Some not-as-visible steps along the way:

First, we have new power going into the building, and as of Monday it will be hooked up and we will no longer have to worry about that old ceramic circuit breaker in the basement. Thank our name saint that in five years we never had a blowout. What this means is a new set of circuits and a much safer, more reliable electrical system that will give us confidence that we can set up any lighting and sound system known to man and not have to worry.

What it also means is that our grant from the Dormitory Authority is almost at an end. Our electrical contractor, Steve Erickson, can finish up his work now that National Grid has come and gone, and that is the last contractor covered by the grant. For me, it will be a welcome end to a lot of paperwork, However, we end up about $20,000 in debt because we had to pay for emergency roof work. We will need to focus quickly on raising that money so we can pay back our very patient lenders, the Community Loan Fund and our local "bank", Money Game.

That's not all. Chris Mercogliano has secured an agreement from National Grid that they will also install a new gas line into the building with in the next month or so. This is vital as we move forward with plans for heating the building. 

And, speaking of energy planning, we have a go-ahead from the New York State Power Authority to conduct an energy audit of the building. This was organized by Mike DeWein and is again through the good offices of Assemblyman Jack McEneny's staff. The energy audit is the next step in developing a plan for heating the building and working with energy sources that will be as sustainable as possible, and won't saddle us with uncontrollable bills for the rest of our existence. 

Next: We need to develop an action plan for the fall — there are still quite a few jobs to be done, and the possibility of a major building project by a contractor's association in late September, if we can get our act together. In addition we'll keep working on the energy plan and get a start on a design and cost estimates for the basement with our potential tenant, the Harriet Tubman Free School.