTEMBER 18, 2011 SUNDAY
DAY #407

3 Volunteers
4 Concrete Installers
1 Contract Carpenter
3 Visitors

The above figures may be a bit misleading. We were all there within the span of an hour.

I had just arrived home from buying groceries when I received a phone call from Sharon Gaglia - she was at the BUUB when Marty of the family living in the parking lot came over to see if she had a key to the building. He had turned on their microwave and a fan at the same time and blown a breaker. I hopped in the car to go unlock the door. When I arrived, I was amazed to see Dave Tena and his crew with the cement truck, pouring the footings for the wall along Chambers at 2:30 PM on a Sunday!

I unlocked the door and Sharon, Marty and I checked all the breaker boxes and plugs, but couldn't find the problem. So we called El Viejo, Magic Marker, and Michelangeo - only to get voice mail. (Thank goodness they were finally taking a day off.) So I called Bob Kaeser and he drove in from Veneta to help solve the problem. Turns out it was a breaker on the spider box that was thrown. Thank you Bob! Problem solved!

As we were leaving, the Contract Carpenter arrived with his wife and a friend to go for a tour. Despite the BUUB being closed, it was a happening place.

Before I forget - the Chinese dinner on Friday will be at 5 PM so everyone can attend the information meeting at the Church at 7 PM to hear details about the sale of the building.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Rev. Alicia gave us some thoughts to ponder about anxiety and stress and taking time to reflect. These are not direct quotes, but I hope to capture the essence. She spoke of us having too many changes in a short time, saying goodbye to one building while preparing the new one, and next spring entering into the search process for a new settled minister who will begin a year from now. She told us about giant bamboo, that when planted requires a rigorous schedule of watering, but which doesn't show a thing above ground or any sign of life for about four years. Once it appears, it will grow to 90 feet in 60 days. And what is it doing all that time before you see it? Growing roots sufficient to hold up a 90 foot tree. Like the bamboo, we have been growing our roots, and in order to realize our dreams for living out our mission and visions, we will need to be passionate and deeply rooted. The future holds much potential, and we need to stay even and balanced as we go through this stressful time.

And speaking of dreams, I must have money and the BUUB on my mind. I purposely don't ask for or talk about money in this blog but last night I dreamt I was in a restaurant and two people I didn't know came over to talk to me. They somehow knew I was involved with the church and the BUUB renovation. They said they loved seeing all that was going and asked me all kinds of questions about what was happening inside. Then one wrote me a check for $20,000 and the other one wrote me a check for $100,000 to help pay for the stuff we need. And then I woke up. Darn!

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011 SATURDAY
DAY #406

7 Volunteers

There was a morning crew working on shelves for the religious education department at the church, beam sanding and the lasagna garden in the morning. Two more loads of leaf mulch and one layer of coffee grounds got added to the lasagna. A lone mudder worked on the south wall of the Sanctuary in the afternoon.

Our architect, Mark, is the recipient of the latest nickname - "Magic Marker" - he continues to work magic when negotiating with merchants and contractors. Last week he met with the company supplying all the irrigation pipe. The price quoted for the pipe was $21,000. After having a little discussion on this subject, the price was lowered to $7,000 - the wholesale price. And if that wasn't enough, all of the engineering ($4,000) was thrown in. And if that wasn't enough, all of the drawings showing the location of all the sprinkler heads ($4,000) were thrown in. And if that wasn't enough, they agreed to send a technician to teach a class for our volunteers on how to put the system together. When it was all said and done, the total price - $7,244.29. And the beat goes on.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

 It was a slow news day at the BUUB, so I am taking liberties tonight with this report. I ran across something in Martha Stewart Living about renovations that made me think of working at the BUUB - especially now that we are working with drywall..

"On the eve of a renovation, you rosily imagine your home (and life) transformed. Your smile disappears, though, as you try to cook your family dinner in a dorm-sized microwave, which now doubles as an end table. Or as you wipe gritty gypsum dust from every last surface (between the pages of your book, between the sheets, between your toes). Satisfaction --- and maybe a touch of amnesia --- will come with the finished product."

"I hope someone is keeping a permanent record of the comments. They're great!" --from a reader in Eagle Creek (Clackamas County)

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011 FRIDAY
DAY #405

15 Volunteers
3 Sprinkler installers
1 Electrician

The sign in sheet indicated - bricks, bricks, bricks. Someone assembled racks, there was sheetrock mudding, and the bracket inventory in the vault. Large quantities of cardboard were dropped off. There was further research on the electric vehicle charging station proposal and considerable paperwork and computer work. One volunteer found some brass fittings in the vault, leftover from something we had dismantled months ago - took them to Schnitzer and got $25.13 for 3.59 pounds. I guess we need to have another metal drive --

The John Deer tractor no longer needed for grass mowing, had a small trailer hooked up to it (I have no idea where the trailer came from), and some things were moved to the warehouse. Inside the door refinishing room, the old cupboards from what is now Room 6 were moved a few inches closer to the wall. The ever present morning tool repair was done and sheetrock was installed. Some of it was odd ball stuff requiring shaping for small spaces. There were bits of it that were 12-1/2 inches by 172 inches. New shelving units were assembled and the volunteers helped the HVAC crew move some of their equipment and duct work in Room 5.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"I noticed water on the floor by the upright freezer" "Yes, It might be the defrost cycle....." "Or it might be that the door was not closed tight....my teenage sons used to do that." (I've never known a defrosting freezer that just drains the water to the floor.)

"During the installation of some of that oddball sheetrock, there were words I didn't think Gil knew." "The sheetrock was still hot when someone started to tape it."

"Don't even think about taking a clean bucket from a mudder." ("A mudder is not a horse that runs well on a wet track.")

TOMORROW: Chuck Wagar will have the BUUB open in the afternoon (after 12:30) for anyone who wants to come clean bricks, or sweep and clean up the premises. If you have a project you have been working on, come on down.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 THURSDAY
DAY #404

13 Volunteers
1 Contract Electrician
3 Sprinkler Installers
2 Block Masons
1 Environmental Control Specialist
1 ECOtality Sales Representative
1 Architect
1 Church Treasurer

The beginnings of the lasagna garden were put in place with cardboard, newsprint, two pickup loads of composted leaves and 3 garbage cans of coffee grounds distributed. We need newspapers and more cardboard! (Slick paper and all tape or plastic removed.) A volunteer folded up all the paper taken down from the walls for the open house and it was recycled into the lasagna. Many more end rolls of newsprint were picked up in Glenwood and delivered to the site late today. Things were going great until one volunteer dropped a heavy roll of paper on her foot and injured her toe.

There was sweeping, sheetrock mudding, specialized insulation installation, recycling, food delivery, dish washing, and the continued inventory of brackets in the vault. The fire suppression pipe fitters were on hand and the block masons added more courses to the meandering wall on the south west side. Dirt was moved to fill in around the wall.

Three BPOC members and a board member met with the sales representative for ECOtality to discuss the possibility of having two electric vehicle charging stations in the north side parking lot. There are questions to be answered and the board is reviewing a draft of the standard contract. By 2013, all major car makers will offer an all electric vehicle. It was interesting to learn more about the technology.

Research on ways to remove the mastic from old carpeting is being conducted, using a soy based liquid remover and a buffer type machine with diamond tooth blades. The test areas are in Room 1 and the results will be reported when available.

QUOTES AND STORIES OF THE DAY:

"I hadn't known the new wall out front had such an interesting shape, with lots of corners. It is lovely, really lovely."

"All that dirt piled around is river loam - it is dirt to die for."

"These electric vehicle chargers are an introduction to the future."

Now for the story. Yesterday, a new volunteer who did not know Mark the architect, was checking him out closely and finally reached up and touched the hair under Mark's baseball cap. He said, "I'm not a hair stylist, but I have some scissors and I think I could even up your hair for you." Then today when he showed up to volunteer, he offered Mark a new razor and said, "Do you have a place to live?" There was an assumption that since Mark has been too busy working on the BUUB to shave, that he was homeless. It gave everyone a good laugh.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 WEDNESDAY
DAY #403

13 Volunteers
1 Contract Carpenter
3 Sprinkler Installers
1 HVAC installers
1 Mason
1 Architect

The mason worked his magic today, completing three more courses of blocks on the portion of the wall he built yesterday along 13th Avenue. The bottom course is plain block and the three are decorative. A cap will be added on top. The first course was laid in the portion of the wall to the west of the main opening, and extends all the way to Chambers. It is a handsome wall.

The lasagna gardeners began marking the meandering path along the east border and putting down the cardboard. They had help from our First Family guest, Marti, who carried lumber to secure the cardboard until it can be piled with coffee grounds and other material. It would be helpful to have all of the plastic labels and tape removed from cardboard before it is dropped off. Containers for newspaper and coffee grounds are available by the kitchen door. (Remember to separate out the slick paper inserts - we can't use those in the garden.)

The sprinkler crew worked at putting pipes and fittings in the east entrance, and it was helpful having three installers on the job.

Sheetrock mudding continues in the sanctuary and one of the closets. The kitchen crew was on hand to not only clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes, but worked at making signs and re-organizing storage. The Break Room Dancers and Dishwashing Divas do an incredible job day after day and are much appreciated. And a team is taking the recycling home almost daily which really helps keep things orderly.

Custodial duties were performed in other parts of the building and there was a discussion about whether the toilet paper should be over or under. The popular opinion is: over.

I must have been overly tired last night when I did the blog - realized this morning I had added an extra "d" in nudists......I hate being less than perfect. *grin*

El Viejo decided to check deep storage unit to see if he still had a canopy and frame left from a job he worked on in the Arctic ten years ago. Sure enough, it was there, and this afternoon he and a volunteer put it together as a sun/rain shield for brick cleaners. The trick will be securing it from theft since the frame is plastic pipe and easily taken apart, but it helps having the family in their RV parked nearby.

One volunteer spent five hours in the vault doing an inventory of all the brackets and anchors and entering the information in her computer. Perfect person for the job - her undergraduate degree was math, and her masters degree was bio-statistics! The inventory is a two or three day job. The brackets look pretty much alike, except some are left handed, some right handed, some have 3 screw holes, some have 5, some have 8. It will be really good to know what we have so we don't order duplicates, and those no longer needed can be sold back to the supplier. They range in price from $4 to $30 each. They are what holds our building together.

If anyone is looking for a low impact job - please come to the BUUB and fold up all the crumpled newsprint that was taken off the walls in two rooms after the open house. It can be used in the lasagna garden when in a neater form.

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"I am looking for lumber that will hold down cardboard and keep it from blowing around tonight."

"When I drove into the parking lot on Sunday for the Open House it was breathtaking to see it full of cars! It was like we are here already. A shot in the future. Usually, when I come here there are 5-6 cars at the most."

"I don't think anyone visualized or realized how much we would be changing the building when we saw it for the first time. The only thing left of the original is four walls and the floor (and kitchen). When you buy a house you see the walls, and think, I can put the couch here, the bed there, etc., not that you will be removing all the walls and starting over with a whole new design. That's why the Open House was so great -- we can finally see the rooms and how it is going to be."

 

 

 

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 TUESDAY
DAY #402

15 Volunteers
3 Sprinkler Installers
1 Contract Carpenter
1 Mason
2 HVAC Installers
1 Architect
1 Trenching Operator
7 Attend BPOC Meeting

 

I made an executive decision to change the way I listed the numbers above. From now until completion of the project I will just add another day.

Photo right:  Al Hutt and Coy sheetrocking the attic.

It was a busy day at the BUUB with the first volunteer signing in at 8:30 AM and the BPOC meeting going until 8:30 PM, with the project manager still doing paper work after that - despite it being his "day off."

There was drywall patching, recycling, dish washing, food delivery, sweeping, cleaning, and taking down the paper "walls" and staples put up for the open house. Insulation and sheetrock were installed. The entire length of our property along 13th and along Chambers was trenched and irrigation pipe was installed and covered back up. The dynamite team of Sarah Hendrickson, Gretchen Miller, and Charlie Eckerson have got the system down to a fine science and will be working on the rest of it. (No, they are not working with dynamite.)

The first course for 3/4ths of the length of the block wall along 13th Avenue is done. It's fun watching the gawkers driving past, trying to figure out what on earth are those UU's up to now. They see the piles of dirt, the red DANGER tape, the stacks of bricks, the stacks of blocks and people out there working that look like they should be sitting in a rocking chair on their front porch enjoying retirement!

Failing to find the key to the forklift after four days of searching, a locksmith was called because we need that forklift daily. The sheathing for the west entrance was framed out and 30# felt was added to keep it dry until the permanent roof is put on.

Tomorrow the irrigation pipe goes into the lasagna garden. We need cardboard, newspapers (no slick paper) and coffee grounds, plus a pickup truck or two to haul leaves. We also need volunteers to help put it all together.

Volunteers are needed to prime the north siding outside. Volunteers are needed to clean bricks. There are odds and ends of inside work too (but my memory fails me to know what they are....)

It was good having three sprinkler installers. The west side of the fire suppression system is almost done and they are working on the east side. All must be complete before it can be inspected, but once that is done we will be going gang busters on insulation and sheetrock, so get ready.

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"My head is exploding with possibilities." "This building is like the 40th Street church on steroids."

Cell phones and a poor signal can make for some misunderstandings:

"We sold the church to the Buddhists."
"You sold it to the nuddists?"

 

NOTE: There is no Chinese Dinner at Fortune Inn on Friday.

 

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2011 MONDAY
400 DAYS PLUS 1

13 Volunteers
2 HVAC technicians
1 Sprinkler Installer
2 Contract carpenters
1 Architect
2 Visitors
1 BPOC Chair
1 Excavator

 

Yesterday's report left out the notation that Rev. Alicia Forsey was at the open house all afternoon. We appreciate her attendance, especially since she had been working with the board at their retreat all weekend, and was in the pulpit for two services earlier in the day. It's good to have her back in town after her time off this summer.

One of the visitors today was Fred Crafts, of Fred Crafts Radio Redux and the Eugene Register Guard. He stopped by for a look around and was visibly excited. Beaming, he exclaimed: "This town desperately needs a space like this. It is beautiful."

The other visitor was Bob Kinyon, owner of ATEZ Company and the beloved fork lift. He was telling stories on El Viejo. They have known each for 40 years and during one of their joint projects, El Viejo slammed one of Bob's fingers squarely with a hammer, causing great pain. Despite this treatment, they have remained friends. His company removed all of the asbestos in our building and he drops by to see our progress regularly. He was amazed to see how much we have accomplished.

The excavator is back from his honeymoon to Eastern Oregon, and could see the humor in getting a phone call from the BUUB mid-week, asking "where are the keys to the big scoop shovel machine?" There is no escape from this job.....

One volunteer worked on the irrigation system, cutting pipes and fittings (see right). He is another innocent who showed up at church for the first time on Sunday and then came to the open house and today was on the job most of the day. He lives close by. (For future reference: When I write about sprinklers it refers to inside fire suppression, and when I write about irrigation it refers to pipes buried under the soil outside.)

Thanks to the person who brought a bouquet of zinnias for the open house. They are a bright spot in the kitchen and much appreciated.

Volunteers moved wood, sand, cement blocks, pipes and dirt. The kitchen was cleaned and dishes done, there was de-nailing, irrigation heads were pre-assembled, further framing done on the west entrance, and block bases for wood pillars were built for the west and north entrances. Blocks were delivered (photo right) to begin the wall on the south side, and concrete forms were built on the west side. Several volunteers are trying their hand at mudding sheetrock on the north wall of the sanctuary. Firewood was picked up soon after being put in the free box. One volunteer inspected the folding door between the sanctuary and social hall to see about installing a gear reducer to make it easier to open and close.

More on Mike Epperson - He heads up the facilities council at the Tucson UU Church and helps serve low cost dinners at the church every night.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"You brought ice! Good." And later in the day.....

"I brought two bags of icy pops" But ten minutes later, when checked, they were not yet frozen....

"It sure is nice to have all these leftover cookies."

 

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2011 SUNDAY
400 Days, Original D Day 1

OPEN HOUSE GUESTS 157

1 Contract Carpenter and his wife
1 Architect
1 Pacific Northwest District Executive - Janine Larson

What a wonderful way to celebrate Day #1 in our 400 day countdown. Thanks to everyone who came and for:

Tom Sears, Choir Director

The Choir for Sharing their Voices

To those who brought cookies

To those who brought juice

To those who brought grapes and carrots

To those who brought humus and crackers

To those who helped open up the building, hang building plans, festoon two rooms with white newsprint to create an image

To those who set up chairs and took them down

To the pianists who provided music for three hours

To those who washed dishes

To those who kept cookies plates filled

To all those who have labored during the past 399 days and got the building into the shape it is today.

To the visitor who was so moved, she gave me a check for $75.

To the three people who signed up as Chalice Lighters - we have 150!

Children had rides on the scissor lifts, blew bubbles, and played in the sand. The WOW factor of seeing the east entrance window frames uncovered was terrific. Did you notice during the open house there was no time when it felt like the building was full of people? And while the choir sang, if you went to the other end of the building you couldn't hear them sing. Photo right: view from the scissor lift.

Several suggestions or observations were offered - Consider having a wood floor for dancing - either permanent of movable - because there is great competition for the one or two wood floors available in Eugene. Another suggested having one room with a wood floor for yoga lessons.

Did you happen to notice the sunlight from the small skylights in the Sanctuary highlighting the heads of the members of the choir?

The skylights will have controls to adjust the angle of light for energy conservation and the ability to darken the rooms if necessary. The skylights have been ordered! The small portable podium donated by Bob Kaeser worked like a charm and several people commented how clearly they could hear those who spoke.

It is difficult to capture the mood and energy of the day. Tomorrow is day ZERO and we will begin adding numbers. A real milestone.

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"This was a very emotional time for me. A year ago when I brought the choir here for a rehearsal, I couldn't hear them sing even though I was standing within five feet of them because the acoustics were so bad. Today they sound magnificent." -- Tom Sears

"The big tent is open and we are reading for a big show." -- Mark Doonan

"Judie, you will never be able to describe this stack of insulation in the social hall in a way that those who have not seen it can understand how much there is." (It's about 50 feet long, 10 feet wide and 8 feet high. -- pure guesses.

 

NEEDED: Does anyone have one of those outdoor shade rooms - a 10x10 tarp on a frame? We have moved the brick cleaning station from the north side of the building back to the bricks on pallets near the 13th Street entrance. We want to provide a place in the shade for this hot work. Let Ed Zack know if you have one - 541-729-4500.

GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT: Ed Zack got a phone call from former UUCE member and BUUB volunteer Mike Epperson today. He is living in Tucson, AZ and joined the UU church. The church was having problems with some of their mechanical equipment. Mike got involved in monitoring the work and discovered the repair company was trying to install expensive equipment that was not needed, etc. As a result of his involvement, he has been offered employment. He is well settled. He misses everyone in Eugene and wanted folks to know he was thinking about us.

Photo right:  roof on open house day.

 

MORE PHOTOS FOLLOW....

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SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 SATURDAY400 DAYS, DAY 2

14 Volunteers
1 Visitor
1 Architect

Two new volunteers have been in town only two days! I don't know the back story of how they found us, or how our members found them, but they came to the BUUB and volunteered all afternoon, helping with the window panels for the east entrance and mudding sheetrock. Get 'em while they are hot!

Hours more preparation for the Open House - El Viejo's comment for the blog tonight is -

"Unless you are in the hospital tomorrow, you need to come to the BUUB for the Open House from 1-4 PM. It is magic, just pure magic." Not only is the building spectacular, there will be cookies and juice, tours, the choir, and entertainment. Bring the whole family. It is DAY#1 of our 400 Days Countdown.

The coat rack normally obscuring the view into the kitchen from the social hall met with a saw and is now a double row of racks for jackets, safety vests, aprons, etc. A much better location and one that will work well when we move in. There was more serious cleaning and sweeping, de-nailing, caulking of the north exterior siding, and shelves made for the religious education rooms at 40th. As volunteers worked and saw the result of our labors these last 398 days, there was a realization to a person about what an amazing project this is. When the spaces are cleared of all the heavy equipment, and the tools, ladders, etc., are stored, the transformation from a sows ear to a silk purse is more evident.

Remember me telling you on Thursday night about the procurement of three special knives for cutting insulation? Thanks to the diligence and computer prowess of that volunteer, we have four more! They are the exact duplicates of the one El Viejo had 30 years ago.

New "road closed" barricades were made for the 13th Street entrance. A number of drivers had been in the habit of cutting through our parking lot and not bothering to slow down on their way through. The barricades stop it, but the minute they don't exist the drivers return to their bad habits. Tomorrow the 13th Street driveway will be OPEN for your convenience.

All of the bricks were moved and join the pallets of bricks near the 13th Street driveway.

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

A piano was moved out of storage and arrived in the sanctuary for the open house. One person inquired: "Did you get it tuned?"

"This is the best project of my life....I have never worked on anything like this."

 

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SEPTEMBER 9, 2011 FRIDAY
400 DAYS, DAY 3

25 Volunteers
1 Concrete Contractor
1 Sprinkler Supervisor
1 Contract Carpenter
2 Landscape Architects
1 Appraiser
1 Architect
Meetings with Fire Marshall
Sprinkler Company
Appraiser
8 for Chinese Dinner
Hosted Family of Four on Site

 

Wonderful news! Jane Souzon's stolen car showed up in Meridian, Idaho! A motorist reported seeing people arguing in the car and driving erratically, and when it was pulled over by police, they found it was a stolen car. Jane will travel to Idaho to retrieve it soon!

The BUUB was an absolute zoo with volunteers extremely busy all day. Much of the work involved MOVING, MOVING, MOVING things. Rolling carts, insulation, sheetrock, trash cans, lumber, rebar, ladders, sprinkler pipes, firewood and dirt. Most of this was in preparation for the open house on Sunday - we want it to be really special for all of you who are coming for a look see. Tomorrow will see finishing touches and we can still use volunteers.

In the background, several people were doing finish work on the sheetrock on the north wall of the Sanctuary. The carpenters have all the glulams and most of the purling up on the west entrance and it is looking trick. There was brick cleaning and stacking, grinding of blocks for the support pillars on the north side, de-nailing, tool assembly and tool repair, cutting out of old pipes in the concrete floor, repairing tires on a wheelbarrow and the fork lift, re-stacking sheetrock and insulation, and organizing lumber stacks. Two scissor lifts were chained together in an attempt to move an ailing one out of the middle of the Sanctuary. Outside volunteers cleaned up debris left from the concrete pour and preparing a ditch for the sprinkler system along the south sidewalk. The kitchen was cleaned and dishes washed.

We greeted our new guests to the parking lot, a family of four who expect to be with us until October or November. It is great having a 24 hours presence on the property and being able to provide a place for them to park their RV.

The sprinkler company has assured us there will be two technicians on Monday to work on the fire suppression system.

The appraiser who came by today is the same person who appraised the building in May 2010. Right away he was in awe of the inside. He said: "Where are we now? What was here before? Then he asked what the value of the project was. El Viejo told him about it being valued at $2.7 million, but then the estimates came to $2.3 and we have a final budget of $1.7. He wanted to know how much we had spent so far - $850,000 (about half). He was stunned. He said "You have gotten all this done for only $850,000? How on earth did you do that?" " Volunteers, everyone you see here today except for one professional, is a volunteer....." He was told that we have an all new electrical system, new plumbing, sewer, roof, insulation, HVAC, entrances, framing, etc..... And that's when his circuits started tripping! He said, "I can't tell where we are, you will have to send me the building plans."

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"I'm just glad I didn't set my hair on fire."

"If I die, give me a proper funeral."

"Are you going to wash your hands before eating dinner?"

When questioned about why he carries a picnic basket instead of a briefcase, El Viejo responded: "A briefcase gets full of sawdust, and it goes right through the picnic basket. That basket is from Bosnia - I have had it for nine years and have used it every day."

So that's it! If you come to work on digging and pipe glueing, the time to come is in the morning when it's still cool, don't you think? Anyone up for this?

 

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SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 THURSDAY
DAYS LEFT = 4

12 Volunteers
1 Contract Carpenter
1 Brick Mason
5 Concrete contractors
1 Concrete supervisor
2 HVAC Installers
2 Contract Plumbers
1 Architect
1 Church Mutual Insurance Company Representative
1 Member, Aesthetics & Logistics Task Force

The footings were poured for the block wall along the south sidewalk, and once the rebar is set along the west side, it will get done. Glulam beams were installed on the southwest entrance and when you drive by you will notice the "Future Home" sign and a very large "This Project Funded by Siuslaw Bank" sign have been moved to the north. Another door will be cut in the northwest corner as required by code. Putting those glulam beams in place required a lot of tricky fork lift work, a constant reminder of the generosity of Bob Kinyon of Atez, who has given us the loan of the fork lift for the life of the project.

Blocks for the north entrance pillars were delivered. Yesterday all the elements of the irrigation system arrived, and the back story of that will be shared on a slim news day.

There was brick cleaning, brick coursing and patching, beam sanding, sweeping, cleaning up insulation and sheetrock scraps, kitchen cleaning and dishes washed. By day's end, the north wall of the Sanctuary had a layer of new sheetrock and tomorrow mudding begins. A load of gravel arrived and we experimented with tung oil on the exposed beams. Some sheetrock patching was done in Room 4.

There is further delay in getting the sprinklers installed. The main man got called for jury duty! The soonest we might get a replacement to continue the work is Monday.

The coursing of bricks where they abut the east side of the south entrance has mortar that is not the same color as the old bricks. We will need someone to find paint to match the mortar and paint it. A fun project for someone. Apply at the project office. *grin*

Volunteers indicated they did sweeping, cleaning, and hauling stuff. Tomorrow, as indicated in the special email sent this afternoon to this list, we can use all the people available to volunteer the next two days. In addition, I received the following from Judy Sawyer, Chair of the Landscaping Task Force:

We are in need of a crew of between 4 and 6 to "re-locate dirt" in preparation for laying irrigation pipes in the landscape. So we need strong "digger types" as well as people willing to glue together flexible piping. And we need someone with a good eye to spray paint lines to mark a garden path (according to our landscape blueprint) on the strip to the east of the parking lot. Then we need someone to dig narrow trenches along those path lines in which we will insert 'bender board" of some kind to outline and contain the path. Once that path is marked, we need folks to weed out the dandelions within the grass there. No need to take them out in the surrounding areas because we will do our "lasagna garden" there to prepare the ground for good soil and planting in the spring.

So, we are back to needing newspaper and cardboard and coffee grounds for the lasagna strips. But we also need garbage can-sized containers for the coffee grounds. Once we get the path marked and the newspaper and cardboard laid down, we'll need folks with trucks to pick up leaves from various community gardens. Mark doesn't want us to wait for the new leaf fall--and the leaves that are left are available for anyone.

So that's it! If you come to work on digging and pipe glueing, the time to come is in the morning when it's still cool, don't you think? Anyone up for this?

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"There's a note for you on your scissor lift."

"Who else do you know who has a picnic basket instead of a briefcase?"
 

SPECIAL THANKS DEPARTMENT:

I seldom name names since we have so many people who day after day are at the BUUB working away or bringing food or being cheerleaders for this project we all love. Every once in a while I need to acknowledge special efforts. Tonight it is Dave Franzen for recognizing that we needed more special slicing tools as we tackle that huge mound of insulation stacked in the social hall. He found three of the 10 inch tools, purchased them and brought them to the BUUB.

Bob Kaeser noticed that a local office furniture outlet was having a going out of business sale. They carry both new and used furnishings. Bob checked and discovered a lateral style storage unit that is the perfect size for storing the braille hymnals where they can be kept dust free. He also purchased a stand alone podium with speakers, a lapel microphone, an attached microphone, and a carry around microphone. It has a handle on the side that makes it very portable. It was donated and delivered and will be put to use at the open house on Sunday. Thanks Dave and Bob for finding these cool items and an anonymous donor who purchased the hymnal storage unit!

 

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SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 WEDNESDAY
DAYS LEFT = 5

14 Volunteers
1 Brick Mason
1 Contract Carpenter
2 HVAC installers
1 Professional Floor Grinder
1 Acoustical Engineer
1 Architect

A nice volunteer crew arrived to apply sheetrock to the north wall of the Sanctuary and they made great progress. Of course it covered all the messages posted during our last open house, but that was the idea from the beginning. And those who wrote on the wall know it will be there for perpetuity.

The brick mason worked at patching siding where bricks were removed around the new entrances. The carpenters, contractor and volunteer, worked on the north side porch and entry, and framing was started in preparation for the new overhang on the west side for the exit. There was wire stripping, this time not pulling the knife toward hands.

There was hand excavation along the south sidewalk where some special piping needs to be installed. There was sweeping around the building and several people took recycling home. A team of three has volunteered to share kitchen cleanup and dish washing on Wednesdays and today they had their tutorial to find out where to put things away or find things like a broom, dust pan, tea towels, etc. A few new signs went up - one in the pantry was to remind everyone to check in the pantry to see if there is already a package of something open before opening a fresh bag of crackers, chips, or cookies.

El Viejo had a lengthy meeting with a contractor who grinds concrete floors to gain information and talk about what services this person provides. Research continues.

THE FOLLOWING RELATES TO LOADING THE OUTSIDE DUMPSTER

The dumpster supplier bills UUCE a delivery fee, a tipping fee, and a weight fee. It is in our best interest to fill the dumpster to capacity. This is done by starting trash at the back wall (the wall farthest from the doors) and filling the back to the top of the dumpster. Then proceed forward by piling the trash to the top of the side walls. A deviation from this method requires filling the dumpster by other means. For example: Having to stand outside the dumpster and getting the trash over the walls if the floor is obstructed with trash. Putting a ramp over the trash is not safe. Handing the trash from inside the dumpster is easier and you can save the person responsible for the dumpster from doing extra work. Thank you for your attention. -- from the former Duke of Dumpsters

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"Where is the broom?" "Where do I find plastic garbage bags?"

"Is there anyone in particular responsible for taking the recyclables home?" "What happened to the kitchen scissors?"

"I think I have been trying too hard to sign up Chalice Lighters. Last night I dreamt I was selling Oregon hunting and fishing licenses to people at church." (probably because the UUCE birders went to Fern Ridge yesterday and I was checking to see when hunting season begins....we don't like birding when there is gunfire.)

Remember - Chinese dinner at the Fortune Inn, 1775 West 6th at 5:30 PM on Friday.

 

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SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 TUESDAY
Days left = 6

10 Volunteers
1 Contract Carpenter
1 Sprinkler Installer
2 HVAC installers
1 Architect
1 Visitor
5 Concrete contractors

Michelangelo was mudding sheetrock and also emptied all the trash containers for relaxation. (We found a Duke of Dumpsters and El Viejo has already given him authority to issue tickets and citations with a maximum fine of $50 to anyone who improperly loads the dumpster.) We also found three people to share the Wednesday dishwashing duties. Today the kitchen was cleaned and the dishes done.

A new rack was built to hold all of the extension cords - it is located in the southeast corner of the social hall. A cardboard collection box was made from plywood scraps. I didn't see where it was placed -- but it will be outside. All of the paper dispensers were checked to be sure they were full. Caulking was done on the northside exterior and the parking lot pressure washer was on the job again today.

There was brick coursing, brick cleaning and interior sweeping. The carpenters continued to refine the north entrance. It was another day of tool repair - hoses, cords, ladders, and scaffolding. The concrete contractors framed forms for the footings on the south side lawn.

Despite saying they were taking off the month of September, both El Viejo and architect Mark Doonan will be on the job every day through September 11.

Preliminary plans are underway for the Undressed Rehearsal portion of the Open House on Sunday, September 11. A sneak preview indicates there will be music and various venues set up for your viewing pleasure. There are rumors of cookies and juice.

Tomorrow we need sheetrock installers to change the appearance of the south wall of the Sanctuary. Come on down! Free Lunch, icy pops and cold drinks.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"I thought I was done with tool repair -- but this morning there was another pile on my desk, waiting to be fixed."

"I think the parking lot grew overnight. It keeps getting bigger and bigger."

If you are planning to sign up as a Chalice Lighter, please let me prepare the registration. September 12 is the deadline for the next round, and it is important that our church get credit for your membership. If you sign up on line, there is a delay time, and I might not get notice of it for several months. E-mail me at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
 

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2011 MONDAY
Days left = 7

11 Volunteers
No contractors, architects, or engineers - It's Labor Day!

 

Our statistician reports the following through last Friday:

 275 Individual Volunteers
14,651 Individual Hours Worked
4,802 signed in volunteers

 
Is that cool or what?

For the 5th day, the parking lot was getting a power washed bath beginning at 8:30 AM and still going late into the afternoon.

There was beam sanding, brick cleaning, and installation of specialty sheetrock patching in Room 3. Shelving brackets were made to store paper products in a more convenient location to the areas in the building with dispensers. We have a volunteer who will refill all the paper dispensers! We still need someone to empty trash cans from around the building into the dumpster.

El Viejo repaired all kinds of equipment and tools - things with wheels, cords, and hoses - it isn't that the volunteers are hard on tools or misuses them, it is a result of months and months of use. We have gone through a lot of sanders - six have burned out!

A whole bunch of 1/8" spacers were cut and marked so a consistent shadow line can be left around the beams when installing sheetrock. The Michelangelo Mudder worked away on a scissor lift high up in the floating clouds in the Sanctuary. He and El Viejo were estimating how many feet of the edging he has ahead of him - it is about 1200 feet of edging just around the beams.

One volunteer cut old conduit into lengths to use as stakes for creating temporary barriers around the open ditches on the south and west sides of our property. Orange tape marked the spot. Another volunteer moved all of the safety equipment into a filing cabinet next to the name badges. Going in and out of the front entrance is much like a limbo bar. There was further brick coursing on the front of the building.

Left out of yesterday's report - two volunteers hauled a load of donated rocks to the BUUB - enough to fill a small pickup and the back of a Prius. Today, some moving day cardboard was delivered.

 

THINGS NEEDED

Does anyone have an old fashioned wringer from a washing machine - the kind Ed Hansen got his arm caught in as a child? The "mud" for the sheetrock comes in bags, and it is difficult to get the last part out. We could make the mud go much further if we could put the bags through a wringer.

A Duke of Dumpsters - to enforce proper dumpster etiquette - I know, you are laughing...But the etiquette involves making sure the dumpster is loaded from the back first, that all the recyclables are pulled out, and that when the dumpster is full you call El Viejo so he can order an empty dumpster and have the other one hauled away. Training offered.

Pencils and Pens - If you have a supply of extra pens or pencils you no longer need, bring them to the BUUB - it is a big building and there never seems to be enough most days.

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"Lunch today was the best ever -- a tasty casserole."

"Every time El Viejo gives me a job to do, it is in multiples of 50! Fifty conduit pipes, 50 blocks for blocking, 50 1/8" spacers."

"It is a BIG parking lot."

 

REMINDER: We have an Open House at the BUUB this Sunday afternoon - from 1-4 PM. Everyone is invited to come check out all the magic happening during the past 400 days. In one week, we begin counting from the number one until occupancy.....

 

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SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 SUNDAY
Day 8

96 VOLUNTEERS (at 40th & Donald) for LABOR OF LOVE
The BUUB was closed  

El Viejo made a few trips back and forth between the BUUB and 40th & Donald, hauling contractor grade wheelbarrows, ladders, a chopsaw, filing cabinets, and an assortment of tools. We had a wonderful turnout for Labor of Love at the church -- as Rev. Alicia told us during the blessing at lunch - our last at this location. Thanks to Ken Ross for preparing a list of jobs and the sign up sheets to help us decide what we wanted to do. It was all beautifully organized. He was impressed and pleased with the number of people who came to work and of the expertise in various areas. There were people in the woods, on the porches, in the playground, on the roof, in the kitchen, in the parking lot. It was a hot day, but we were mostly done by Noon. A lovely assortment of tasty treats arrived for the potluck and there was a willing kitchen crew who did all those dishes.

Most of the BUUBsters (as El Viejo calls us) were on hand to help make 40th sparkle. At least one of the older file cabinets removed from 40th will be used at the BUUB to store safety equipment. Because of all the grit and grime that becomes airborne at the BUUB, things like goggles and ear protectors get contaminated, so it will be good to close them up in a cabinet.

STORY AND QUOTES DEPARTMENT:

When El Viejo was unloading tools from the work party at the BUUB he heard loud noises from a piece of heavy equipment. When he walked around to the front of the building, he discovered the excavator in the backhoe filling in all the ditches. El Viejo asked: "I thought you got married yesterday, why aren't you on your honeymoon?" He replied: "I'm leaving for my honeymoon in four hours but I needed to get this done because I didn't want to hold up the job." WOW....that's the kind of contractors we have working on this project. By golly, I think all those gourmet lunches supplied by the Break Room Dancers are paying off!

"I don't do windows." -- (Spoken by a person washing windows!)

"I hadn't been down in these RE rooms for a year and a half. It's like going back to grammar school - the rooms are so small." (Especially after working in all the large spaces at the BUUB.)

 

CHANGE IN PLANS DEPARTMENT: Hold off on the coffee grounds for the lasagna garden for a while - we won't have access to fallen leaves from the City until about November. Stay tuned for further instructions.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Up until now, we haven't arranged for someone to wash BUUB dishes on the weekends. Recently there has been enough of a Saturday crew that the tub is full of glasses and snack dishes at the end of the day. If you would like to help with this chore, please contact Marina McIntire ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). We got the Wednesday slot covered!

CHALICE LIGHTERS: I learned today that Friends of the Church can become Chalice Lighters to help us meet our quota, so if you have wanted to sign up but weren't sure if you could, let me know. I will fill out the paperwork for you.

 

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SEPTEMBER 3, 2011 SATURDAY
Day 9

12 Volunteers
2 Visitors

I stopped by in the early afternoon to work on some paperwork with El Viejo and was amazed to see how many people were volunteering and how much work was being done.

There was beam sanding, de-nailing, wire stripping, and mudding of the south wall of the sanctuary sheetrock, up right around the beams. One volunteer put up temporary barriers around the excavated ditches since the new bridegroom did not make it back last night.

Another volunteer went around the building filling up holes with concrete to cover old drain lines and block sewer gas. There were other holes where wires were removed, and they were filled in too.

The faithful parking lot power washer operator arrived at 8:30 AM and put in six hours for the fourth day in a row. I guess some of the contractors working on the north side of the building asked that she not work in that area on week days because of the noise, so she needed to come on the weekend. Now that is dedication!

The Landscaping Task Force is organizing the setup for the lasagna garden. There is a large garbage can for coffee grounds and as cardboard is delivered it will be battened down with rocks until a special storage box is built. All coffee grounds are welcome.

NEEDED: A replacement volunteer custodian to keep toilet paper, paper towel and soap dispensers filled and the wastebaskets emptied. The person doing it is an excellent sheet rock installer and finisher and his skills are needed in that area. Please see Ed Zack if you can help.

WORKER AVAILABLE FOR HIRE:  Al Hutt, the bicyclist who has been volunteering 5-6 days a week for the past month would like to stay in Eugene, but is in need of some part time employment, just enough to get by. He is learning new skills as a volunteer and wants to be able to continue helping. He is a hard worker with BUUB references. He can do yard work, cut firewood, help move heavy stuff, etc., and is available for $10 per hour. If you need some help you can call his cell - 760-815-0637.

QUOTES OF THE DAY: 

"What did I do with my bucket of cement?"

Entry on sign up sheet under what they did: "Drink Coffee"

If you have today's Register Guard, check out the comic: Bizarro - It describes the BUUB to a T.

 

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2011 FRIDAY
Day 10

23 Volunteers
2 Plumbers
1 Sprinkler Installer
1 Contract Carpenter
2 HVAC Installers
4 Concrete Technicians
1 Architect
15 for Chinese Dinner

The plumbers installed the new 2 inch water main, an inspector arrived, and we passed with flying colors. The inspector was overjoyed to see a 2 inch water main when only 1-1/2 inch was required. The excavator was there most of the day, and is expected to come back to close everything up this evening (after his bachelor party I guess!).

The south Sanctuary wall received a 4th layer of mudding, and there was insulation and sheetrock patching in Room 3. Volunteers did de-nailing, beam sanding, brick cleaning, removed recyclables and returnables, put together forms to hold trash bags, cleaned the kitchen and washed dishes. They also sawed off old pipes to level places on the floor, cut up firewood, and caulked the exterior of the north side in preparation for painting. It was good to have George Struble from Salem on our volunteer crew all day and join us for dinner.

The south side brick facings, when torn out, were cut in straight lines, and today some of the partial bricks were removed so the rows would be alternate. The bricks being cleaned will be used to put the facings back together around the new construction. There was a rumor about "free bricks" at 13th & Chambers because they are tearing the building down!" YIKES! So we nipped that message in the bud since we have plans for those bricks.

THE BUUB WILL BE OPEN ALL DAY TOMORROW

The flagpole and the sisiutl were listed on Craigslist-Eugene in the hope of making some money.

The north entrance is really taking shape - be sure to drive by and take a look      (photo right).
 

NEEDED Someone or several to sign up to wash dishes on Wednesday afternoons. It seems there is a shortage of scrubbers on Wednesdays because of choir practice. If you are available to help, please let Marina McIntire know:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    We have one volunteer who is willing to be part of a Wednesday "team."

 

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"I discovered that my new favorite tool is a sledgehammer."

"I learned today....do not pull the knife toward you when stripping wire."

Not a quote - but one of the HVAC installers had a t-shirt with "GO DUCTS" on it. And one of our faithful volunteers who was recently in Laguna Beach, CA picked up a t-shirt with "SAWDUST FESTIVAL" on it. I guess he was in withdrawal being away from all the sawdust at the BUUB and the shirt made him feel better.

I was telling a church member about putting the flagpole on Craigslist and he shared a joke: Two UU men were measuring a tall upright flagpole, but were having difficulty reaching the top. A UU woman came by and suggested they lay it on the ground and measure it. The men remarked, "Isn't that just like a woman. We needed to know how high it was and she gave us the length."

 

AND IN THE GOOD NEWS DEPARTMENT:   
Just in case you are not on any other UUCE listserve. This comes from today's Weekly Update:  

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 - There will be only one service at 9 AM.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SERVICE.

 Our church property at 40th and Donald is in escrow. A vote will be taken on whether or not to approve the sale of our current church building. A 40% quorum is required to take action on this matter making attendance extremely important. The congregational meeting will begin as soon as the required quorum is reached. Due to a fund-raiser scheduled for later in the day, this meeting must adjourn by 12:15. (NOTE: Assuming that the sale of our property is successful, we will not be required to move for some time.)

 

 

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SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 THURSDAY
Day 11

15 Volunteers
1 Contract Framer
2 HVAC Installers
1 Landscape Architect
1 Architect
1 Excavator
5 Concrete Installers
1 Concrete Supervisor
1 Gravel Delivery
1 Glue Lam Delivery
1 Sign Designer
8 Attend BPOC Meeting
2 Visitors from Michigan, who were given a tour

A ditch was hand dug for the new water line for the sprinklers in the wall. The concrete crew built the forms in preparing to pour the footings.  There was more cleaning out of old pipes and cables from the front yard.  Lots of people have commented on the changes in the former "lawn."

Brick cleaning continues.  Believe it or not, the bricks are two thirds done. There was also beam sanding, and I hear they are about done.

The third coat of mudding was applied to the drywall on the south wall of the sanctuary.  One volunteer had lessons in using an edge metal trim around the beams.  The walls will have a sand finish, and because of the way the light will come in from "wall wash" skylights, we will be experimenting with different materials to determine which texture mixed with paint will get the effect we want.  Some of the materials being considered are:  playground sand, cat litter, ladies talcum powder, crumbled oreo cookies, beard trimmings, and the sand scrubbed from BUUB bricks.

The carpenter installed the second layer of glue lam beams for an eaved entrance on the North side. Conduit for the hearing assisted system is being installed by volunteers using all that old conduit they tore out a year ago and stored above the vault.  We are getting a Cadillac system for cheap.  There was cleaning, dish washing, and additional power washing of the parking lot.

The window of opportunity may soon disappear for painting the exterior of the building. I have mentioned before that primer is available, and all we need is a few people who enjoy working outdoors, preparing the surface and using brushes and rollers.  

Volunteers have begun delivering coffee grounds picked up at Dutch Brothers a block away.  That location generates five gallons of grounds daily.  A collection box for newspapers and cardboard will be available soon, and it is not too early to save these materials.  We will also need lots of leaves for our lasagna garden.  Thanks to Sharon Gaglia for donating a huge pile of beautiful rocks, all stored along the east side of the parking lot.  They will be used in the bio-swale.

The excavator has been very responsible and could be counted on like clockwork, but for the last two weeks he has been hard to pin down about when he will be working, etc.  Turns out he is getting married on Saturday!

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"I enjoyed being in the parade." 

"I watched the whole thing on TV and it looked like a lot of fun."

"Recent photos taken at the BUUB will soon be posted on the church website with the 400 Days entries."

 

from late August:

                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  Insulation in Jane Souzon's truck. Model: El Viejo.