The year of the Red Fire Rooster begins with a deluge. I have been watching over and over and over Sister Rosetta Tharpe on YouTube, “Didn’t It Rain,” while waiting for the rain to let up.

It was raining cash late last year with a few wonderful donations to our endowment and building fund. Thanks to all who sent funds & I apologize for not being more proactive about sending out individual thank yous. Know that your donations have been welcome “rain” to our coffers!

With budget season in full gear, I have been wearing several Treasurer’s hats trying to keep up with all the changes. Thanks to all who provided program budgets for the information collection period.

The February Treasurer’s report is now available online with a hard copy available in the kiosk in the atrium. The bad news here is that we are delaying our Community Rentals marketing campaign until we have an end date for major repairs to the rafters’ dry rot.  This increases our expected FY1617 deficit from $10,000 to $68,000. The deficit includes estimated total $50,000 in repairs to the Safir room.

We have known for some time we have a deferred maintenance cost that has been accruing. The good news here is that my monthly reporting of this cost has been greatly inflated. Our facility and grounds committee provided the CT with a report dated January 17, which tallies on the high end $120,000 in imminent repairs needed.

We will need to make some rain to make these repairs.

Namaste,

Mary M Muehlbach