Today's reading comes from the book of Charles and Robin...
Got your attention? Good. Robin and I, co chairs of the Plymouth committee to figure out when we could meet in person, and then sharing the recommendation with Pastor Kelle, met this past Tuesday evening with Kevin Bechtold, June Hayakawa-Fung, Betty Eberharter and Wendy Blight; a relatively small group...and talked for nearly 2 hours. We had lots to talk about and yet, we don't know when we're going to gather in person. So what did we talk about? Here are some highlights:
The focus of the meeting was to figure out how Plymouth -- the building -- operates; who goes in the building these days, what kind of ventilation system exists throughout the facility, which spaces are safest to meet in, what's the difference between a MERV-11 and a MERV-13 filter, what are our custodians having to deal with caring for our facility (ugh), what are other churches learning about their ventilation systems, and do filters kill the Corona-virus particles or merely catch them?
In a nutshell, it's not safe for us to gather at Plymouth but we recognize that we each assess risk every day and we do so differently. We travel to N-Sid-Sen and accept the risk, we drive or take the bus/train downtown and accept the risk, we go to Costco, Home Depot, a friend's house/apartment with our masks on and accept the risk. So why do we think Plymouth isn't safe?
It has to do with an antiquated ventilation system from the '60's that doesn't exchange air frequently, at least not in the Sanctuary. Even though we've upgraded to MERV-13 filters, they're not foolproof. As for Hildebrand Hall, well that's another story. Open windows, open doors, asking people to come masked and vaccinated, installing some portable air purifiers, asking people to space themselves far apart...eventually the risk seems manageable, though not just yet. But you get what I'm saying -- some spaces make us feel safer. The outdoor pavilion at N-Sid-Sen would make me feel most comfortable but that's not an option right now.
We are going to study what University Congregational UCC is up to since they think it's safe for them to meet in person. We want to find out why? Is their ventilation system significantly better than ours? Do they have lots of windows in their sanctuary? Are they checking to make sure only those vaccinated are allowed entry? We don't know but we'd like to ask them a few questions and get back to you in a few weeks in the next chapter of The Book of Charles and Robin.
If Plymouth doesn't have a safe place for us to gather because of its antiquated ventilation system, is there some other place we could meet? We brainstormed: how about at Horizon House? Could a church service happen in a safe space there one Sunday and then be broadcasted to our homes? Don't know. I suggested my friend Dan Durland's croquet court (backyard) where I played banjo and guitar outside with him this past winter/year, masked, sitting apart, not singing. Essentially we made it safe enough for us and a few others to gather, though we froze at times. Could we gather at Dan's, at least a few of us, and broadcast the service to our homes? Again, we're just brainstorming. Plus, we haven't even run this idea by the Durlands. But you get my drift -- maybe there's a space out there and an opportunity to do something different, especially if this pandemic continues for another year. Got it? We're brainstorming.
Just wanted to give you a little update. Stand by for more Plymouth pals.
Love,
Charlie Torres and Robin DeCook