Conference 7.286::maynard

    There was a major fire in the High School tonight.  I just left the
    scene and here's what I know.  The following is a bit out of
    sequence, but I hope you'll get the jest of it.
    
    The fire apparently started in a room off the stage area of the 
    Auditorium.  If you are familiar with the High School, as you
    enter the building near the music room, there is a storage room
    on the right just before the door to the stage and auditorium.
    This room contains some electrical panels and the initial indication
    is that the fire started in this room.  The cause appears to be 
    electrical, although the actual cause was being investigated as I 
    toured the building.
    
    The flames ran from this room into the ceiling and along the 
    auditorium ceiling toward the cafeteria, and was contained just 
    short of the Cafeteria kitchen.  
    
    To back up a bit, as you look at the school from the front, the
    Gym is on the left, the Auditorium is dead center and there are
    two corridors that connect these parts to the academic wing, as 
    in classrooms.  
    
    The School's automatic alarm system worked perfectly to sound the
    first alarm.  Upon arrival, the Maynard Fire Department went 
    immediately to a three alarm fire call, which resulted in a 
    mutual aid request to neighboring towns within our system.
    
    The auditorium is completely gutted.  The stage is gone and all the
    seats and the divider curtain into the cafeteria are just metal frames.   
    I was told that the heat was tremendous and when we were allowed in
    at about 9:15 the temperature was still intense, and there was a great
    deal of smoke.  Water on the floor in the hallway was about 2 inches
    deep.   There is about a 4 by 5 hole in the roof in the right rear of 
    the stage, near where the fire is believed to have started.  The
    design of that section of the school includes full height block walls
    that probably helped to contain the fire from spreading to the hall
    ways and other areas.  I do not know what damage occurred to the 
    library or WAVM areas, but I suspect that there will be water and 
    smoke problems.
    
    It appears that the academic wing was not damaged at all, except for
    smoke.  The water on the floor did not go much beyond the Principal's
    office and the doors to the academic wing were in the closed position.
    We were not allowed to venture much further, but I would guess that
    there is water on the Gym floor which could cause some additional
    damage.
    
    The MHS maintenance people told me that the academic wing had just
    been re-painted and was in perfect condition for school opening,
    so there were about to go into that wing when I left to open the
    windows to vent out the smoke smell, if any.  They were sanding 
    the gym floor today.  They were all anxious to get into the 
    academic wing to ensure that their hard work had not been ruined.
    
    The efforts of Maynard fire and police and the cooperation of 
    surrounding towns was amazing.  I counted 13 pieces of fire 
    equipment, from Acton, Concord, Sudbury and Stow in addition to
    all the Maynard equipment.  Fire Chiefs from all these towns 
    The Acton department brought in their air-pack recharger unit,
    which was greatly needed and appreciated.  Stow and Sudbury
    Police assisted in closing off Route 117.  As I looked at the
    blackened faces of the dozens of firefighters that battled this
    three alarm fire, I was very grateful that we have so many
    professionals in our area that were able to contain this fire to
    the auditorium area.  As I looked at the shell of the auditorium,
    I was also thankful to whoever designed the facility for the 
    foresight to design in the virtually self contained modules that
    held the fire to one section.
    
    The police picked up  Don Cranson (High School Principal) at 
    home and brought him to the scene and Mike Gianotis (Town 
    Administrator) was called in from home, as well.  Mike is 
    responsible for any facility insurance issues, and he had an
    insurance representitive on site by 9:30 to make some
    preliminary assessments that would allow for immediate clean-up
    of the adjacent areas.  All power was cut off by Boston Edison
    (which was also standing by) so a police detail was being set up 
    to guard the School for the night.
    
    The immediate task tomorrow morning will be damage assessment.  
    Given the heat of the fire, there may be some structural damage
    to the girders in the Auditorium, so a structural engineer will
    be brought in.  Electricians will be needed to re-route power 
    around the damage to restore the rest of the building, particularly
    the fire alarm system and the building security system.  The
    roof will need to sealed from the weather. 
    
    It's far too early to spectulate whether this will delay the opening
    of School.  It depends on the actual damage and the effects on the
    other wings of the School, the safety of the students in occuping 
    the School in it's present condition, and the speed in which the
    damage can be repaired.  School officials, Fire officials and State
    and local building officials will have to make a determination as
    to how safe and functional the building will be while repairs are
    being made.  I can say that the Board of Selectmen will provide
    whatever is needed to assist in the recovery process.
    
    The Fire Chief noted on Channel 7 at 11:00 that the damage is in
    the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Before someone asks, I was
    told tonight that we are insured.
    
    There were many, many reporters and cameras on site and Channels
    4,5, and 7 had on-site film crews to cover the fire.
    
    I was planning on starting my vacation on Thursday, so you may not
    get many updates from this agent during the next week or so.
    
    Frank

The building is closed off today (no power, no people) until the Fire
Marshall arrives.   The insurance people have already made there first
pass of the building.

The damage is pretty much limited to what Frank stated in .1.  The gymnasium
was undamaged (pretty amazing from my point of view), and there's smoke
damage on the intermediate level area (offices, library, etc.) -- but apparently
nothing that can't be quickly remedied.

The people at the school were pretty confident that it would not impede
the opening of school -- but there's a good chance they'll be eating lunch
at home for awhile.

The head custodian and I were noting a bit of irony this morning: the room
that caught on fire was one of the rooms we planned to store all the new
computer equipment in....   Fortunately there was so much of it, we had it
in other areas -- pretty much opposite from where the fire was... Whew!


- dave

... At town meeting we were wondering how to get rid of that curtain wall
that we voted to replace....  Now that's taken care of!   :-)

Looks like the fall town meeting might be in the gym!


- dave

    Speaking of the new dividor curtain between the auditorium and the 
    cafeteria, bids have been submitted, and they were to be opened today. 
    I suspect the subject will be reconsidered; I doubt if anyone is
    going to open the bids and obligate the money today.
    
    The insurance adjuster is supposed to be there this morning; then the
    cleanup can begin.
    
    -Steve

    The State Fire Marshall went throught and made his determination.
    
    There was a birds' nest in a ventilator fan.  The wiring overheated and
    started the fire.
    
    -Steve

As a member of the Maynard Savoyards (community theater Gilbert and Sullivan
troupe) before they changed their name and moved to Carlisle, I spent many 
hours in the MHS auditorium as an actor/singer, lighting techie, and orchestra 
member.  One of the leading members of the Savoyards, Bob Larkin, was also a 
Maynard firefighter, and he always helped us make sure our scenery and lighting 
equipment followed appropriate fire safety practices.  Last night's 
conflagration was a dramatic demonstration of Bob's prudence.

The MHS stage was a pleasant enough place to work.  Its small scale made for a
more intimate theatrical experience than the huge stages in some surrounding
towns can achieve.  The ability to open up the cafeteria wall to accomodate 
overflow crowds was a great advantage, although it did affect the otherwise 
good acoustics.  Wing space was adequate; lighting equipment barely adequate; 
over-stage space for flown scenery nonexistent; backstage facilities for 
dressing and makeup nonexistent.  Squeezing a 30-piece orchestra between the
front row of seats and the stage was uncomfortably tight.  Overall, no worse 
than most high school facilities, and better than many.


.1>  As I looked at the shell of the auditorium,
.1>    I was also thankful to whoever designed the facility for the 
.1>    foresight to design in the virtually self contained modules that
.1>    held the fire to one section.

I think this is part of the standard building code for auditoriums.  Because
they're big rooms with heavy electrical usage (for lighting and sound), lots 
of potentially flammable materials (curtains, scenery, seats), and large open 
areas that can create a chimney effect, and because members of the public gather 
there in large numbers, there are some very specific and strict building code 
provisions for auditoriums and theaters.  Ironically, last night's fire was 
apparently unrelated to any of the above aspects of the MHS auditorum's 
function, except perhaps for the heavy electrical service.


I'm sure this is far premature, but when the time comes to rebuild the
auditorium, I hope some of the shortcomings I mentioned above can be eliminated. 
My understanding, based on 16 years of community theater productions on many 
local stages, is that such details are usually not a question of money, but
of architects for schools simply not understanding how stages and their
equipment are used.

Does MHS have anyone on its staff with the expertise to watch out for such
problems, and the authority to fix them in time?  There are lots of people in 
the local community theater scene with this sort of expertise, and I'm sure 
they would be happy to help, if they had some confidence that their advice would
actually make a difference.  Whom should I contact to volunteer my own
expertise, and when?

David,

When the Fowler school caught on fire, and was rebuilt, there was a
building committee appointed by the school committee that helped oversee
the reconstruction. 

I would wager that the same approach will probably be taken here.   If
it does, I would encourage you to try to get a seat on the committee so
your insights could get appropriate attention.   At minimum, the committee
might hold open sessions where public comments would be solicited.

There is a meeting tonight at 7PM (I don't know where -- Town Hall probably)
where initial actions will come to light.   I'd watch the papers or
contact a SC/Selectmen member if you don't hear any details.

- dave

    The School Committee and the Selectmen met in emergency session 
    this evening.  Don Cranson and Mike Gianotis and about a dozen
    other folks also attended.
    
    Cause of the fire:  A fan motor seized up and overheated, and some
    sort of combustible material, either a bird nest or squirrel nest
    or some such thing ignited and you know the rest.
    
    Current Status:  The insurance company has authorized the immediate
    cleanup of the rest of the School, and this work will start on Monday.
    An electrician was on site today and power has been restored to the
    remainder of the building.  The interior windows of the Cafe facing
    the courtyard were blown out by the fire and have been boarded up,
    as has the the hole in the roof, so the building is weather tight.
    
    There is no reason to expect that School opening on September 9th
    will be delayed at this point, however, the State Dept. of Ed. will
    make a determination, after air testing and other visual inspections
    are completed.  Don Cranson will send a letter out to all parents
    next week, as soon as he gets his office up and running, telling
    everyone that he plans on opening school on schedule.
    
    The cafeteria will be the major problem.  Although the actual fire
    did not reach the kitchen, the heat melted the light covers and 
    there was a lot of smoke damage.  By State Law, we cannot make kids
    bring their own lunches, so some alternate means will have to take
    place.  The Fowler is an option for cooking and delivery of lunch,
    and the Maynard Rod and Gun Club has offered the use of one of their 
    kitchens.  We may be able to restore the existing kitchen, and have the
    kids eat in the classrooms, but this is a long shot.
    
    REPAIR PLAN:
    
    A public adjuster/clerk of the works will be retained to represent 
    the Town in dealing with the insurance company and the contractors.
    There will be no  cost to the Town for this perso, as he or she
    will take a fee from the settlement.  This person will negotiate with 
    the insurance company on the schedule, materials, and cost estimates.  
    
    There was no real discussion on the need to form a building committee, 
    since we are dealing with replacement and not renovations.  The clerk 
    of the works will represent the Town during reconstruction.
      
    There is structual damage to the steel beams in the auditorium, but
    the full extent will not be known until an engineer as made an
    inspection and report.  Some of the beams are bent from the heat of
    the fire.  From personal experience, I believe that the major lead 
    time item will be the fabrication of new beams, since the auditorium 
    has such a wide span between supporting walls.
    
    There will little opportunity to make design improvements to the 
    stage area using insurance money, but one never knows.....David
    (.7) you should offer your assistance to either Don or Mike, but
    don't plan on any major design changes.  Thanks for your offer.
    
    The insurance rep was amazed at how little damage was
    done to the rest of the building given the intensity of the fire.
    He credited the quick work of the fire department(s) in stopping
    the spread of the fire.  Particular credit was given to the three
    firefighters who answered the initial alarm (I don't have their
    names) and how their immediate assessment of the potential 
    severity of the situation led to the striking of the second and
    third alarm and prevented a much more serious disaster.  
    
    Misc. notes:
    
    As a result of a bid process conducted some months ago by the
    Town Administrator, on August 1st the Town's building insurance
    changed hands and five days later, the new carrier is facing a 
    several hundred thousand dollar repair bill, with a $2500.
    deductable....... And you think we had a bad day!!
    
    The FY93 Capital Improvement Plan authorized the replacement of
    the divider curtain between the Auditorium and the Cafeteria.
    Bids for that replacement were to be opened today and one vendor
    actually showed up this morning at the High School to submit his
    bid.  Since the old curtain is now a mass of melted junk, all
    bids were returned unopened..... 
    
    As mentioned previously, the first shipment of Digital's automation
    equipment arrived Wednesday, and the original plan was to store the
    equipment on the stage (directly adjacent to the fire source).  
    Because of the bulk of the shipment, the decision was made to find
    another location.....
    
    Because Mike Gianotis is the Town's representive to the insurance
    company, he will work with Don Cranson to coordinate the cleanup
    and will work the project with the insurance company up to the 
    agreement on the settlement amount.  From there, the clerk of the 
    works will work through the School Committee to implement the 
    construction plan. 
    
    As a final comment, if there is a silver lining to this blackened
    cloud, the cooperation between the School Committee, the Selectmen,
    the Police and Fire Departments, and the various other town agencies
    and concerned citizens during this crisis should convince everyone
    that we are a community.  It sometimes takes a disaster of this 
    magnitude to snap everyone into line.
    
    The School Committee and The Selectmen will meet again next 
    Thursday at 7:00 in the upper hearing room of the Town Building. 
    
    Frank (who is NOW really going on vacation...)

    The Beacon photographer got a very moving shot of the principal
    standing in the auditorium.  We should all buy a copy of this coming
    week's paper.  
    
    Karen
    

    Hi,
    
    Linda (Manion) Moore here, MHS class of `83. I was in several theatrical
    productions in high school, and am saddened to hear the
    stage/auditorium is destroyed. For those of us who are not athletically
    inclined, plays and musicals were a wonderful way to participate in
    school activities. 
    
    I hope to contact Don Cranston and offer my assistance.
    
      

I had my first peek at the damage today...  Pretty ugly stuff.   If you've
ever wondered what fire doors, etc. are supposed to do -- this is a pretty
dramatic example of what happens when things work.  [I've gotta hand it
to the building maintenance folk who keep these doors shut, etc. when they're
supposed to be (like overnight).  Many of these doors could have been propped
open with far-reaching consequences...]

Because it is closed off and dark, it is hard to see the damage.  The
hall by the library/WAVM is a much starker example (for me): black floors,
blackened walls, blackened ceilings  -- and a very heavy smell.

The cleaning crews surveyed the school Monday.  They start Tuesday.   The
network wiring crews are there this week as well (which is why I was poking
around).

- dave

p.s. It's kinda amazing how businesses operate.  There were two canteen trucks
vying for the coffee/lunch business this morning (they have never shown up
before)...   Someone commented that they must have all the local businesses
bugged.  :-)

[This is all very unofficial...]

The cleaning crews have begun their magic in earnest.  There are people scouring
the walls, etc. in the front lobby and probably elsewhere.

I believe there are bids out on the reconstruction -- I don't know how many
there are (I've heard between 3 and 5 are needed by the insurance company).
There appears to be some activity in the auditorium, but I'm not certain
(my attention is elsewhere and I happen to notice it on my way to the office).
There are two large dumpsters out front as well.


- dave

    I did not get back from vacation in time to attend Thursday's 
    meeting, but I did visit the High School this morning and here
    is an update:
    
    AUDITORIUM/CAFETERIA DAMAGE REPAIRS/CONSTRUCTION
    
    On Thursday, someone at the State level decided that the repairs
    to the auditorium would require a formal bid process, including
    specs and that three bids would be needed under the Public Bid
    Law.  This process would virtually stop all the current repair
    work and would delay the project by at least a month.  Learning
    of this, the general contractor, who had been hired by the Town
    through the insurance companyon an emergency basis to restore the 
    auditorium and cafeteria, picked up his equipment and left the site.
    
    When I arrived at the High School, Mike Gianotis (Town Administrator),
    Ron Cassidy (Fire Chief), and Selectman George Shaw were meeting
    with State Senator Bob Durand to discuss the situation.  Senator
    Durand made a few phone calls and managed to get enough attention
    from those in the State House who had not yet left for the Republican
    National Convention in Houston, to obtain a waiver from the Public
    Bid Law.  This waiver was received at 3:00 this afternoon and was
    immediately faxed to the contractor, who will be back on site on
    Monday morning.  I should note that the general contractor will
    be required to solicit three bids for any non-emergency sub-contractor
    activity, such as ceiling tiles, painting, etc..  He will be allowed
    to bring in any contractors (roofing, steel, masonry) without competitive
    bids in order to make emergency repairs to the facility.
    
    Obviously, we were all very happy to be back on track after this
    crisis.  
    
    I was astonished to learn that the general contractor plans to have
    all the debris removed, the damaged steel beams replaced, the old
    roof removed and a complete new roof installed prior to the opening
    of school on September 9th.
    
    This leaves us with the question about the Cafeteria.  The Fire Chief
    and I took a close look at the kitchen and it is completely black.
    It is likely that all the kitchen equipment will have to be replaced.
    The insurance company has called in a salvage company for a removal
    quote.  The replacement of the kitchen may involve some custom work
    which could mean some long lead-times, but it's still too early to
    tell at this point.
    
    CLEANING:
    
    The Principal's office is completely clean and all the areas outside
    the auditorium were very clean.  A work crew of about 20 people was
    on site, cleaning everything including the rock collection cabinets,
    outside the office area (yes, they even cleaned each rock).
    
    Finally, as I left, there was a crew installing Ethernet cable along
    the corridor, part of the Digital automation grant...           
    
    Life goes on.
    
    All the High School students received a letter from Don Cranson today,
    assurring them that school will open as scheduled.  His letter started
    out "well, it sure was a hot August!"
    
    Frank

    The present estimate for repairs due to the fire is between $500,000.
    and $750,000.  The Town of Maynard began a new insurance agreement 
    on August 1st, with a $2500. deductable policy, so the impact on 
    the taxpayers will be mimimal.  The present policy is for replacement
    coverage and any new building code requirements will be covered under 
    the policy, as part of the repairs.
    
    I don't mean to start a discussion here about the value of a Town
    Administrator, but I suggest that Mike Gianotis deserves a round
    of applause for his negotiating efforts in securing a really good
    insurance policy for the Town.
    
    Frank
    

    I won't get a chance for daily updates, but I did get a chance to
    get to the High School late this afternoon.  I should note that
    the High School is "off-limits" for the general public.
    
    Today, all the auditorium seating was removed and virtually all
    the "loose" debris was removed.  The seating and the cafeteria
    seating will be stored in trailers off site until the insurance
    company can settle on a salvage deal.  Staging has been set up
    near the stage area to start the removal of the ceiling, or what's
    left of it.
    
    Cleaning continued in the remainder of the School, including 
    cleaning all the lights, ceilings, and floors.
    
    The official insurance policy finally arrived from the insurance
    carrier, and Mike Gianotis, Don Cranson and the insurance rep.
    were going over the policy at 5:00.  Don and Mike are a joy to
    watch as they work together on this project.  They seem to fit
    together well and are joined at the hip in their efforts to 
    see the High School restored as fast as possible.  Don works the
    school opening process and Mike concentrates on the repairs to
    the fire damages, and there is a Town spirit here that I cannot
    describe.  
    
    Finally, I have a suggestion for discussion.  Prior to the construction
    of this High School, we had an auditorium in the old High School on
    Summer Street, the George Washington Auditorium.  For many years the
    George Washington Auditorium was the site for many town meetings,
    dances, and concerts.  It was and is the source of many fond memories
    of life in Maynard.  After a fire in this building in 1978, the George 
    Washington was converted into a library and a second floor was added to 
    create a classroom section, which eliminated the auditorium.
    
    I suggest that after the High School Auditorium is restored, we 
    give it a name, and I suggest that we officially call it the George
    Washington Auditorium.  Maybe we could find the old paintings or
    George and Martha, or come up with funds for new ones to hang at the 
    sides of the stage to promote a sense of tradition in our community.
    
    What do you think?
    
    Frank 
                                                           

A nice idea (personally, I like Tom Jefferson better -- much stronger links
to education, etc.).

If you want to tie it to the community, and I don't know if this is appropriate,
but how about the "Ralph Sheridan Auditorium", and have pictures of Olde
Maynard, etc.   Again, stressing the importance of history and community.

I think the idea is excellent.  I think the timing couldn't be better.

- dave

    Here's the latest update from tonight's combined School Committee-
    Selectmen meeting:
    
    Don Cranson reported that everything is on schedule for the September
    9th opening and that the progress made in the last four days of
    cleanup was incredible.  He is meeting with representatives of 
    Republic Food Service (the cafeteria vendor) on Monday to iron out
    the logistics of preparing food at the Fowler and trucking it up
    to the High School.  Half the Gym will be used as a temporary
    cafeteria.
    
    Mike Gianotis has finally received the actual insurance policy
    from The Hartford, and it is being reviewed.  You will remember that
    we changed insurance carriers on August 1st, and we were operating
    on an insurance binder until Monday.  The insuarance rep is on 
    vacation and a meeting will be held next week to begin the settlement
    process.
    
    The general contractor, John Kenefick Co., of Winchester, reported
    on the progress and status of the fire repairs.  As areas of the
    building are cleaned, air quality samples are being taken and 
    recorded by an outside firm.  After all the charred debris has
    been removed from the building, the entire school will be deodorized
    and re-tested prior to the opening of school.  The State Department
    of Education will approve the test results before the School is
    re-certified for occupancy.  All this should be done a week before
    school opens.
    
    The vinyl asbestos floor tiles in the affected areas have just
    about all been removed and the next phase of asbestos removal
    will be in the Boiler room.  Yes, it's true- for several years
    we have been wrestling with the problem of finding the funds to
    remove the asbestos from the boiler room and now it will be done
    as part of the school cleanup- a savings to the town of about
    $45K.  This effort will take eight days, three to seal the area
    and five for the actual removal.  This will start on Monday.
    
    Kenefick outlined the three phases of their project:
    
    1.  Get the school ready for opening day.  This will also include
    all the heavy work of removal of the damaged steel and roof and
    the installation of new steel, masonry, and new roof.  New ceiling
    in the corridors and new tile floors and fresh paint will also
    be completed prior to September 9th. 
    
    Once the school is ready, the auditorium and cafeteria will be
    closed in and isolated from the rest of the school while phases
    2 and 3 are completed.
    
    2.  Kitchen/Cafeteria reconstruction.  The major concern here is
    the fabrication of special components such as kitchen equipment,
    and the Cafeteria window-wall, which has to be custom made to fit
    the existing opening. 
    
    3.  Once the cafeteria is completed, the auditorium will be re-built,
    including new seating and a new stage.  Kenefick's work will not
    include speciality items such as stage lighting and curtains.
    
    I should mention that work on all three phases will be attacked
    at the same time, but the main focus and planned completion will
    be in that order.   Although Kenefick would not commit to a
    completion date, they did say that barring any long lead times
    for custom made materials, the entire project should be completed
    in about three months.  I will again mention that this is not
    new construction, and some of the repairs will require custom
    made materials.  In spite of the fact that some of us still
    refer to it as the "new High School", it is almost 30 years old.
    Kenefick specializes in fire damage construction and they have
    done all the preliminary measurements for doors, hardware, windows
    etc., and most all the hard to get components are on order and
    are being manufactured. 
    
    After some discussion, we voted to meet again next Thursday night
    at 7:30 in the Town Hall to get another update.  This will allow
    all parties to get the same information at the same time.
    
    There is a lot of work yet to be done prior to September 9th and
    there will be dozens and dozens of tradespeople hard at work during
    the next few weeks, so unless you have a need to go into the 
    building, please try to stay out of the way as much as possible.
    
    As a final comment, the interim School Superintendent, Bill Vallenti
    (I apologize if I spelled his name wrong) attended tonight's 
    meeting.  You will recall that Bill was also our interim Superintendent
    during the time between Eileen Ahearn and Greg Chiardi.  Bill made
    a comment tonight that he was somewhat startled and very impressed
    with the spirit of cooperation and that he has observed between
    the School Committee and the Selectmen during this crisis.  I got
    the feeling that this spirit may not have been present during his
    prior tour of duty with the Town of Maynard.  It made me feel good
    that he noticed the improvement.  
      
    Frank 
     

    Weekly High School Update:
    
    The School Committee and the Selectmen met again tonight to get
    a current report on the damage recovery process at the High 
    School.  In addition to the above, Town Administrator Mike
    Gianotis, High School Principal Don Cranson, Fire Chief Ron Cassidy 
    and Dave Griffin attended the meeting (Dave, feel free to add 
    your comments if I miss something.  Thanks for attending.)
    
    Both Don and Mike appeared somewhat down at the meeting, and 
    they both explained that now that all the fire damage has been
    removed, the exposed skeleton of what was once a robust and
    vibrant educational facility is pretty depressing.  Bear in
    mind that the academic wing is polished and ready to go, but
    the Library/WAVM corridor, the Cafeteria/Gym corridor and the
    Office corridor have no ceiling, and no floor coverings at this
    time.  There is no roof over the stage area.  The Auditorium
    and Cafeteria have been power washed to remove the soot.  The fire 
    damaged areas are *raw*, as in bare bones.
    
    While that is the bad news, the good news is that the last of the
    damage has been removed and the traffic coming into the building
    is bringing in new material.  Today the bricklayers started to
    rebuild the walls which could be completed in another day or two,
    except for the expectation that we will be getting some rain this
    weekend, which means that crews will be busy tomorrow installing
    a temporary roof and drain system over the stage.
    
    During the next week the ceilings and lighting in the corridors
    will be installed, the Principal's office will be back in action,
    another round of deodorization will be done, the steel will be
    erected in the Auditorium and the new roof over the stage will
    be mostly completed.  The Auditorium and Cafeteria will receive
    their first coat of paint and the corridors will be repainted.
    The removal of the asbestos has been completed except for the
    Boiler Room, which should be ready for final air testing by
    Friday.  There will be numerous crews on site during this 
    weekend and all next week.  Everything is on schedule for the
    opening of school on September 9th.  
    
    When the students report for School on the 9th, there will be
    no heavy equipment on site, and any activity that might in
    any way be disruptive to educational activity from that point
    will be done either before school starts, or after school ends.
    
    The students will use half of the Gym for lunch until the cafeteria
    is completed.
    
    The kitchen has been declared a total loss by the Insurance Company
    with the exception of two blenders, two slicers and a dishwasher,
    which have been sent out for repairs.  There is a six week lead 
    time on replacement equipment and the Food Service Vendor and
    the Town's Board of Health are working up design plans for the
    new kitchen.
    
    Of particular note in tonight's meeting was the care and concern
    about air quality in the School.  The Boiler Room asbestos removal
    will require a constant monitoring process.  A chain link fence
    has been installed outside the Boiler Room to house the monitors.
    There will be several more tests done prior to school opening.
    
    Another interesting note is that a lighting consultant was brought
    in to look over the damaged Auditorium lighting to determine it's
    replacement cost.  He was able to identify the debris and came to
    the conclusion that when the School was built, it contained a 
    very sophisticated state of the art lighting system which was 
    unusual for that time and use.  It appears that the stage light
    console alone had an original cost of around $60K. 
    
    As a final note, I stopped into the High School this morning
    at 10:00, between meetings, just after the canteen truck had 
    left.  It was very quiet since all the workers were on their
    break.  As I wandered around inspecting the work, I came to
    the Library and looked out into the courtyard.  Sitting on the 
    benches in the courtyard were three people, staring into their 
    coffees in the haze and the fog, like a verse out of a Paul Simon 
    song:
    
    	"Old friends, sitting on benches like book ends"
    
    They were Don Cranson (Principal) and Ed Beales and Bobby Sczerzen
    (custodians).  Ed and Bob were covered in soot.  The three were 
    deeply in thought although as I watched, no one was talking.  Behind
    them were the boarded up windows of the Cafeteria.  The moment
    damanded a picture and I didn't have a camera.  That image, though
    not captured on film, will always remain with me as a symbol of
    what a wonderful town I live in.
    
    Frank
    

    Weekly Update:
    
    The School Committee and Selectmen got their weekly update this
    evening from Don Cranson and Mike Gianotis.
    
    Everything is a go for school opening and there were no problems
    to report. 
    
    The only new issue is that the Board of Health did not like the
    condition of the Gym ceiling, which is peeling, and could be
    a health hazard since the Gym will be used as a food service area
    for a couple of months.  The Contractor has been asked to scrape
    the ceiling which will be a direct expense to the town, since the
    condition is not related to the fire.
    
    The corridors have new ceilings and fresh paint.  I was mistaken
    in my observation that new floor tiles would be installed.  The
    existing corridor tiles are in good condition and will be cleaned
    and sealed this weekend.
    
    The principal's office tiles were damaged and had to be removed and 
    were replaced with carpet.
    
    The auditorium roof deck and steel have been replaced and the roof
    would have been completed by Friday, but today's rain will delay
    that operation for one or two days.  Tuesday is the planned
    completion date, and will not affect school opening or operation.
    
    The last of the kitchen equipment will be removed tomorrow.
    
    The teachers lunch room could be completed by Wednesday depending
    on the condition of the school's intercom system.  The electricians
    will be testing the intercom tomorrow and if it works, they will
    move on to the teachers lunch room.  If the intercom does not 
    work properly, the electricians will concentrate on that repair
    until it is completed.  New tiles and ceiling will also be installed
    it the teachers room.
    
    The asbestos removal in the boiler room is 95% complete and will
    be done tomorrow and test results will be available on Tuesday.
    As I mentioned previously, this project does not affect the health
    of the students or the opening of school.
    
    The last of the dumpsters will leave the site on Tuesday.  Nine
    loads of debris have been removed from the building to date.
    
    The second opinion on the condition of the two pianos is that
    they are ruined.  This information will be passed on to the 
    insurance adjuster.
    
    This is the last of the weekly meetings so updates will be
    occasional from this point on.
    
    Frank

    A brief update on progress made to the Auditorium/Cafeteria:
    
    The window wall in the Cafeteria has been replaced, and the plywood
    is gone!
    
    The ceilings are about 1/2 installed.
    
    It is anticipated that lunch will be moved back into the cafeteria
    on about November 9th.  Food will still be trucked in from the Fowler
    for a while longer, but at least we will get the entire Gym back for
    it's designed use in time for indoor classes.
    
    Frank

It has been quite some time since this note has been updated.  Can I assume by
now that all of the repairs are complete?  What, if anything, was the final cost
to the town?

The repairs are not done.   The kitchen has yet to be replaced.

- dave

    There are also no seats in the Auditorium. 
    
    Most of the kitchen equipment has to be custom made and there is a
    long lead time for most of the items.
    
    I understand that the bids on the Auditorium seats were rejected and 
    have been re-bid.  Again, a long lead time for manufacture and
    delivery.
    
    The last that I heard was that the fire damage restoration is at
    about a million and a half.  Until the negotiations with the insurance
    company are completed there is no firm number on what the Town will have 
    to pay.  I am told that it will not be very much.  As you will recall
    from previous entries, the Town has engaged a professional firm to 
    deal with the insurance company on our behalf.
    
    Frank 

    Thanks for the updates.  If my memory serves me correctly, wasn't there
    an asbestos problem at the High School?  And wasn't there a chance that
    it would have to be cleaned up as a result of the fire?

    RE: .26:  
    
    Bob, the asbestos problem in the boiler room at the High School was 
    affected by the Fire in that all the asbestos covered piping was 
    covered with soot and had to be removed.  It is my understanding that
    this removal WAS covered by the insurance company.  The justification
    was that you would cause more environmental damage by trying to 
    clean the covering than by just taking it off, so it was opted to
    take all the asbestos off.  No charge to the Town!  
    
    Frank

There was also a small asbestos removal project in the auditorium (a pipe
of some sorts over the stage area I believe).

After the boiler room was completed, they moved on to this.   Both were
completed before school started and there were air monitors in a variety
of places in the MHS building assuring that asbestos dust was not leaking
out of the controlled areas.  [While working in the rooms, the areas were
sealed off with plastic and airlocks/ventilation systems prevented
contamination.]


- dave

Oh yes, and another "asbestos problem": the flooring in the MHS front office
was water damaged.  This required pulling up the tiles.  Guess what *they*
were composed of.   So the office area was also evacuated, sealed off, and
the floor removed.

A new carpeted front office and re-tiled nurse's office graces MHS.


- dave

The auditorium is now open for use.   I believe the League of Women Voters
may have had the honor of first users.    The school used it last night
for the 7th grade "up night".

The sound system is greatly improved (although they could do with some more
microphones), the stage looks great, there's a real attempt at some true
theatre lighting, and the overall appearance of the auditorium is wonderful.
It appears they have one heck of a movie screen as well.

The walls are white, the floor is painted grey, and the seats are a light
green  (having no sense of taste, I have no idea if this is good or bad).


There's also some equipment coming into the kitchen...


- dave