CAPITAL CAMPAIGN UPDATE - May 22, 2004

It was a productive - and noisy - week at B'nai David Judea.
With jack-hammers and saws, workers cut into the floor of the beit midrash so that the plumbers could replace the old iron pipes with new copper ones. Work on the repipe throughout the building continues as well.

When we pulled up the carpet in the main sanctuary we found that the asbestos testing company missed some tiles under the seats. Luckily, minimal containment was needed and those tiles were removed Thursday and Friday.

We had the walls in the main sanctuary x-rayed to find out exactly where the rebar - an essential construction element - is, so that we can begin cutting the windows, which is currently scheduled for Monday.

The seat company has informed us that the reupholstered seats will not be ready for the chaggim, but this won't be a factor in determining where we are for the High Holidays. If other things are in place so that we can get into the building by then, we will rent chairs and use the room.

Framing for the disability access bathrooms went up in both the Beit Midrash and the lobby, near the door to the existing men's bathroom.

Demolition continued on the area for the elevator pit, and the area for the Cohanim washing station (the display cabinet near the door to the women's bathroom) is also being prepped for construction.

Now for the bird update:
As you may or may not be aware, birds who nest in the tower wreak havoc on our gutters and clog the roof drains. They also make themselves at home in the building itself, where they have been known to nest in the Gold Room and the kitchen.

After reviewing the two options and doing some investigative work, our contractor, Sam, recommended the humane option of capturing the birds and moving them to an unspecified location so that they would not know their way back.

On Wednesday the bird eradication company captured approximately 10 birds -- 2 newly born, 2 toddlers and the rest adults. They cleaned up the tower and removed the old screens, replacing them with netting, which is more effective in actually keeping the birds out. On each tower opening they installed spikes that prevent the birds from landing on the ledge, but do not wound them.

We are also currently getting recommendations from the bird eradication company on how to deal with unruly bar mitzvah guests (without causing injury, of course) …