Dear First Parish Church UU,

On behalf of our congregation, we want to thank you for your generous support of our July 2023 flood recovery efforts. Without your support and the tireless commitment of volunteers and staff, we would not have been able to reopen our building for services on Sunday, October 15th just three months after the flood devastated central Vermont.

Our recovery efforts have included the following: basement clean-up, baseboard and drywall re­moval, floor refinishing, furniture replacement, kitchen cabinetry removal, electric panel re­placement, fire panel repair, water heater replacement, and sink hole filling. We also have plans to permanently replace the organ blower as well as the elevator which services our second-floor sanctuary.

A longer term project is the restoration of our kitchen as we continue mold remediation and develop plans to redesign the space for our current needs and flood resiliency. A hopeful development is that our UCM Community Lunch team is currently working with other faith-based organizations who provide meals in Montpelier to develop a shared, community-based kitchen.

Along with our broader community, our congregation has endured an intense period of loss and change. We have also come together to continue our ministry to one another and the community outside our walls. Having your support has strengthened us and lifted our spirits as we have faced this challenging time.

Thank you again for your generosity, and please enjoy this note card designed by Montpelier­ raised artist, Madeline Goddard.

With gratitude, Rev. Joan Javier-Duval, Minister

Claudia Clark, Governing Board President

Tickets: $20 at the door.

Cynthia MacLeod is one of Prince Edward Island’s finest ambassadors of traditional music carving a distinct style of fiddling that embraces both her local roots and her ancestral connection to the Scottish highlands.

Accompanist and featured vocalist Gordon Belsher is Winner of the PEI Music Association 2014 “Lifetime Achievement Award” and has been performing in Canada and around the world for more than 40 years.

Cynthia and Gordon first performed together in Charlottetown, on Canada Day 2002.

As quoted by Doug Gallant of the Charlottetown Guardian:
“there is a lovely chemistry between MacLeod and Belsher on stage, and a
generosity of spirit that seems to come out whenever you put the two together before an audience.”

gordonbelsher.com

cynthiamacleod.com

Join us for a great night if music that will benefit the First Parish Northboro steeple fund.

Master cellist, Skip vonKuske is an architect of layers, using live recording and playback to build stories of sound with mandolin, guitar, and cello. Concert is followed by a small reception.

Tickets: $20 at the door or online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/859869471737?aff=oddtdtcreator

Skip vonKuske Music on Facebook

It’s that time again! We need a Pledge Drive as part of creating our proposed 2024-2025 Church budget for a Congregational vote in early June. As in past years, we will provide multiple ways to pledge: calling or emailing Alan Brooks, online pledge entry, responding to an email reminder, or responding to a phone call reminder. We will provide information on how to pledge in the next week or two. We want to complete the pledge drive by the end of March.

If you have any questions, please contact Alan Brooks at abrooks729@gmail.com or 508-736-3030.