“"ABOUT MOMS'…” just before the Service Numbers

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”
Washington Irving


WHAT’S NEW?

REMINDER
Beginning the week of May 8, 2006, the entire west wall of the atrium, the stair railings, stair units, and the railings around each floor opening in Founders Hall It is anticipated that the work will last for five or six days. At times, the stairwell will be blocked between floors; though it should be only one floor at a time, probably the rear stairs or elevator would be more convenient for moving between floors. Odors are, of course, unavoidable, though all paints to be used are water based paints. The wall will be painted the University standard color of Bone White, and the stair and floor railings will be painted a charcoal color. The colors are quite a contrast to the current colors; they will look classy and high-tech and should age well as they are not trendy like the orange and pinks currently in the building. FM appreciates the patience of the University community.


ESSENTIAL WORK
To allow AmerenIP to replace 40 year old,high voltage switch gear, DUNHAM HALL, INCLUDING THE MUSIC ADDITION, will beCLOSED on Monday, May 15, and Tuesday, May 16, 2006. The building will beCOMPLETELY closed; all outside doors will be locked. There will be NO power or lights in the building. Please stay out of the building until power is restored Tuesday evening; it is not safe.    

It is recommended that computers and other electronic equipment be shut off before the outage.

AmerenIP has saidthat if there are severe storms in the area, their crews might be diverted to emergency duty to restore power in any storm damaged areas. FM will notify the campus as quickly as possible via the listserv should this occur.
 

GREAT WORK, ED!
Ed Matecki, Assistant Director for Utilities, has applied for and been approved for two additional grants from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. The first grant, in the amount of $78,900.00, will provide more efficient fixtures, bulbs and ballasts in various areas on campus: the tunnels, the Science Building Auditorium, and the Trades Shops of Supporting Services, to name a few. The replacements will be more efficient and last longer. In addition, Ed was approved for a grant of $830.00 to switch signal lights to LED bulbs which also use less energy and last longer. Congratulations, Ed!

ANOTHER REMINDER
Beginning May 8, 2006, the process of resealing the parking lots on the Edwardsville campus begins. The work is highly weather-dependent, so schedules are subject to change. The current schedule is on the Parking website http://admin.siue.edu/parking.

SO MUCH HELP…
Again in 2006, the Facilities Management Walk-Throughs are providing valuable insight into each building’s unique set of problems. The Walk-Through of Art & Design is scheduled for Friday, May 12, 2006, and will begin with a meeting at 1:15 in Room 1117 (Printmaking).  Minutes of each walk-through are posted on the FM web page.

"BLUFF VIEW AND ST. JOSEPH HEAD START
The University has a number of Head Start facilities housed in older buildings that come with a variety of maintenance issues. St. Joseph Head Start has a boiler system for heating and one of the pipes runs underground. The pipe has deteriorated over the years and water is leaking out of it. A replacement line will be installed to end the leaking and save the program money. Similarly, the Head Start program housed at Bluff View in Caseyville has a broken drain line. The drain line will be replaced and all new water closet operating components will be installed. Nothing glamorous or earth shaking about either project, yet the work will provide a major service to the users and an opportunity to save program monies.

EAST ST. LOUIS HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUS (ESLHEC)
Update May 7, 2006: Another small project to replace the ceiling in the Dining Services kitchen area has been approved by CDB. The exhaust hood over the grille did not provide adequate exhausting of the smoke and the ceiling has been stained. A separate project addresses the fan upgrade and resolves the exhaust hood issues in addition to improving the overall appearance of the area. The architects are working on a project to replace the windows and repair the exterior masonry. Currently, a way is being sought to temporarily repair the worst window conditions; that is, where gaps exist around the frame or where an operable unit does not close properly. New window installation will take place in summer, 2007; ideally, the temporary fix will work until replacement windows are manufactured in four to six months.

ADA PROJECT
Update May 7, 2006: At this point, the University is waiting for CDB to complete their review. The CDB electrical engineer reviewer rejected the electrical drawings, and the design engineer will have to correct the previously noted issues before CDB will review that portion. The architects and engineers changed personnel recently; if the new people are more efficient, the engineer will complete his work quickly. Until then, the waiting game is in effect.

SIUE SDM ALTON CAMPUS/DENTAL CLINIC FACILITY EXPANSION
Update May 7, 2006: The work stations were scheduled for installation last week, but the contractor was delayed. Part of the delay resulted from the students taking the State Boards; contractors didn’t work to avoid unnecessary noise during the tests. The rain has helped the grass seed to grow and prevent some soil erosion. The University will be waxing the new floors to seal and protect them as the construction is completed.

MASONRY RENOVATION
Update May 7, 2006: A contractor stained some of the brick on the planter at the north end of Lovejoy Library, adjacent to the service driveway, to show what could be done to change the brick color to match the remainder of the wall. He did not work on the mortar color, so it doesn’t look like a close overall match. But, the brick itself does look similar to the original brick, so once the brick supplier and the contractor agree on how to handle the change, work will move forward. The supplier has indicated that it takes 10-12 weeks to manufacture replacement bricks, so the brick replacement portion of this project is on hold; however, the dust is flying at Rendleman Hall as bad joints are cut out and new mortar is installed.

Enjoy the answers given by elementary school age children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. Idon't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goofball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just got to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid ofthat.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.