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Sharing Our StoriesThis month, we say a fond farewell to the Hughson Family, who will be moving to Richmond Virginia. Ian and Liezl Hughson and their kids have been at St. James for 8 years, and will be very much missed. We are happy for them as the embark on this new adventure, and we know they won't be strangers to St. James the Less! Look for their new address soon in the Breeze member directory. |
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Renew & Revitalize Task Force NewsLast weekend Mother Storm worshiped with her family at St. Matthew's Church in Bedford (pictured -- and thank you to Father Heischman for covering here at St. James!). St. Matthews gave us the generous grant of $350k towards our parking lot project. The grants from St. Matthew's are intended to create relationships between churches, and so we'll look for ways this year to strengthen our connection with our friends up north in Bedford. Meantime, if you're ever looking for a great day trip, St. Matthew's is beautiful, steeped in history, and has 65 acres of hiking trails that can keep you busy all day (not to mention lots in nearby Bedford and Katonah). The church itself was built before the Revolutionary War, and its history goes all the way back to 1704. John Jay worshiped there (you can see his plaque and those of several other famous people on the walls of the church interior). Their service is at 10 am--make sure they know you're from St. James, and get a picture if you go!! THIS PAST WEEK Sam Geer of Urban Ecosystems is continuing to prepare the granular architectural plans for our parking lot and arrival court. Last week, an engineer from Grigg and Davis Engineers came to look at the property at Sam's request. We will work with Sam to find the right local people for the project, so stay tuned. We also recently signed the contract with St. Matthew's Bedford. Once we begin work, they will pay the contractors directly. Next week, we'll give you a financial picture of what's in our Capital Campaign account thus far, and what we expect to have by spring when work begins in earnest. A REMINDER OF THE PROJECTS WE'RE UNDERTAKING Last fall the parish discerned together what projects were most important to undertake and urgently needed. After much discussion--and with remarkable consensus--the top four projects that emerged were: • Expand and Improve the Parking Lot • Repair the Exterior Masonry • Replace the Aging Church Boiler • Renovate the Great Hall THE RENEW AND REVITALIZE TASK FORCE: SIGN UP TO JOIN OUR EFFORTS BELOW! Mark Trager, Bill Haffner, Ocean Mills, Tom Finlan, Monica Sganga, Linda Killian, Ray Joseph, Christopher Burrows, Pat Wynne, Omaira Crane, Toni Lewis, Lisa Wolfe, and Rob Fath |
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Grave Price IncreasesThe Graveyard at St. James the Less is a treasure--a place of solemnity and grief, but also joy, worship, and history. It's an "active graveyard," meaning not only that we still bury people there today, but also that it's part of the life of our parish all year long, from egg hunts to Sunday services to commemorations on Memorial and Veterans' Day. Pledging members of St. James the Less are eligible to buy plots in our graveyard. The Graveyard Board decided to raise prices for plots effect January 1st, 2025, as follows: • $6,000 for Full Casket Plots (currently $5,000) • $2,500 for Resurrection Garden Plots (currently $2,000) • Niches will stay the same at $3,000 • Prices for non-parishioners (with approval from the Rector) are x2 Buy before January 1 at the current rates. If you're interested and/or want to learn more, fill out the very brief form below and someone will be in touch. |
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Another Surprise Visit to the RectorySt. James the Less has quite a strong pull!! Last week, the former rector's son and daughter visited; over the weekend, a former rector's grandson came by--James Kempsell, grandson of George Kempsell who was rector of St. James the Less from 1953-1963. Father Kempsell's strong (and nationally publicized) stand against anti-semitism in Scarsdale is well documented, and a hugely important part of our history. It even gets its own mention on the Scarsdale Wikipedia page! Also, here's a good article by someone who will be joining us for our history lecture in April about Father Kempsell. Needless to say, I was thrilled when his grandson showed up last Saturday at the rectory door, and hope we'll see several of the Kempsells at our April lecture! |
