Fall Cleanup, Great Turnout

Fall Cleanup at Peoples

Arriving at Peoples UMC on Saturday, November 7 around 9 AM I was surprised to see an army of people of all ages working inside and outside of the church during the annual fall cleanup activity. There were many folks raking and bagging leaves on the parsonage lawn, the front lawns of the church and also on the Harriet Street side and around the back parking lot.

Another group of folks were working inside Ellis Hall cleaning tables and making them sparkle. Jim MacDonald and his crew had washed and waxed the floors throughout Ellis Hall and the vestry during the week and they just glistened.

Back outside a crew of men were working on repairs to the parsonage garage that included Dan and Brad. Look up to the gutters around Ellis Hall and one would see Tom H. cleaning the gutters and John with a bucket extended receiving the leaves that Tom was finding in the gutters.

Out front the flower beds were being cleaned and put to rest for the winter. There was Walter, Tom N. Doreen and Marlene clipping, trimming and moving plants and objects that need to be changed for winter storage. Everywhere one gathered you could see Troop 23 Scouts raking, bagging and trimming the lawn areas. A number of their parents were also in the clean-up crews.

Around the back parking lot and children’s play yard one would find Janice and Art and various other visitors over time raking, blowing, vacuuming and bagging leaves that had swirled into the yard and catching in the fencing that protects the yard from traffic.

The most unusual activity visible to those watching was one that involved Chuck and Pastor Tom primarily. For some months the church bell has not been rung because of some mystery. The only means of getting in to the bell tower is from the outside panel at the back of the tower. Fearless Chuck and Pastor Tom were elevated to that level via a motorized lift. Once the panel on the tower was opened Chuck was able to discern that the rope pull needed to be refastened to the bell apparatus. With the ringing of the bell half an hour later we observers could tell that the bell, originally purchased and barged to the Ferry Village Church back in the 1880’s from a closed Portland church, would ring again each Sunday here on Broadway where it had hung and was rung since 1948.

We are grateful for all the folks who were part of this day that showed the true spirit of what we as a church family can do together. Thanks to all for their help.