Buildings and Grounds

The Buildings and Grounds Committee is responsible for maintaining and improving St. Elizabeth's physical structure and property. The majority of this effort is accomplished through the efforts of volunteers at the spring and fall workdays. As needed throughout the year, members of the committee will also take on specific projects that may involve hands-on work or hiring and overseeing professionals. In many situations, Ann Dowling often calls the roofer or plumber to address acute maintenance issues.

First, I would like to thank all the members of the congregation who helped out at parish workdays. The spring workday was atypical, focused not on annual maintenance activities but on preparing the building for demolition. The large turnout helped make short work of the sorting, packing, and moving activities in addition to continued preparations for the temporary office space in the Rodger Room. This fall, despite a much smaller footprint within which to work, we undertook a significant number of projects including cleaning all the pews, addressing some exterior painting, and creation of the now famous California Trail.

During 2002, the Buildings and Grounds Committee answered the call to create a temporary office and storage space in the Rodger Room. Over the course of a few short weeks, members of the committee constructed a partition wall, oversaw the installation of new carpets, and installed new cabinets to create the temporary office. When the waters from a wayward thunderstorm breached the old rear doorway to the Rodger Room soon after demolition started, Fred Canavan rallied the parishioners to clean up the aftermath.

Committee members, led by Jim Marker, dismantled pews to make space for fellowship in the rear of the church, removed and secured memorial windows and doors, and made sure the building was ready for demolition.

In addition to the preparation for construction, other improvements at St. Elizabeth's have included renovations at the rectory where funding from Buildings and Grounds was approved to replace windows on the west wing of the rectory to gain the cost advantage afforded by similar work being done on the east wing in creating John's temporary office space. Buildings and Grounds funds were also committed for other long-term improvements such as the new paver walkway from Fairmount Road and sharing in the cost of new sod with the Lift High the Cross Campaign.

Looking back over the past two years, I thank the members of the Buildings and Grounds Committee who make this such an enjoyable effort: Russ Borgman, Dick Breining, Fred Canavan, Brian Dowling, David Harper, Forrest Jones, Ted Krause, Dave Larsen, Soren Laursen, Jim Marker, Jerry Mathe, and Don McBeth. As always, a special thanks to Ann Dowling for all her efforts.

Michael Marchlik, Chair, Buildings and Grounds Committee