Tim Recko and Bill McGrath have taken it on to chronicle work in progress, future plans and needs at our building. Please read the comments here to find out "where we're at," what we've done and where we hope to be going with the building.
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Well, it was a small group Monday night, but they sure got a lot cleaned up!
Nancy, Bill, and Jon took care of the mess that the roof leak caused on the first floor -- that should give it a chance to dry out now. Great job guys!
I didn't get there until a bit after 8 so the four of us chatted for awhile and Billy and I took a trip through the building to identify some things that we might do while we are waiting for the official "punch list" to be done. Not much hands-on for me yet, but that is going to change quick!
What we need, folks, is for everyone to help out and get this place going! There are going to be things to do to suit everyone's talents -- from the artist to the builder to the planner to the casual stopper-by.
If this is going to work, we need everyone to pitch in!
9/10/08
Bill and I spent a couple of hours at the building tonight.
Bill got one of the outside door lights working and trimmed back much of the ivy that had grown over one of the windows and into the siding. The other light sconce is broken and unusable -- put that on the list! He also yanked some of the multitude of bulletin boards from the entrance area.
We removed the "chicken wire fence" on the balcony and the basketball net (apologies to all those planning on shooting some hoops), and chucked most of the junk that was on the balcony. The resulting debris was put into the trash cans that we have, stacked if it seemed salvageable, or stored outside by the fence for eventual removal.
Trash removal is a prime concern right now. We are going to need someplace to eliminate the refuse that we'll create transforming the place into a theatre, to say nothing of the junk that remains scattered around from the former owners (can you say wet, smelly gym mats?).
We did another walk-thru to try and get a "pre-punch-list punch-list" of what we can work on now. On the top of the list:
- Patch and paint the walls in the office. Since this room is in pretty good shape, it is something that we could use right now. (Bill even found a left-over bucket of joint compound -- what a bonus!)
- Repaint the existing sign on the building to put an official NPTG mark on the building.
- Get the upstairs bathroom running.
- Some plumbing repairs under the kitchen sink.
- Scrape peeling paint and other water damaged areas in the auditorium and the first floor activity area.
- Evaluate the outside basement entrance. Currently covered on the outside and barred on the inside, it might be something we could use to get some of the larger set pieces into the basement for storage.
- Trash, trash, trash.
I am probably forgetting something!
tr
I didn't get a chance to leave a note after last week's Monday night party, but it was really a hopping one! Bob was leading the way after the walk-thru over the weekend. A punch list has been posted on the entry-way bulletin board and things are even getting checked off!
Besides Bob, the cast of characters for this performance included Monica and Greg Bourgault, Jon Wright, Nancy K, and, of course, Bill and myself. So many things were happening that I am not entirely sure what everyone did so I apologize if I miss anything.
- The wet gym mats were thankfully removed making the whole place smell a bit better.
- Jon and Greg explored the roof and, while the final judgement on the problem is not in, maybe the leak is not as bad as we first thought.
- Nancy removed about a million staples from the particleboard in the auditorium.
- The tacky red carpeting was removed from the stage revealing a lovely hardwood floor on the downstage thrust. Who knew?
- The downstairs office walls were patched in preparation for sanding and painting.
- One basement window was boarded back up again.
- Late the previous week, Bill replaced the outside light fixtures on the front of the building. Let there be...
Some of our bolder explorers opened up the basement entrance to see what wonders might be found. This external entrance is covered over on the right side of the building (for handicapped access, I guess) but from the inside you can see the doors that were meant to be there. this may be the only way to get any set pieces into and out of the basement.
Well, I hope this Monday's party is as successful!
tr
It's been another busy week for a few of us at the building!
A dumpster arrived on Monday and Bill, Tim and Monica wasted no time nearly filling it up with all that had already been collected on the first floor for removal.
On Thursday night, Bill and Tim worked at removing damaged wall and ceiling areas, while Monica cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and removed all the cabinet liners.
We had hoped to have more hands on Saturday, yet much was accomplished with just Jon Wright, Bill McGrath and Bob Healy.
We know have NPTG's number back to a "land line" at the building. The number is 978-345-6570, if you have forgotten.. Bob got the answering machine set up there.
Jon and Bill set about cleaning out barrels of heavy plaster, both the stage left and right lofts, the choir loft and just about everything else that had to go. We even removed all the suspended ceiling panels that need to be replaced in the kitchen.
What that all means is that we are about ready to start to make IMPROVEMENTS!
Our roofer happened to show up as well and he was able to determine a few of the sources of the roof leaks. The drain pipes on both walls of the building are ill-fitted and leaking, plus, the drain on the roof is mounted in such a way that several inches of water has to build up to hit the drain! The roofer has agreed to fix the pipes, drains, roof, etc. for a cost of $1000. It is a little more than our initial estimate, but we have determined a few more things that need to be done. He should start this week.
After he is done, we will need a "drying out period," before we replace ceilings and wallboard, but the sooner the better!
Things are looking up!
Good Stuff Free!!
More good news about the building progress!
Jonathan and I hit some real "pay dirt" today!! Thanks to Jon's wife Vicky for giving us the "heads up!"
We were able to go to Glenwood Kitchens and take away what ever they did not sell in their "yard sale," for FREE! Believe it or not, we got a Corian sink and counter top that fits the men's room perfectly!! It would be worth perhaps $1,000 plus. In addition, we got a ceramic top kitchen table and were able to create and island in the kitchen by opposing two identical cabinets underneath. So neat! We also got several white kitchen pieces, and enough cabinetry to line a wall in the "costume/makeup" room. All very nice pieces. We will just need countertop. We took a nice metal office desk and a brand new stainless steel kitchen sink as well. Anyway, it is MANY thousands of dollars worth of stuff for FREE! Yea!
Maybe the "Gods are with us!"
Remember to check (and bookmark) for the latest news, pictures and goings-on at:
www.newplayers.theatreguildblogspot.com
Bill
A few of us were working at the building again last night. Bill took down the filthy blinds and washed the walls, windows, sinks and stove in the kitchen. Bob drilled out the lock on a secured filing cabinet and got the emptied and into the dumpster.
Tim got another fun job! He got to tear up the "squishy" floor in the girl's bath room. They had put down "fall-a-particle" board and then linoleum. Underneath is another good hardwood floor! Man! Why was that the thing to do??!
Monica also stopped by to see the "freebies" Jon and Bill got on Sunday. Everybody loves the new kitchen island and is impressed by the "haul" of cabinets and sinks!
It wasn't a long night, but progress.. progress.. progress!!
Bill
More work this week..
Jonathan and I worked some more at the building on Wednesday night.
Jon figured out how to put together our "island" in the kitchen and installed all the drawer and cabinet handles. It looks nice!
Bill continued the messy work Tim began in the girl's room, taking up the "fall-a-particle" floor. That was a quick night!
Tim, Nancy and Bill were there on Thursday night as well.
Bill and Tim were able to remove one of the toilets in the girl's room and get up more of the bad flooring. We are probably 3/4 done with that nasty work.
Nancy arrived and whipped out her palette of colors to make some plans for the kitchen. She is our obvious choice for making decisions about paint colors and art work. She is also making plans for the "fancy" woodwork in the theater itself. I can tell he "artistic" mind is "cranking" on all that!
During several visits during the week, Bill painted and cleaned the office. One room ready to go!
The board will be meeting on Sunday to try to prioritize all the projects, but things are coming along and we haven't spent any REAL money yet!!
Work on Saturday, October 4th..
Monica, Nancy and Bill did some good work at the building today.
When Monica came, she had two HUGE yellow chrysanthamun plants for the planters outside of the front door. They look great! Ha! we are doing our little part to beautify downtown Fitchburg!
Monica cleaned a few more windows in the activity room, Nancy worked at cleaning up the wainscotting for paint and Bill continued his quest to fill every crack in the plaster! He thinks he is almost there!
Nancy came with a bit of a drawing of her ideas for the woodwork detail for the theatre and stairway. It has "rich" hues of reddish brown and gold accents. It should look beautiful!!
Doreen Croteau stopped in to check on our progress. She and Meredith Heimo have been in Batton Rouge helping with the Foodstamp Program for those left needy by the hurricanes. They worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for two weeks! Good work Mere and Do! Doreen was very impressed with the progress she saw at the building.
Yea! The roofer called and Bill will be meeting him on Sunday morning. The hope is that many fixes may be made before any rain on Monday. We all LONG for the day that we know the building is tight!
Thanks to those who came to help! (BTW... we're having fun! We have a great, big new toy and we are making it better all the time! 8^)
The building this week and losing our dear friend Sandie..
The passing of Sandie Couture this week has left us all a little shocked and dis-oriented, but we did manage to move along a little more at the building this week. Some of the work has been interruped by long hugs and many tears, but we go on trying build our new home. I know that Sandie wanted that as much as any of us. Her last e-mail to me said, "I can't wait to come and get my hands dirty with you guys, after I am done with Nunsensations!" I know she really was looking forward to it.
I heard a lot of positive comments about the updates I have been sending out about our progress.
Yes. We really are having fun and we have waited 10 years to get at it!
I hope more of you can come and lend a hand when you can. It's not all hard or "skilled" work. A lot of what is needed is light cleaning, sweeping and stuff like that. Those who can do the more complicated stuff, often spend too much of their time just cleaning up! Renovations do make a mess!
This week Jon disconnected the sink in the men's room and we hauled the sink and counter out. We have the new FREE one ready to go in. Jon is going to figure out how to hang it and get the proper plumbing.
Greg and Monica came and tore out all the bad plaster in the girl's room. That was right under one of the big roof drain leaks!
Monica and Greg and Jonathan and Vicky going to coordinate to do the downstairs bathrooms. Cool! I hope they have fun doing it! Greg found the bad wall in the girl's room and wants to trade!! Ha! I don't think so.. sorry Greg!
Oh.. how could I forget??! The roof! The roofer came on Sunday and worked all day. He found a big tear in the rubber roof where our big leak was and big holes in 100 year old drain pipe at the other two leak locations. He thinks it is ALL fixed! The small rain earlier in the week seemed to indicate that we are DRY!!! Yea!!!!!!!
Bill has put about 1000 coats or joint compound on the kitchen and sanded, sanded and sanded over the last week or so. It is ready for paint! Nancy has already started some of it. It will be a nice room! We already seem to congregate there. I guess that's the way it is with kitchens..
After hearing about Sandie's passing, Bill did quite a bit of wall work. "It's therapy!" The big holes in the choir loft wall and the back of the theater have been patched, taped and have their FIRST coat of joint compound. Some progress has been made on the walls of main activity room on the first floor as well. "I wish I had invented joint compound! The "mud" is my best friend!!" 8^)
Tim came on Thursday as well and I think he has the men's room ceiling ready for paint.
It's a little bit here and a little bit there, but it's all moving us in the right direction!
Tomorrow and Monday are the days for us to remember Sandie, hug friends and share fond memories, but we will be back at the building soon to continue; knowing that Sandie is cheering us on!
Monday, October 13th..
We had a great impromptu work party on Monday night!
Leslie had come an gone earlier in the day, so we had quite a bit less mess, than was there was before her visit.
After paying our respects again to Sandie in the theatre with the flowers, we went to WORK!
There were three new-comers to the building, so Bill conducted a tour, as the others got started. Jane Granata, Lori Stevenson and Pam Sontag were all very excited about the building at first sight!
Mere and Jane cleaned the kitchen for painting, so Nancy could get at that, after the dust settled! Then Nancy set at a first coat of the new color, where she had already primed and Jane continued priming around the kitchen. Those two just LOVE to paint! Aren't we lucky there!!! And they are VERY good at it!
Tim cleaned the wall rubble out of the girl's room and put it is "collectable" bags and he and Bill made some decisions about the floor in there.
Meredith made a few trips to her house and loaned us a few helpful things: a HUGE shopvac and a great painting ladder! She used the vac to clean up and Doreen "de-molded" many or our old chairs that have been brought from Nancy's cellar.
Eric invented a way to use the ladders to reach the final few cracks in the hall that have evaded Bill. A nice new platform for the ladder, made from scrap, did the trick!!!
Pam and Lori cleaned up various piles of rubble, Lori scraped all the tape off the glass in the choir loft and Pam attacked the last few windows to be done in the Activity Room.
Toward the end of the night, Tim wanted to "build something," so he and Bill put up 2/3 of the remaining drywall that was needed in the Activity room.
It was a pretty eventful night and I think we all had a blast!
I think Tim had the most fun tying Nancy's shoe laces together as only her lower legs were showing through the opening in the kitchen, as she stood on the counter..
Thank you all for coming and come again!!! Tell your friends!
October 16th..At the building this week..
On Tuesday night, Bill was at the building and finished the drywall on the wall in the downstairs activity room. Jonathan stopped in and he did a little more work in the downstairs men's room and replaced several sections of the drop ceiling in the kitchen.
On Wednesday night, Tim and Bill were at the building and decided that it would be important to try to identify the electrical circuits in the building. After a few hours, several cell phone calls and a LOT of yelling, they have most of that straightened out.
HOORAY! Bill went to the building shortly after a pretty good rain on Thursday and there are NO signs of water! Wow! Is that good news! Once things dry out a little bit more, we can start another stage of the drywall repair.
Thursday night brought in a few more "characters."
Tony Minichello and Carolyn Salter showed up to help, as well as the "regulars;" Bill, Jane, Tim and Bob. Dede Recko stopped in to check things out as well. Dede noticed some real improvements, since she had last seen the building.
Bill conducted tours for newcomers, as usual. Tim said Bill is, "The Official Tour Guide," and thinks he should have a hat and a name badge! Tim was wondering why Bill always takes the women on an elevator ride!! (Including his wife.. 8^)
Carolyn and Tony went to work at the windows in the theatre. They had not been touched yet, so that really needed to be done.
Jane continued putting the first coat of the "base" color on the kitchen, with help from Monica. Jane really is a talented painter!
Bill did another coat of mudding in the activity room.
Bob went to Nancy's and brought in another load of our chairs. (Which are cleaning up very well, by the way..)
Tim took down the apparently faulty fan light in the foyer and we put up a basic unit that provides some good light for now. Boy! A nice chandelier would be great out there! We'll put that on the "wish list!"
Bill and Tim also put out a few HEAVY rubbish bags full of construction waste, for trash pickup. We'll see if that goes away. We hope so! Over time, we can get rid of this stuff at no expense.
Hi Gang!
We had a good day on Saturday at the building, but only a few people.
Nancy continued painting in the kitchen, finished the second coat on the the walls and started to paint the white onto the cabinets. It is looking very nice! She is going to add a little more color to the cabinets by painting the "bead" around the cabinet panels with a nice color of green. All of the colors compliment the colors of the island. We'll just leave it to Nancy to do that "picky" stuff!
Bill moved the extra siding outside and did a lot of cleaning in the activity room and the girl's bathroom. He set up the "Board Table" on the small stage of the activity room. That will be a nice setup for meetings.
Carolyn worked tirelessly at cleaning up more of our chairs and when she couldn't bend over any more, climbed the ladder to clean some of the windows in the side room. Man! The windows are looking SO much better! We don't think they have been cleaned in years!
Bob brought a big load of more chairs and all our lighting stuff from Nancy's cellar. Nancy is really thrilled to have all that room back, after losing it to our equipment 10 years ago!
We had run the furnace for a while on Saturday, but had shut it down an hour or so before everyone was going to leave. Bill decided to hang back for a little longer to pay some bills on the computer and do a little painting. Good thing!!
Doreen and Tim stopped in and while they were there, Doreen said she "heard water." We went in the kitchen and the radiator was spewing water FAST! Then in the activity room AND the girl's room! We all ran for buckets and mops. Tim and Bill went down to the furnace and took a few Redimix buckets of water out of the boiler and the water stopped. It was then that we realized that the furnace had an "auto-filler," and it was stuck open; filling the whole system with water! Once everything was mopped up and no more water was coming out, Bill went home.
On Sunday, Bill carried about 30, 5 gallon buckets up to the sink! There's no place to dump water in the basement. Boy, that was lots of fun. He could tell that I was getting near the bottom and some kind of alarm went off, so he figured that was as far as he should drain it. Bill ran the furnace for a while after that and everything seemed to be OK, but we need to watch out for that. You can turn off the auto fill thing, but that may not be a good idea either.
Anyone know a furnace guy that would offer some free advise??
Many of us will be back at the building on Monday night, October 20th. Many of the Showstoppers often show up. I don't know if all of you know this, but our "un-official" motto was, "Every Monday night, for the rest of your life." We rehearsed every Monday night for nearly 20 years!
Well, we expected that would mean a long, long time. We're happy to be able to put our energy to work at the building, but hope to get singing again soon.
It's funny in life how sometimes when one door closes, another one opens...
Monday, October 20th, at the NPTG Building..
On Monday night, Nancy, Bill, Tim, Doreen and Bob were at the building.
Nancy continued to paint in the kitchen. She got two cabinets doors in nearly finished condition. They look great!
Now that we are needing to run the heat, we've placed a bit of a priority on fixing the doors so that they will close correctly. There's no need to be heating that back stairway!
One door in the back of the activity room was particularly bad! Tim did his best with the belt sander, but it was pretty clear that was not going to do it. While Tim ran to get some more sanding belts and tools at K-Mart, Bob and Bill took down the door. We removed the hinges, took about 1/4 inch off the door and chiseled out new spots for the hinge plates. It was a total "guestimation," but it came out perfectly!!
The other door was fixed with only a little sanding on the top. That was an easy one!
Doreen and Bob continued working on the chairs. The end is in sight! Only 8 or 10 more to go! If we keep the doors to the side room closed, we should KEEP them clean.
BTW.. Besides being a "dressing/makeup" room during shows, we are thinking making that also our "Members Only" Club Room. We'll see.
There was some talk amongst the group about a "silly idea" Bill had. He was standing alone in the kitchen the other night and thought, "What we need is a wedding shower." Well, why not a "Building Shower??!"
Doreen is going to take the idea to the Membership Committee. Maybe we could ALL open gifts (for all of us) and have a "pot luck" supper!!
Thursday, October 23rd..
Yikes! We thought it was going to be a pretty low key night with Monica and Tim, but as it turned out, Monica, Tim, Carolyn, Pam, Doreen and Meredith showed up to work at the building tonight!
It is getting a little harder to find everyone things to do, but Bill managed, although people were hollering for him from all around the building at one point.
Tim has been on "door duty" for a few days, so he continued by fixing up the door to the choir loft and the door to the belfry from the choir loft. Better fits = less heat!
Bill did more mudding in the men's room and the new H/C bathroom. Jonathan is kind of in charge of that downstairs men's bathroom, so he followed Jon's directions! (We think from this point onward it's the "Jon-John!" 8^)
Carolyn removed all the liners and cleaned the drawers in the kitchen. She found there was a door behind the kitchen cabinets! Kind of interesting! We wish we knew all the history or the place..
Monica got the HC bathroom pretty much ready for paint, but called on Bill for a little more "mud" in a few places. Maybe Saturday, she can prime the place.
Pam and Do finally finished ALL the chairs! After that, Pam went to work on the few remaining windows on the first floor.
Mere worked on stripping some paint in the activity room, but that wasn't too successful.. We will see where we go with that.
After finishing the drawers in the kitchen, Carolyn went up to the loft and cleaned the glass up there. Man! Was that dirty! What a difference! She was a trooper being on a ladder AND on the balcony too!
This week at the NPTG Building..
October 28, 2008
Bill spent a few hours on Sunday working on the walls in the theatre. The "borrowed ladder," is a God-send. Much more of the wall can be repaired with that!
He also procured some "excess" ceiling panels at his store and installed those in the kitchen.
There was quite a crew on Monday night!
We had Monica, Christine, Bob, Nancy, Ned and Lori, Tim and Bill!
Bob cleaned up the scraping and sanding mess that Bill had made in the theatre over the weekend and then went at wire brushing and painting the heat pipes on the little "stage area" of the activity room.
Tim replaced the knob and lock mechanism of the door to the choir loft. It was broken and we will want to have that lockable, since we will have equipment up there. After that, he and Bill made plans to insulate and cover the "boarded up" windows in the activity room.
Monica continued her priming in the upstairs bathroom. It's coming along! The problem is that EVERY wall has "obstructions," so it's not a quick paint job.
Christine cleaned and scraped the poles in the activity room and primed them, along with the big beam on the ceiling that was also painted that dull, "institutional" green.
Nancy split her time between painting the cabinets in the kitchen and scraping the wainscoting in the activity room. We agree the activity room is a priority, but it's nice to get the kitchen done too! Nancy seems to have the most patience with the stripping!
Ned cleaned up the back wall of the theatre and prepared it for a white-wash of primer. It was covered with staples and scotch tape! Nance wants to start up there with a "clean slate" of primer, once she gets to it. (Come on Nance! What else do you have to do??)
Lori decided to get out of Ned's way and went up to the choir loft to clean up and wash the other big window. Wow! You can't even see the glass is there, from the floor!
Bill generally ran up and down the stairs and in circles, trying to get everyone everything they needed for their projects! He finally got to do a little painting in the activity room, toward the end of the night.
Another good night! It seems like everyone kept busy!!
Thanks to all who were able to attend!
Thursday night brought newcomer Amy Newberg to the building.
She spent a good deal of the night sanding the back wall of the theatre to ready it for priming. It is "pressboard," so Bill had mudded it so that it could be sanded down to a fairly smooth surface. When we shined a work light on the wall, it was obvious that it needed a lot more sanding! Before she left, (after lots of sanding) she was able to do a little painting.
Jon continued work in the "Jon-John," and got most of the stripping and priming done, with Bill's help.
Bob worked to clean up the activity room, AGAIN! Unfortunately, any kind of work makes a mess, but we want it to look pretty good for the meeting on Sunday. It will probably need more work by then..
Tim arrived a little late, but managed to seal and insulate the two windows that are boarded closed in the activity room. Now that the heat is running, we are trying our best to look for ways we can save energy. We plan to make that a solid wall, so we wanted to do that, before putting up wall board.
Out next work party is tomorrow. We'll try to send some more pictures when we report on that!
As is usual for a Saturday, we had a small group for work today, but we got a lot done!!
Monica was at the building first today and managed to finish priming the handicap bathroom upstairs. It is looking great! I think she is about ready to pick the real color.
Good work Monica!
Bill cleaned up all the wall scrapings in the men's room, sanded the walls and primed the ceiling, walls and mop board. The ceiling's going to need a little more mud..
Carolyn arrived and followed e-mailed instructions from Nancy to paint lots of stuff in the kitchen. Boy! Did she paint! Continuously from about 10:30 a.m., until after 2 p.m! Thanks Carolyn!
Bob arrived to start cleaning the cut down brush out of the back yard. We have a garden gate out there, but it had a rusted old lock on it, that we had not been able to open. Bob took care of that! He went and got a great, big, bolt cutter and cut it off. It still wasn't fun work, but he was able to get most of the brush taken away; in several trips. Thanks Bob!
We had a new lock on hand to lock the gate again.
After the bathroom, Bill went upstairs to work on the back wall of the theatre. Most of it had it's first coat of primer, so he finished that and started a second coat. The "mud trick" worked! The "pressboard" looks like "real" wood!!
November 6, 2008...
Things are coming along at the building!
Bill worked yesterday and today at finishing up the ceiling in the men's room. He's still not totally happy with it, but it will pass for now. He also primed the first luan plywood piece that will be used to cover up the irregular, multi-layered, wallpaper wall is there.
Jon came on Thursday night and measured and cut the piece and he and Bill glued and nailed it up. We think it is going to work nicely! Jon has plans for some really neat looking colors in there!
Jane Granata painted in the kitchen for a while, then came to the men's room to prime the top half of the walls, (wainscoting will be below) and prime the door. Jane is a great painter!!
Carolyn Salter was there AGAIN Thursday night! I guess it's time to "shine the spotlight," on her! She has come to most of the work parties and done whatever has been asked of her. She finished washing the whole back facade of the theatre AND primed it all tonight! She has often ended up doing stuff when she is, "off on her own," but that does not seem to phase her! Thank you Carolyn! You have been and continue to be a big help!! (BTW.. Carolyn lives in Winchendon, so it's great that she can get here to help SO often!)
Nancy arrived a little later, after her kitty Sunshine's doctor's appointment. She was able to find more spots to paint over the "institutional" colors that are left in the kitchen. She almost has all of it covered.
We all agree that this building is "manageable." We will someday finish our initial goals, but we will always look for ways to make our, "home" better. That's the fun of it, I guess.
November 10, 2008
We've made more progress at our building this week!
Bill found most of the baseboard and molding for the upstairs bathroom and de-glued, de-nailed it and primed it, so it is ready when Monica is ready for it. The Handicap bathroom is coming along quickly, with Monica's help! The ceiling is done! Just the floor, some paint, and it's ready for "visitors!"
The men's room, on the first floor is coming along as well. Jon cleaned up the toilet and put on a new seat and it looks like new! After the cleaning, he covered it up well, for the painting to come shortly.
Steve Christofono was a "newcomer" worker this week, but he seemed to have a good time! There were lots of nails to pull and paint stripper to be applied in the activity room and he seemed to have fun with that!
We all had a discussion of the value of the "Carol Burnett Show" tonight, and wondered why we don't have anything like that today! Even "younger," Jon Wright said he loved that show! We all burst into laughter just remembering, "Went With the Wind!"
Nancy once again split her time between painting in the kitchen and stripping paint in the activity room.
Bob began the process of taking apart the gym unit in the theatre. He said it will be a "two man job," to finish that off.
Man! It is so nice working with good friends toward a common goal!
November 14, 2008
Work continued this week, despite some troubles with the "Fitchburg Tire Slasher!" You no doubt heard about that on the news. At last count, I heard that he or they, had hit more than 28 cars in the downtown area, in the last month, including 3 of our own on Monday night! I hate to hear of any more damage, but hopefully the perpetrater(s) will be caught. Until then, we have to be a little wary.
Anyway.. Tim and Bill were at the building on Wednesday night, Bill did some work in the men's room and Tim brought a pane of glass to finish fixing the window in the "flat loft." (We are trying to concentrate on energy saving stuff.) They also took down the sash from the opposite window in the "props loft," boarded the window back up, and will fix that window sash as well.. That for another day..
On Thursday Jon, Carolyn and Bill were at work again.
Carolyn finished painting is a nasty spot under the counter in the kitchen. Carolyn said, "You need a midget to paint in here!" Bill said, "But Carolyn, you're the closest thing we've got!"
John and Bill worked in the "Joh-John," and got the rough walls covered with luan, after Bill chased all around town to find a few more tubes of "Liquid Nails." (Why aren't hardware stores open at night???!!)
On Friday, Bill mudded the joints in the panels. It's going to look good!
Monday, November 17, 2008
There were not that many attendees at the building this weekend, but some good things got done.
Bill was at the building on Saturday morning and continued mudding and sanding in the downstairs bathroom.
Monica came a little later and started her final coats of paint on the handicap bathroom. She decided on a warm shade of "taupe."
On Sunday, Bill was in and out and finished the sanding and primed the ceiling in the "Jon-John." Nancy wanted to do some work on Sunday night, so Bill agreed to meet her. When Bill arrived, he was surprised to find Jon there, hard at work, doing some "final" fixes in the bathroom and finishing some seam taping.
Nancy put the finish coat on the bathroom ceiling, Jon and Bill applied the gray primer, (required for his colors) Nancy painted the door and Bill permanently installed the light fixture! Just the final paint colors, one more coat on the door, install the sink, fix the urinel and put down a floor! We might actually finish some day!
Bill will plan to be at the building a little while (7-7:30) but has to go to a Showstoppers rehearsal tonight. If any of you would like to come to work tonight, please try to come about 7:00 pm, and he will try to arrange some tasks, before he leaves.
Also, does anyone have a LARGE pipe wrench we could borrow? We NEED to move several radiators and need a big one, (maybe like a two footer) to get a handle on them. We would hate to have to invest in one for just a few uses. If you have one, e-mail Bill wmcgth@net1plus.com and he will pick it up, or whatever.
Monday, November 17th, 2007..
Many of the usual crew were at a Showstoppers rehearsal for part of the night last night, but Tim got to the building about 7:30 pm. It's good that he was there, since Hal Smith stopped by to volunteer two "giant" pipe wrenches! Yeah!
Of course, Tim had to give him the tour and catch up. Hal was just leaving as Bill, Nancy, Jon, Jane and Monica arrived after rehearsal, about 8:30 pm.
We only had an hour or so, but Jane finished off painting a closet wall, Nancy primed part of the activity room, Jon did a little more "touch-up" work in the "J-J," Tim replaced some bad bulbs in the kitchen, Monica checked on her work in the upstairs bathroom and Bill did some general clean up.
It's nice that even with just an hour or so, things can get done!!
On Tuesday, on a whim, Bill went to look in the crawl space under the activity room to see if any of the molding removed from the activity room might be there.. Sure enough! It might all be there! That could save some serious money..
He also got to try the new (borrowed) wrench. Suffice it to say that those radiators won't be in our way any more!! Thanks Hal!
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