ECC Employees complete OSHA Training
Will Pearson (certificate above) and Russell Voss completed at OSHA 10-Hour Construction Industry Safety Training Class through Safety Management Group and Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana. Will serves as the Safety Officer for Easterday Construction Co., Inc. We appreciate his dedication to the position. Russell stepped up with a desire to learn and promote safety in the company as well. His participation is also appreciated.
The Remnant Trust Open House
The Remnant Trust Book Vault
The Remnant Trust in partnership with OrthoWorx held an Open House for their Winona Lake facility on December 3rd, 2010. (See previous entries on this project here and here.) Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but Will and Kathy Pearson attended as representatives for Easterday Construction Co., Inc. The Open House was attended by various members of the Warsaw and Winona Lake Community. Brian Bex, one of the founding members of The Remnant Trust, was there signing copies of his book Summa Liberte’: The Unchaining of Ideas.
Exterior view of the Winona Lake Remnant Trust facility
This project began with bidding in the early Spring of 2010 and culminated with this Open House the first week in December of 2010. Finalizing funding delayed construction until Summer. While mainly an interior remodel, the project also included some minor maintenance and upgrades to the exterior such as the repair of rotted wood and the addition of security lighting.
The Vault Room in the new finished Remnant Trust facility in Winona Lake during the Open House
For this project, we took an existing building owned by Grace College and remodeled it into a storage vault and research facility for preserved documents. The interior of the building was tongue and groove wood siding that we had to match and blend with new. The existing open framework was maintained except in the vault room where walls were deepened to accommodate additional insulation and to allow us to make the room less permeable. All of our joints were either caulked or otherwise sealed. The new acoustical ceiling tile system was installed with clips to hold the tile in place. Pressure tests were completed at the end of the vault construction to verify that it was appropriately sealed. A specialized fire suppression system was installed, designed to extinguish a fire in the early stages without introducing water or other chemicals that could harm the documents stored within. UV protective film was installed on the windows and sensitive HVAC and alarm systems were installed. Additional security lighting was installed around the perimeter.
This ends another project that we are proud to have in our portfolio. Congratulations to The Remnant Trust and Kris Bex, Director of this new facility, for this new addition to their library system.
The Remnant Trust in Winona Lake
The Arrogance of Authority
A DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas, and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, “I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs.” The rancher says, “Okay, but don’t go in that field over there,” as he points out the location.
The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, “Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me.” Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher. “See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish… On any land. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? “
The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.
A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher’s big Santa Gertrudis bull…
With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he’ll get gored before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified. The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs…
“Your badge. Show him your BADGE!”
Complete Streets II
In the previous entry on Complete Streets, I was discussing development in Culver. Marshall County is in the process of constructing Pioneer Drive (Pine Road Extension, VanVactor Parkway or Holm Highway depending on what you hear) on the west side of Plymouth. Theo and I took a walk along it from Lincoln Highway to State Road 17 and back the other evening before the weather turned and before the asphalt was placed. It was a pretty night for it, though the buzzing, cracking and popping from the high voltage towers was a little disconcerting…
It appears that Marshall County may have missed several opportunities on this project for implementing some Complete Street ideas. (Disclaimer: I have not reviewed the final plans and I’m only going by my observations of the construction as it stands.) Since this road comes out in the middle of several subdivisions on the southwest side of Plymouth, there could have been better provisions made for cyclists and pedestrians. Instead it appears that the road has standard shoulders with large deep ditches on either side. I initially thought that it was probably too far out to really have too much pedestrian traffic, but when I actually walked it the other night, I was surprised to find that I wasn’t the only one out there walking. Since this road leads to the Lifeplex it would seem only natural that it should include some recreational/physical fitness provisions. While I doubt sidewalks would have been cost effective for the potential foot traffic, adding a wider shoulder on one side with bike/pedestrian accommodations could have made sense.
The intersection with State Road 17 appears to have some sight distance issues that will make it difficult for both motor vehicles and especially cyclists. Not to defend their flagrant disregard for road rules and etiquette; it’s pretty common to see bicycles ignore stop signs and lights at intersections. They seem to do this regardless of the safety hazards involved.
I was disappointed in the implementation of erosion control on this project. In many of the areas silt fence has been installed merely as window dressing running parallel to the slope rather than perpendicular to the slope where it would be effective. There were areas where silt fence was installed at the top of the slope rather than at the bottom and was/is having no effect at all on erosion control. Rip rap was missing from spillways and detention pond structures were left unprotected.
The deep ditches all along the road are disappointing on several levels. They limit the opportunities for landscaping and the option of making this road into a tree-lined parkway. They do little to slow stormwater runoff and the detention ponds appeared inadequate to account for the new impervious surface created by this road. Development expenses will be high since if the ditch dimensions are appropriate then equivalently large culverts will be needed at any driveway accesses. The ditches will also make it difficult to add lanes in the future if this road should need to be expanded to four lanes (as Oak Road was.). And finally, since this road is to act as a bypass, then any new drive connections should include accel/decel lanes, which will be difficult and expensive to construct – another thing that is not conducive to development.
Sycamore Road/Rose Road Bypass
There’s no doubt that I was a little jaded on this project from the beginning. I was involved with the Culver Chamber’s effort to spearhead a true Plymouth by-pass, from where S.R. 17 turns at West High, north to S.R. 30. My personal feeling is that this would have served as a more effective by-pass and would have furthered the interests of Culver and Ancilla College in the process. It would have allowed for an aerial railroad crossing due to the natural terrain; something lacking on Pioneer Drive. (Water under the bridge, since additional residential development has occurred making this bypass route more difficult than it would have been 10 years ago.) Pioneer Drive does not seem particularly effective as a by-pass or as a means of opening new land for development. It seems to have missed a lot of its potential.
December 7th, 2010
Yesterday was December 7th. As always there were rememberances of Pearl Harbor, though it seems that these are less every year. I even heard a disturbing historical report about how we knew about the proposed attack ahead of time, but through a series of bureaucratic mistakes, the warning got there late. (Wikipedia version)
Philip Frederick Rising
The rememberance was a little more poignant for me due to attending a memorial service for a retired naval officer last week. My mother-in-law (Sara) married Philip Frederick Rising last January. I honestly did not know him well as they lived in Texas. (His obituary and additional pictures can be found here.) Becky and I attended the memorial service to support her mother.
Towards the end of the service, three naval officers displayed a U.S. Flag, ceremonially unfolding and folding it. Taps was played. The flag was presented to Sara by a naval officer in a formal dress white uniform. After presenting the flag, he removed his glove and quietly gave his condolences while holding her hand. I don’t know that anyone can observe the reverence with which this ceremony is performed without feeling the weight of the generations that have served and often died in the task of defending our Country. After completing their duty, they slipped quietly from the Church. I specifically went looking for them to thank them, but they had already left before the family was out of the Sanctuary.
I did not know Phil well, but he will be missed. Hearing his family and friends share remembrances reinforced my impression that he was a good man. But as with all things in life, there are constant new beginnings to counter the endings. I have a new great nephew, Charles Eli Marquis, who was born yesterday weighing in at 9lb, 11oz! Life goes on with all its highs and lows.
