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By Craig Smith
The Bishop’s House: Updates to the Bishop’s House are going forward on two fronts. The Partnership Campaign funding is addressing some important structural and living issues at the house. Recently a team was in to address the moisture issues in the basement. Contractors have been reviewing the scope of work to be done to clean and repoint the bricks and foundation
stonework. We expect work to begin in the spring. Over the spring and summer we will rebuild the sagging porch on the back of the house, as well. There is some internal work that should be done, which is dependent on funding. This includes some new windows and the heating system. In preparation for the new bishop some cosmetic work has begun. New appliances and a counter top have been installed in the kitchen. We expect to paint, plaster and restore the wood in the chapel, as well.
New Property Managers House: The Certificate of Occupancy was granted and Chuck Courcy and his family are moved into a new house. It is situated alongside the playing field down the hill from
the Rock Point School. Coming soon: A new maintenance building will sit behind the school near the sugar shack. The disposition of the old farmhouse (whether to demolish or repurpose) will be decided by March.
Bishop Booth Conference Center: Replacement of the dining room’s window wall at the Bishop Booth Conference Center’s dining hall improves looks, functionality and energy efficiency.
The upstairs bathroom was redone in the main building. Coming soon: New furnishings to commons gathering rooms, plans for gradual upgrades to guest rooms and more work on the bathrooms.
Trails to North Beach (aka Fred’s Beach) nearly finished: the Marsh Beach Trail and the Parade Ground trails are re-routed to address erosion and safety issues and portions of the chain link fence are removed. The Parade Ground trail, including new stone steps, will be completed in the Spring.
Coming work Spring 2019: A Universal Access Trail which the 2019 Diocesan Convention named to be in honor of the ministry of Bishop Ely and his wife, Ann, is to be constructed. This trail will start near the recently-demolished maintenance garage and lead to the Outdoor Chapel and Sunset Cliff.
Front Entrance work and signage design underway: Winter’s sudden descent delays until spring the plantings for the front entrance, the installation of an information kiosk and new signage to improve our welcome. Coming Soon: We will work with LondonMiddlebury to design new place signs to be installed by late spring.
Business Plan strategies and goals for Rock Point Camp and the Bishop Booth Conference Center: Key elements include strategies to increase occupancy rates at the BBCC and enrollment at Rock Point Camp over a 3-5 year period to generate sufficient income to support and sustain the care of our Rock Point property. New marketing strategies and a modest increase in staff to support this work are underway. Please help by directing potential guests and campers our way.
Partnership Campaign Donor Recognition Plaque design completed: Now we are in the process of checking the long list of donors whose generosity is making all this work possible. Coming Soon: Fabrication will start and we will mount this plaque on the Diocesan Office Building.
Solar Orchard: We have purchased the thirty trackers.
Coming soon: We will pay our $170,000 loan as soon as the cash flow from the Partnership Campaign allows. The Solar Orchard will be named to honor Bishop Ely and his work to encourage environmental stewardship.