THE CSPAC CONSTRUCTION BLOG

A Long Time Coming . . .

Sat, 30 May 2009 09:44:53 -0400

After nearly 4 years of planning, fundraising, lobbying, building and problem solving The Cabot School Performing Arts Center is nearly complete.

Over the next 10 days the final coat of interior paint will go on and we will complete the lighting, sound and theater tech install.

Please come out on Wed June 10 2009 to share in the celebration of our grand opening.

Starting at 7PM we will start off with the music of the Elementary and Middle School Bands and then finish off the evening with a shadow puppet adaption of the Persian folk tale, Leyla and the Lamp. Featuring the original music of Brian Boyes along with arrangements by the high school band.

FROM DANVILLE HILL

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 10:08:41 -0500

In early February, a standing seam roof was installed by roofing contractor and Cabot School parent, Ben Dunham.

CSPAC Building Arts students eagerly await their return to school in March when the radiant heat from the school’s new woodchip plant will go online. Once the interior heat goes online, building students will begin to work on the internal wall framing as well as work with electrical contractor and Cabot parent Dean Deasey of 3D Electric.

WORK WEEKEND REQUEST

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 11:19:31 -0500

Hi Everybody,
Thanks to everybody who lent a hand last weekend. We got the roof finished up and tarpapered, and the standing-seam metal roof will be installed over our sandwich of foam insulation and plywood by Ben and Dan Dunham later this month. Hopefully it won't snow too much before they get started on it in the next 10 days or so.

This week David Lanxner has been working with Jon and the kids in the building class to install the windows (they're very good Marvin windows that Mark Bromley was able to get for us at cost from a supplier in the Champlain Valley). Also, the kids have been putting up the 1.5" blueboard insulation on the exterior walls, and David has been starting work on the corner returns that will join the trim boards that run under the roof's edge.

Before the standing-seam crew can start, the trim boards that run along the eaves and rake have to be put up, and I'd like to gather a crew to start that work this weekend. There will be a variety of tasks available to those of you who are available Saturday or Sunday: priming the trim boards inside before they're cut; cutting and nailing up the trim(fascia, crown, etc.); nailing up strapping over the blueboard on the exterior walls, etc.

I'm planning on starting both days at 9 AM. Please let me know if you'll be able to help this weekend.

Thanks again,

Chris Tormey

Student Update by Samantha Talbert.

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 09:29:25 -0500

From watching the foundation being dug, to watching the cement being poured for the floor of the building, to putting up the frame of the walls, the building seems to be coming along. We have been learning basic construction skills, from learning to read plans; to using the chop saw, to simply using a hammer and nails. This project is broadening our outlooks on the construction field, showing us that there is more than just hammering nails to a board. We have been learning the skills and processes for concrete, electricity, basic carpentry and finish carpentry, sheet rocking and plumbing. We are learning more by the day, with different people in each aspect of the trades coming in and out.

For the kids in this class I think you could consider it an escape from the typical classroom and a glimpse into the real world, which we are entering quicker than we expect. I’m sure some of them or maybe even a majority of them will be entering one of the trades and this is what you could consider a gift, a leg up, on most kids our age that want to pursue a career in the trades.

"I didn't think I was actually going to understand the criteria but now I know more about building" says Tyler Placey on his experience so far in the class. "It's been good," states Robert Lanphear on his time in the class. I know that meeting and working with the construction and building professionals has opened our eyes to all the different aspects of building something from the ground up. "It's teaching me a lot," answers Tyler Stecker.

In my opinion this class allows us to explore what we might want from life. This class is opening some of our eyes and showing us there is more to life than sitting at a desk and typing. We can go out into the world; you don’t have to go to college. You can make a living off all these skills that I’m sure kids around here have learned on the farm, or from a father or grandfather.

Years from now, when we visit our families we’ll look over in that yard, look at our kids in the back seat, if we have any, and say “Hey guess what kid? I helped build that. From the ground up, I was involved with it all.” I’m sure we’ll leave this class with a sense of accomplishment, and a sense of success.

When this building is done, I imagine we’re all going to stand in front of the big front door, or even in the middle of the building, and just stare at what we’ve accomplished. Look at what we’ve helped give the community, what our work has gone in to. I’m sure we’ll all be amazed.

Web photo gallery launches.

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 17:45:07 -0500

As part of our weekly updates we have set up a web gallery of photos. Please enjoy and stay tuned as we continue this amazing community effort!