March 8th Clean-Up Day a Sparkling Success

A Big Thank You to All our Clean-Up Helpers

 Last Saturday in answer to Kay Corkett’s call to let the dust fly, an intergenerational cleaning crew, sponsored by the Welcoming Sanctuary Task Force and the Facilities Management Committee, stormed the sanctuary armed with vacuum cleaners, rags and mops, soap and water and widgets to remove candle wax.  At the same time Meagan Henry and her RE team tackled the RE storage spaces in the undercroft.

 Work in the sanctuary included cleaning all the floors, dusting window sills and the intricate black walnut carvings  throughout the sanctuary, polishing front door glass, washing votive holders, and removing candle wax from the side aisle chapels.

 With the arrival of strong backs and arms it became possible to meet the challenge of changing most of the burned out bulbs in the chandeliers and cleaning the globes. This tricky, time-consuming job reduced the number of burned out bulbs from 30% to 9% which will brighten up the sanctuary considerably.  Replacement of the remaining burned out bulbs awaits another sanctuary work day.

 The day’s bonus was the pizza and salad lunch shared with the RE crew during which we all got to know each other better.

 Thanks go out to the sanctuary crew, Kay Corkett, Liz Davis, Darnell Dawson, Marquetta Drakes, Liz Evison, Gloria Furman, David Garvoille, Elaine Macken, Connie Newsom, John Pritchard, David Provost, David Thebus, Margaret Weber, Nancy Witherell, and Nancy Wolf.  Carl Davis, custodian, did yeoman service.

 The sanctuary is now prepared to welcome the visitors for our Palm Sunday Music Service, Easter and to the open house sponsored by the Sacred Sites division of the New York Landmarks Conservancy on May 17th.