pizza oven raises $4,500 for school

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Pizza oven does Good Deed.

We donated a pizza oven to our local elementary school in Healdsburg,
and it was the hit of the auction, raising $4,500 for the school
after heated bidding. We weren't there, but we've been promised a
photo of the winner.

Jim, weren't you going to build one for your church?

James

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heated bidding ??? that's*classic *...
Robert

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Our priest wants me to but we've a small disagreement right now. They
just presented this year's budget and are looking for an extra 15% in
collections because "revenue is flat". The problem is that expenses
are up -- things like an $8,000 dining room set, a used pickup truck
for the priests to use (they both also have cars -- an Audi & a BMW
for which we pay the insurance/maint/upkeep), a new "discretionary
charity fund" which the priests get to use to spread the wealth to
those they feel particularly attuned to (on top of the $200,000 a year
we already donate as a parish to various charitable & diocesan
collections)...and of course there's the newly hired staff (we've
doubled our administrative costs over the past 3 years)...I suggested
that perhaps we have a spending problem. I pointed out that arguing
that income was flat or down was due to declining attendance but that
we needed more staff, etc. because needs were growing seemed in conflict.

It's probably far more straightforward to do it your way -- a flat
donation to the local school would eliminate all the politics &
personal feelings at play.

Jim

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oooooh ... you better get used to the heat from that brick oven. might have an awful lot of missippi's coming... ;>)****