Gwen Berry

The 2016 Community Christmas Dinner was held on Saturday, December 3. Thank you to everyone who helped put together this fun (and delicious) event; and thank you, too, to everyone who came to share the holiday spirit with their friends and neighbors! The Community Center was decked out with beautiful decorations, and the roast beef and mashed potato dinner was a hit! (Let me add that the alternative vegan options were appreciated, too!) The Lyle High and Middle School Singers performed Christmas music. Santa arrived by decorated fire truck. To help pay for the dinner, a raffle was held for four lovely baskets of food and goodies, and a lively auction sent fabulous desserts home with bidders. The main event, of course, was seeing and talking to friends old and new.

With the Christmas Dinner approaching, the HPCC Board stepped up efforts to get a few projects finished. If you were at the dinner you probably noticed the charcoal-colored curtain spanning the north wall of the center. This is a badly-needed acoustic curtain to help tame the echoing sound in the Community Center. The fabric was donated by Chris and Susan Sattem. Several volunteers got together with sewing machines and sergers to create the panels. Before it could be hung, the north wall was painted gold to match the other walls and to coordinate with the color of the curtain. An overhead track system was installed, and the wonderful sound-absorbing curtain was hung. Once again, THANK YOU to the many volunteers who put in hours to make this happen.

Also on the get-it-done-before-the-party list were some essential improvements to the kitchen. In order to solve problems with how to handle washed dishes while they dry, and to improve the storage and organization in the kitchen, the Board approved spending for rolling carts, stacking trays, plus additional cups, glasses, and utensils. There were trips to Rose’s Restaurant Supply in Portland to look at options and prices, then further trips to pick up the approved items. The carts were unpacked and assembled, and another kink in the process was ironed out – the sprayer was  moved from one end of the sinks to the other. It all paid off on Christmas Dinner night, when the new system was put to the test – and passed.

There’s still work to be done in the kitchen. The Board had been looking into getting a new dishwasher, which looked like it would be a major expense. The latest possibility, though, is to install a water temperature booster instead, which would be much less expensive.

Another improvement – volunteers purchased, installed and organized shelving in the mechanical room and in the closest storage closet, then moved supplies from the over-crowded kitchen to the new shelving. That meant the closet usually used for hanging coats became unavailable, so one volunteer built coat hanging bars and installed them in the hallway. Last, but not least, ballasts were replaced in five fluorescent light fixtures, so now all of them work.

Not enough can be said in saluting the dedication of the board members and some volunteers who are always ready to step up and make things happen. Although there’s satisfaction in the accomplishments themselves, it makes a huge difference to know that their efforts are recognized and appreciated. Let them know! It’s also a good thing there won’t be any significant activities now until the middle of January, because the board members and volunteers seriously need a break!!! 

The next  HPCC meeting will be Thursday, January 26. Plans are in the works for a series of interesting speakers and streamlined meetings in the next few months. Come and check it out.

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