Last evening our 2018-2019 Integrated Stewardship Team had its first meeting. This year will be a busy year with all things financial at UCE. We voted to expand our member-at-large membership to include three congregants, which gives us more coverage for various working groups. Members of the ISC are Sandra Robinson, EOD and Staff Lead;

Susan Comstock, UCE Treasurer; Ann Peterson, Capital Campaign Chair; Amy Dooley, Endowment Chair; Tom Ticknor, Budget Working Group; Marianne Griebler, Information Working Group (REALM) and Penny Doyle – members-at-large. Rev. Greg Stewart, ex-officio, Budget Working Group; with Rev. Eileen Wiviott, ex-officio and Susan Frances, Ministerial Intern, ex-officio. A new Secretary position was formed this year and is served by Susan Carlton. Martha Holman and Jean Kerl are Board Liaisons.

UCE has many things happening this coming year that relate to ISC responsibilities: the proposed capital campaign which is now in the feasibility study stage; enhanced distribution amounts available for endowment, a new membership database that will change and enhance our ability to reach members and provide information; and the need to further educate our congregation about Stewardship and support of our Operating Budget.

Updates on our building and grounds . . . Clean up work was done on the east lawn by the annex area. Weeds were pulled and dug and additional topsoil was added to improve the drainage angle away from Room 2 door. Mulch was added to the area. Bushes on the west side along the annex were trimmed, as well as the lilac bushes. Debris was removed.

A new drain pipe was added to move water away from the building. Apparently, the water removal pipe had been smashed by a construction truck and covered by soil after completion of the project. This was uncovered during exploration and work on the east side. The crushed pipe was causing back up of water to the annex roof and pushed water down into Room 2 during the last two heavy rains.

I have been seeking bids on tree trimming as well as parking lot patching.

My two co-leads on Buildings and Grounds will meet on Wednesday to discuss the roof, and bids that are on their way for replacement of the annex roof, as well as drainage of the roof deck and gutters.

Michael Skilton and Julia Takarada continue their work on the automatic doors. Revised drawings and information has been provided to the preservation department, as requested by the City of Evanston. Mike and Julia have developed a budget that includes costs of the doors and electrical work. A donation was made to UCE for this project.

Beth Emet’s last day of space sharing is September 1. After the high holidays their Director and I hope to have our congregations gather for a celebration together. This has been a satisfying journey together with Beth Emet services and soup kitchens held at UCE over the summer.

Clean-up of the lower level floors, classrooms and other areas of the church will be deep cleaned and prepared for Ingathering Service on Sunday, September 9 at 10 a.m.

A celebration of the LULA will take place after the Ingathering Service. Gratitude abounds for the generous donation by MaryBeth and Kinnie Smith and various other members of the congregation and staff. Thank you for your contirbutions. This was a long, important process that involved Staff, Buildings and Grounds and the Accessibility and Inclusion Team. We all learned more about what it means to be universally accessible and to learn to work on a challenging project in good covenant with one another. I am proud to have been a part of this addition to our church building which will make us more welcoming for all who enter.

We begin our year with our new Interim Sr. Minister. I am excited and grateful we are off to such a good start.

Please contact me at any time if you have questions, concerns or just want to share something of importance about the building, grounds or programs which relate to my areas of responsibility. My door is always open and my email is srobinson@ucevanston.org.

Important Building Information…..

For many years we have had a chair restoration program. We are revitalizing that program and hope you will help us identify chairs that need special care. We have sent several for restoration recently. If your chair feel wobbly or unstable, please place it at the back of the sanctuary near the screens and we will move it to our chair repair holding area. If you need help moving the chair, please ask a fellow congregant or staff member present at the worship service.

This summer Liz and Steven have been busy cleaning and organizing after the lift construction. Most of our supplies fit back into the storage room, but some will need to be sorted and thrown away, given away, or a new home found within our building.

Once Beth Emet concludes their stay here the hallway by the kitchen will be more orderly. Beth Emet and UCE have coexisted since June. While it has required additional management on my part and work on the part of our custodial staff, it has gone well.

Liz has trained their custodial and security staff to set up, take down and perform lobby duties while they are here. It has been a satisfying opportunity to provide a place for Beth Emet during their construction which will conclude in late August.

Work on a capital campaign feasibility is in progress. Many building projects are on the list of projects to be funded. The roof project has been accelerated due to the amount of leakage we have been experiencing. The board approved funding, we have hired a roofing consultant and will be moving forward immediately with a plan. The Buildings and Grounds team sought bids, but found that there are so many options for materials and unknown factors about the underlying materials and connections on our roof that we needed someone to guide us through this expensive endeavor.

Bret Asrow comes to us through Architect Mark Miller, who has known Bret for many year. Dick Whitaker, Michael Skilton and I feel confident we are headed in the right direction on a crucial project for the safety and integrity of our annex.

The parking lot drains have been reviewed by a few companies now and bids have been submitted. Because of the cost of the project, which will include paving after repairs, this will be a capital campaign project. In the meantime, potholes will be filled at the entrance and at various locations in the parking lot.

We are excited about the capital campaign as our aging annex needs attention – new flooring throughout, window coverings, lobby ceiling and lighting upgrades. The wing is now more than 30 years old and is showing severe signs of wear and tear. The last capital campaign was in 2006.

If you have not yet taken a ride on our new Lift for Love, please do so. It is convenient, fast accessibility to the lower level.

From your Executive Operations Director…The work of the EOD entails
administrative, financial and staff management, rental negotiations and planning,
as well as overseeing our buildings and grounds. In this article I want to share
important updates on our building and grounds.

Lift for Love…..Today two of the three City of Evanston inspections are taking
place. If the City gives us the thumbs up on Monday the lift will be operational.
This is a milestone for UCE. It has taken time, much planning, covenantal
practice among congregation and staff, as well as financial support and patience
toward its completion. But this beautiful piece of equipment will serve us well and
will provide universal access for years to come.
Thank you to all who have made this happen. Dick Whitaker, my Buildings and
Grounds co-lead has walked with me as we navigated this path from beginning to
end. Alma Woods and the Accessibility and Inclusion Team has provided
valuable input and guidance. Mark Miller, Architect and Eric Barton, our
Construction Engineer, have performed a very high level of professional service.
This project could not have happened without the generous support of Mary Beth
and Kinnie Smith whose donation ignited enthusiasm in the project and inspired
others to donate and a gift from Endowment ensued.
A special celebration is planned for the beginning of the fall season. In the
meantime, when the lift is approved it is immediately available for use.
Our Annex (Wing) Roof . . . Repairs have failed after several months and it has
become apparent that a new roof must be done sooner than later. The Board
approved this expense, which will be reimbursed by the upcoming Capital
Campaign. Several bids have been received. Mike Skilton, Dick Whitaker and I
are reviewing each of the bids and are talking with a consultant on best products
and method of repairing so that we can decide which firm to proceed with. We
are working quickly to get the project started as soon as possible.
Our Parking Lot . . . Dick Whitaker, Mike Skilton and I in preparation for writing
justifications and providing bidding for Capital Campaign projects have been
reviewing the parking lot.
As you have noticed, there are a few holes that need to be repaired. The
question is how serious are the drain issues. We asked Cahill to inspect the
drains. All four needs to be repaired and gravel built up before the lot can be
repaved. This is a $25,000 expense that must wait for the Capital Campaign.
In the meantime, we will hire a blacktop company to fill in the holes. We have
been advised that it looks as though we can safely wait on the drains repair.
Two additional vendors are being asked to give a second opinion and bids.
Sharing our Space…..At the end of May Beth Emet began their summer space
sharing with UCE while they are under construction. There are services in our
sanctuary on Friday evening and two services on Saturday morning.
In June there have been two Bar Mitzvahs and a Bat Mitzvah tomorrow. Last
weekend Udumbara, our Buddhist Sangha, UCE and Beth Emet shared this
space, making accommodations with care and respect for one another.
Liz Kennedy and I have been working hard to balance all that is going on. Steven
and Liz have assisted and guided Beth Emet’s team of custodial staff as they
learn about our space and equipment. Please bear with us as we welcome Beth
Emet Congregation into our community

Our City of Evanston Building Permit, the last of three City reviews is complete. On Wednesday I picked up the Building Permit and related documents after their questions to Architect Mark Miller and Construction Engineer Eric Barton were answered and drawing edits completed. Eric took the required test for contractors and has necessary approvals to go forward.

The construction engineer met with the roofer, excavator, electrician and plumber on details needed to finalize paperwork, pricing and certificate of insurance.  Eric is awaiting clarification on an electrical detail of DME access, the lift provider.

Eric is currently putting together a site fencing plan, per the City’s request, which will prevent access to the construction site.

The tree removal and trimming is complete and a path is clear for construction vehicles to enter. Construction vehicles will be parked at the south end of the building near the storage shed behind the garbage area.

Later today or Monday, the construction engineer and I will meet to wrap up all final details and he will proceed with installation of fencing.

The first onsite action will be the demolition of the existing storage room floor area. We will be moving the last items out this weekend, which includes the large round tables. Unfortunately, we have little storage space and we will ask congregants for your patience as we move through this construction process. You will likely see tables stored in the area where bagels are served and the bagel tables will be moved to the east and near the stairs.

Sandra Robinson

Lobby Art News – Sunday October 1^st kicked off the return of lobby art at UCE!

You may have noticed these beautiful paintings in our UCE lobby. They are the work of Barbara Blades, Evanston artist. Barbara was introduced last Sunday and was available for questions and information in the lobby following both services.

The art gracing the lobby is part of our reinvigorated Lobby Art Initiative begun many years ago to highlight work of local artists and raise awareness of arts at UCE. Members of the committee are: Will VanDyke, Johna VanDyke, Eleanor Speiss Ferris, Ally Hunter, Gay Riseborough, and Andrea DeMers.

Funding for this program comes from the Rosemary Zwick Fund for the Arts, a UCE dedicated fund established in memory of our beloved Rosemary Zwick who made the UCE Chalice which we use each Sunday, the mural in Room 3 and the ceramic wall relief of the chalice as you enter the west/main entrance.

Art is an important component of our mission to “Nurture the Human Spirit for a World Made Whole” and is reflected in the UCE end statements written by the Board of Trustees.

The past several weeks have been brimming with good work and community connection at UCE.

November 12, 170 UCE congregants shared fun and fundraising together at Serendipity Auction.

Friday evening, November 18 through Sunday morning, November 20, UCE hosted CON, the Northern Area Youth Conference, with over 120 high schoolers and adult chaperones in attendance, supported by numerous congregation members who assisted with food preparation and serving.

Sunday, November 20, four Democratic legislators convened a rental event in our sanctuary to discuss “where do we go from here” following the election.  Four hundred people filled our sanctuary to capacity, with an overflow crowd of 200 plus unable to enter.

Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Trilogy, a Rogers Park mental health social service agency, held a holiday party for two groups of 180 people throughout the day. The sanctuary was bedecked in red and white cloths and large vases of festive flowers while holiday music filled the air.

That afternoon our sexton Liz and custodian Steven turned the room around to set up for UCE’s Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, attended by 10 Navy recruits and 50 or so UCE members and guests.

Next time you see Liz and Steven, please let them know how much they are appreciated. When we sit down on Sunday morning in our beautiful sanctuary, it is hard to imagine that the day before it was a space for others to enjoy, hold shared values and be engaged in meaningful work together. This space and our work is important not only to this congregation but also to the community!

As I write, Doug Erickson is 25 feet above the terrazzo floor installing new light bulbs in the sanctuary. Yesterday Robb Geiger navigated the scissors lift from the parking lot to the sanctuary. Robb changed some bulbs and trained me as it looked as though our plan for assistance had taken a turn.  So here Robb and I are up in the lift. What a blast that was!

Meanwhile below our 25-foot gaze were Eileen, Carli, Vickie, Connie and Bret removing tags and stacking new cushions. As many of you know, I have been searching for some time to find the right cushions, the best quality, and the lowest cost. Your minister the Rev. Bret Lortie found the magic cushions on his outing to IKEA this past week. Bret texted me excitedly, my curiosity was piqued, a sample was brought to UCE, a trip to IKEA by Rev. Connie Grant and husband John ensued, and Voila! new beautiful, comfortable red cushions. Wait until you see them and sit on them! We are listening carefully, trying our best to provide comfort and accessibility.

We are working on finding more convenient ways for you to communicate with each other, areas for displaying program work on Sunday morning, space for gathering for coffee, better accessibility to large print hymnals, orders of services, and improved viewing of the Sunday slide show. Other new important improvements are in the pipeline, some to be done soon and others that require capital funding.

Additional listening devices and extra ear pads will be purchased and located closer to the sanctuary entrance so that congregants and guests can pick them up on the way in rather than at the sound system.  Please note that if you can use these devices with your own ear buds.

We understand that better access to the lower level, automatic doors and a number of improvements are necessary to make us a better place for all. This will happen in time as funds permit.

If you have had difficulty accessing the lower level via the lift, please understand that we are doing everything we can to improve that situation. The piece of equipment was state of the art 20 years ago, but is no longer manufactured as these types of units were proven too unreliable.  Our repair company is the only one who continues to service these and make the necessary parts. Our repair person was here two weeks ago, just after the unit failed to run. It was serviced and made to operate manually when the key does not work. We are looking into temporary solutions. The logical answer is a lift to the lower level.  Our Buildings and Ground Team and Accessibility Team are in agreement on this. It is now a matter of planning and funding.