New Communion Table
By Kay Amendola
Our new communion table was designed and made by Bill Halsey. Special things come with a story. This is Bill‟s story.
I was the Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security Director for Lucas County for 20 years before retiring in 2008. I was with the agency a total of 35 years repairing tornado sirens and developing plans for disaster response and recovery, including around Davis Besse. The position did not leave a lot of spare time for hobbies but the one I did make time for was woodworking. In the 1970‟s I bought a fixer upper and many of the skills I have today were learned the hard way on that house. I have been doing serious cabinet type wood working for about 15 years and while I read a lot of literature related to the hobby, most of it was learned through trial and error. Mostly error.
Two of my great grandfathers were carpenters and cabinet makers, one grandfather was both and my father was a carpenter so I guess the wood working gene is in my body and soul.
We‟ve talked about a table for the church for some time and I recently agreed to the project. My father built a lectern for St. Clements Church in West Toledo in the early 60‟s and I have often thought about that project and when the chance to do something similar for a church arose I agreed to the project It has been a challenge to design a project that looks similar to the existing furniture church, yet be smaller in every aspect.
One of my most rewarding projects is making teddy bear rocking chairs for small children. These chairs, with a curved back and teddy bear shape in the middle are a hit with some 40 children in the area. I have made gifts to a few needy children and sold others (although in the wood working hobby little money is ever made.) One chair several years ago went to a 3 year old girl that had had three open heart surgeries.
I am married and have 6 grandchildren, with the newest being a set of 8 month old twin boys that I am sure will want to help grandpa in the workshop when they are old enough.
I was the Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security Director for Lucas County for 20 years before retiring in 2008. I was with the agency a total of 35 years repairing tornado sirens and developing plans for disaster response and recovery, including around Davis Besse. The position did not leave a lot of spare time for hobbies but the one I did make time for was woodworking. In the 1970‟s I bought a fixer upper and many of the skills I have today were learned the hard way on that house. I have been doing serious cabinet type wood working for about 15 years and while I read a lot of literature related to the hobby, most of it was learned through trial and error. Mostly error.
Two of my great grandfathers were carpenters and cabinet makers, one grandfather was both and my father was a carpenter so I guess the wood working gene is in my body and soul.
We‟ve talked about a table for the church for some time and I recently agreed to the project. My father built a lectern for St. Clements Church in West Toledo in the early 60‟s and I have often thought about that project and when the chance to do something similar for a church arose I agreed to the project It has been a challenge to design a project that looks similar to the existing furniture church, yet be smaller in every aspect.
One of my most rewarding projects is making teddy bear rocking chairs for small children. These chairs, with a curved back and teddy bear shape in the middle are a hit with some 40 children in the area. I have made gifts to a few needy children and sold others (although in the wood working hobby little money is ever made.) One chair several years ago went to a 3 year old girl that had had three open heart surgeries.
I am married and have 6 grandchildren, with the newest being a set of 8 month old twin boys that I am sure will want to help grandpa in the workshop when they are old enough.
