‘Sucker-punched’ by contractors
By Cheryl McCormack
Editor
Birka Lutheran Church is 108 years old and according to Julie Rader, council president and lifetime member, it’s not going anywhere. "We have no intention of letting our church die."
The past year has been a roller coaster for the congregation as they’ve weathered the storm involved in what should’ve been a cut-and-dry fix. One meant to help their church prosper for many years to come.
Rader said, "We were aware that we needed a new roof. At our annual meeting in January, our church council was given the OK to get that done."
Bids were received and on March 7, a company was officially hired to install a new metal roof on the church. Rader said, " We were told they didn’t have much going on, and they’d be able to start soon."
Unfortunately, Mother Nature had plans of her own, and winter dragged on and on, pushing the installation further and further into the future. Equipment failures and the need for employees within the company also complicated the project at hand.
Finally, by mid-June, work got underway. The pre-existing shingles had to be removed before the new tin roof could be installed. Working from west to east, shingles were ripped off and the roof was exposed, making way for the tin paneling.
