By Bob Gordon, Building Committee, ECSBC
We have a new roof on the rear of the building. Extra height rails were also added to the upper landing of the fire escape to comply with a NJ State inspection of the nursery school.
We also have a new roof over the lobby, as well as new fascia panels and gutters. The previous roof is estimated to have been 40 years old, which is decades beyond the normal service expectation.
New Windows, Also
The contractor does major business commercially, and as a result, was able to provide 9 new windows at cost only, for a significant savings. The old double-sash windows and frames were in sad condition. Check out the new ones; they are not only easy to use and weather-sealed, but also handsome, and they enhance the appearance of the building.
A small section of missing soffits in the back are in the offing to complete the roof work, which also will see the installation of gutter guards.
Summer Maintenance
The usual summer maintenance chores were accomplished: cleaning all the chairs and the windows (inside and out), trimming the shrubs, and cleaning the grounds. In addition, a number of ceiling light fixtures were replaced in the main room. The new ones are LED units, which are a bit more expensive to buy, but use extremely low amounts of energy, and the light units have a 50,000-hour lifetime (5 years and 8 months of continuous use).
Wainscoting has been installed in the lobby because the nursery school children line up under the bulletin board, and their hands are on that wall all the time.
New Circuit Breaker Box
The circuit breaker box in the lobby has been replaced. The old unit was no longer up to code. In fact, it was a dangerous situation. The shelving around the new box has also been repaired.
The volunteers who helped include Linda Bennett, Laszlo Berkovits, Azar Gordon, Ed Gross, Amy Brett Kass, Diane Koszarski, Eric Sandhusen and son, Garrick, Louis Steinberg, and Steve Sullam.
Keep in mind that the expenses were considerable. The Society has been able to absorb the costs, but we do need to plan to create a stronger financial reserve as there are other expenses in the offing. These include: parking lot refurbishing, other roof sections replacement, a better basement floor covering, replacing all the chairs, and a revamp of the sound system to enable modern electronic connectability … you get the idea.