The Re-Mod Squad is learning to dance – we’ve perfected the slow dance over our first six months and are now working on a little faster footwork – two steps forward, one step back, a quick turn to the left, and back to the right, and on a really good day, we wave both hands in the air and kick up a leg or two! And we’ve had some really good days in the last few weeks and are pumped because we have some funds available to move ahead on some much-needed projects. THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who contributed nearly $25,000 to the Building Improvements Designated Fund as a soft start-up to the Capital Campaign. We are grinning from ear to ear, and doing a happy dance!

The good news about Reimer Hall is that we are quite certain we eliminated the culprit for the air quality problem when a huge tear was discovered in the ductwork leading into the return plenum in the attic, which we suspect was caused by things being crammed into that attic space against the fragile ductwork. The ductwork has been repaired and Lisa and Sam have cleared out the materials that were stored there. The “vermin” have turned out to be squirrels and we have a contract with a pest control company to seal off entry points and set traps. So now even though those HVAC units are 19 and 26 years old and are a very high priority, we are going to hold off on replacing them until the Courtyard Roof is done, a more urgent priority.

The projects we are working on are:

• All urinals have been repaired and no more hammers will be needed to make them function! In addition, all the shutoff valves for toilets and sinks have been replaced, P-traps and sink drains cleaned out, and grid strainers installed in each sink campus-wide.

• Stained/damaged ceiling tiles are being replaced in Reimer and West Wing.

• Malfunctioning window mechanisms in the Sanctuary and Reimer Hall will be replaced as well as all damaged or missing screens.

• A Topographical Survey, paid for with funds given to us by the Board of Endowment (yea!!), is scheduled so that we can more accurately address drainage issues, primarily in the courtyard and retention ponds, but also all across campus.

• And a big woo hoo, we are scheduling the replacement of the Courtyard Roof that has been pretty unattractive (not to mention worrisome) since we tore off all the gutters because of the rotting fascia. Prior to that project getting underway, some more tree work in the courtyard is necessary, estimates are pending.

• Glenn Mans continues to dig holes in the courtyard, removing compacted soil and root matter, and replacing them with sand that will drain better. We believe the future drainage design will include French drains around the perimeter of the sidewalks. We will not be reinstalling gutters since the drainage from the courtyard tie-in to the retention pond is not functioning.

• Glenn Mans and Jim White are making great progress re-sealing and repairing the benches and tables in the courtyard and repairing or replacing some rotten bench boards. They are also going to address some of the trip hazards in the courtyard sidewalks.

• Erick Smith led another group of volunteers in clearing vegetation in the parking lot and on the north side of the buildings – SO much work to be done!! Thank you, volunteers!!

• Carol has been busy pricing materials, getting estimates, making contracts, and staying on top of vendors for the work we are getting done.

• Carol, Glenn Acomb and Jim White are reassessing the showers in the Education Wing and redesigning that area to have an ADA-compliant shower and toilet in one of the bathrooms.

• Carol and Liz are making another pass through the HouseMaster’s report to make lists of the smaller items that were identified so that we can add those to our priority list as well.

• Last, but certainly not least, and perhaps most exciting, the installation of the solar panels on the Education Wing and Youth Room is scheduled for February 13-16. That project has been funded by three families for a total of $54,000 for which we are all immensely grateful. Because we knew about this gift as the roof project for the Ed Wing was underway, we upsized the new roof underlayment to accommodate the solar installation. We are really looking forward to the cost savings on utilities.

Your observations about other needed repairs are most welcome or feedback about any of the work being done. Contact Liz Harvey at lizharvey65@gmail.com or 352-359-2895.