So That's What It Will Look Like!

Recall the man on the stilts? Meet the stilts! Now to the main feature for today: the pouring of the concrete. First looking in through the side door, we see that the men have already started. It's about an hour into the job. This view gives a good idea of the various levels of the floor. We've been looking at the upper seating area for months, and now we have the whole floor delineated. Walk around to the stage and view from there. Fairly labor intensive, the job moves fast once the men get everything in place. They work quietly and steadily through the steps of pouring, spreading, leveling, and smoothing. Kinda neat! The large opening in the west wall will soon be history.

Will The Real Scupper...

Stand (or hang) up? ? Mr. McVey, the site supervisor, gave a definition to blogger some time ago—“The SCUPPERS are the sheet metal boxes that will carry the water directly from the roof outlets and into the downspouts”--and finally she recognizes the real thing. As has been said many times in this chronicle, live and learn. Next has come the downspouts, not totally complete—they don’t reach the ground yet—but on the way. Keep your eyes glued.

Theater Times

Text follows in next two blog posts.

Theater Times cont.

While a workman is on stilts in the basement area hanging the metal framework for a lowered ceiling, men in the body of the theater work to ready sections of the floor for concrete, or do finishing touches to what has just been laid. The green plastic sheeting over the wire grid tells us that fresh concrete is not far away. In one photo you can find out how the orchestra members get down into their domain. Checking on the basement hallway a little later reveals the hung gridding with ceiling tiles not far away. The theater has a few months to go before being finished, but May is not too far away!

Federal Finishes

The annex is finished except for the cork floor in the strength training room. Since some of what is required by law (federal) revolves around handicap access, the lavatories, showers, and a few other things needed to be extra roomy and/or with very handy knobs, handles, etc., even though one must stretch the imagination a bit to come up with practical reasons for compliance in a gym annex. The water heater provides hot water for showers and sinks. Notice that the lockers have been raised a bit. What are pictured are in the coaches’ locker room. The photos are here for the record.

Signs Of Almost

The week’s work in the theater is obvious. The work on the walls and side areas of the theater proper get finishing touches and the floor is readied, then partially dug out. The large opening in the west wall is coming close to the end of its usefulness as vehicles pass in and out, finishing various tasks. More concrete is poured on the sides of the seating area, and will be poured soon in the center. Notice in the photo in which you are looking through the door on the east side, the one from the hallway, two men who are moving something that is not visible due to a lack of contrast with the background. What they are moving is a large piece of wire screening that will be placed at the bottom of an area ready for concrete. In one photo you may notice the west wall being painted, and in another, the wall painting completed.

Perhaps the annex is more exciting though less seems to be happening there. Blue flooring is completed and finishing touches of paint are applied to small areas such as around crash bars and door handles. Supplies are cubbied suggesting that areas are being cleared in order to be completed. The strength training/phys ed room, still showing its concrete floor, will be made of a different material which should come this next week. In fact, the annex is projected to be finished by the end of February. Now that’s cause for celebration, at least by the phys ed students who like to peak around corners at their new classroom.

The other development may seem less exciting now, but will be very welcome when the warm weather comes and the new A C unit outside the faculty room brings cool air into the kitchen, cafeteria, and auditorium. Ahhh. More celebration! N.B. Look below for more photos.

Signs Of Almost cont.

Is The Orchestra Ready?

This morning's visit to the theater site reveals work in progress and work complete. In progress--the surveyor is helping someone across the theater to get an exact point. A bit forward of him we can see the progress made in the orchestra pit. The photos show the progress of the last day's work . Blogger hopes they show in the right order. If they don't, the reader is asked to use the imagination. After all, that's what the theater is all about.

Blue And Gold

The annex is getting prouder and prouder as more and more is delivered, laid, placed, adjusted, or installed. One can almost hear the murmers of tense athletes or the chatter of gym classes.

Be sure to visit the theater below.

Blue And Gold continued

The painting seems to be somewhat like layering of dirt on the soccer field as the painters build the layers of paint to the desired density. By the end of the day the stage is showing its true color--black. In front of the stage we have the orchestra pit dug, then readied for footers and forms for concrete walls. One can almost hear the music!

Somewhere Under The Rainbow Work Proceeds...

...all over the place with the weather more favorable. So we see the scuppers (honest, these are the real thing despite past misinformation) delivered to the theater roof. They will carry water from the roof to the downspouts near the ground. Men are doing some (what one hopes will be) finishing touches on the lobby roof, while around on the other side, two men have just installed the glass doors to the front entrance of the annex. Just inside the annex and down the hall a bit, the new blue flooring is sporting itself. Coming back outside and walking toward the soccer field, one beholds the future of the game--aqua-soccer, or hydro-football if you prefer European. The athletic department is still working on the details of the game, but it will be cutting (if not wet) edge and will surely put the Pandas on the map! Speed paddling will be a prerequisite to team membership. Stay tuned. Also be sure to read the second part of the day's Pandanews below.

...And Catwalk Capers

Well, not all capers. Just on the other side of the theater lobby, just inside Heritage Hall, the workmen discuss with the site supervisor (center) some aspect of the passageway between the two. Now for the capers: the stage from the left side catwalk, and the ceiling of the stage with the smoke vents peaking through the iron work; the sound room from the top of the spiral stairs access; and finally the blogger's favorite--the chains from which the clouds will hang over the audience. Ever wonder how clouds are hung? Now you know!