iDog ( aka: Bob )

Well, I don't know what's gotten into Dave. He thinks he's so busy and so he's trying to make me his secretary or something. He gives me all these things he wants me to type out on the computer and file this and file that and take pictures of this and take pictures of that. He's getting so carried away with this project that now he's talking about getting an iMac and an iPod Nano and iTunes and an iPhone, etc, etc. .... he just doesn't get it. When I type, my dexterity is a little off. I may be going for one specific letter on the key board but I end up pushing down four or five of them and I don't need a phone, my ears work pretty good. Dave's just got to take a pill and chill out ... because ... iDog ~ iChew, iDig, iBark, iRun, iEat, iSleep, iPlay, i (have)Paws and sometimes iDrag (my rearend across the carpet). Just telling you how it is Dave. I'll do the photo ops and promote this project, but the brass tacks of it ... iDog ~ uHuman.

BOB !

iDave ... weekend update 409

... well, thanks for setting me straight BOB. No wonder it took me an hour a word to figure out what you had typed. I thought I was reading one of those new direction manuals you get now a days when you buy something. Glad to know it's something as simple as you being iDog.

It's been business as usual here the past few weeks and if you visited the school for an event, Homecoming, conferences, etc. you got a first hand look at what's happening here.

I've posted several photos on this week's update. Starting from the most recent to the last, Over MEA we shut down the water and gas and made the final reconnections for the school year now. They also started to demo the lavatories across from the music area and they are suppose to be ready for the winter activities as will the new HS/MS office area.

You can now see the footings for the fieldhouse, which will give you an idea how much area our new addition covers. The new light poles for the parking lot will be installed mid-November and replace the tempory ones that Xcel installed on the west end of the lot.

Electrical conduit and roof beams and the replacement of the shop retention tank are among some other of the other construction items that are taking place. The roof for the new shop and receiving area will be installed the last week of October.

It's been a little cool in the High School because we have not been able to turn the boilers on yet. We'll be finishing up insulation, new vavles and make-up water tank in the next week, week and a half.

The new Alrenative Learning Center which is housed in the Community Center is just about completed. A little more paint and the hook-up of the computer system will be finished this week. The new sidewalk and steps were installed last week.

The photos you see of the holes in the tunnel underneath the old HS/MS offices are for footings that will hold columns for the new roof over the main entryway/lobby area of the auditorium.

Some of the hall ceilings have been removed to make way for the new domestic water lines, sprinkler system lines, computer lines, fire alarm lines and new suspended ceiling and lights. All ceilings throughout the building will get the same treatment.

The IMC at the Elementary was also remodeled this summer with new carpet, paint and bookshelves.

We are planning to replace the whole roof at the Elementary next summer and I've included some photos of the hail damage we received on the copper roofs this summer.

Our 10,000 gallon fuel oil tank was removed this summer and will be replaced with a 4,000 gallon tank. We will maintain duel fuel capacity for the building and there will also be a generator installed that will automatically switch over when needed to keep our building up and running for the regular day and/or an emergency situation that the community would need to facilatate the building.

It's been going well and I can't say enough about Met-Con Construction, their workers and different trades and especially Ken Gergen, the project manager on site. Thanks !

iDave

New Field House Footings - se corner and south footings

Main Entryway footing & Boys Lav across from Music area

New Electrical Conduit coming to the Boiler Room

Auditorium Columns & old/new retention tanks (CPO 3PO)

Shop & Receiving Area roof beams (project manager Ken Gergen in red cap)

Alternative Learning Center classroom before & after

Alternative Learning Center sidewalk & steps

Tunnel Openings for New roof beam columns

Tunnel Footing Opening & Main Entryway Pipe

Senior Wing & Middle Hallway ceilings removed

Elementary IMC remodel / Hail damage - Elem. Roof

Hail Damage - Elementary copper roof

Fuel Oil Tank / Roots around the Conduit

Night time is the right time ....... for SLEEP

Bob says - 'when night falls, I myself like to climb up on a comfortable couch and get in a good night's sleep, not work out in the middle of the road down in a hole installing a new pressure relief valve until 10:30 for the High School's water, but I'm glad we have dedicated workers doing that for us - Thanks guys you did a great job! ... Sweet Dreams'

Wednesday night, installing new pressure relief valve

Pressure relief valve in street / valve removed

Elevator shaft for auditorium / new gas lines

BOB says ...

... I might as well chew on this bone for a while, I'll be pushing eight years old when this project gets done !

STUCK ON MONDAY ...

You know there is a lot going on when you come to work on Monday and before you know it … it’s Monday again. There are no days, no weeks, no months, just Monday. So, yes, we’ve got plenty here to keep us busy and a lot of Monday’s to go.

Now to the exciting stuff …

I’ve posted quite a few pictures this time of what’s taken place. They’ll make more sense to you as time goes on.

Mediacom moved its cable off Xcel’s old poles and now these can be removed to complete our final water connection and new pressure relief valve, which will happen Wednesday, October 1st @ 3:30 p.m. – the water will be shut down for three hours while this is put in place.

Xcel has also added two more sets of lights to help light up our new parking lot until we get the permanent poles in mid November.

Klamm Plumbing is currently installing the new natural gas lines, which go up the building on the west side, over the roof and down through the roof into the boiler room.

The new HS/MS/Guidance/Nurse’s office area is really starting to take shape. I was advised they could be moved into their new area by mid November.

They started removing hallway ceilings down the senior wing and the hallway on the east side of the cafeteria. The ceilings are being removed to accommodate new water lines, a sprinkler system, new hallway lighting and new suspended ceiling that will clear the old ceiling of all those computer and fire alarm wires and pipes. You need to remember that we are not just adding onto the building but everything in the existing building will be remodeled, such as flooring, lockers, lavatories and all ceilings. It will be like a brand new building when it’s done.

Met-Con will start demo and construction on the SW lavatories across from the band and choir room around October 14th.

Demo and construction on the District Office (currently the HS/MS/Nurse’s office) will start the end of November along with the lavatories across from the old weight room (the new HS/MS/Guidance/Nurse’s office).

By week’s end you should start seeing 30 foot high columns going up for the auditorium and in December the pre-cast walls will start to go up for the field house. The highest part of the field house will be 44 foot. For comparison the ceiling height of the inside of the high school gym is 21 feet.

Auditorium Footings

Weight room - Locker room Hall / Elevator - Stair

Weight / Locker room / Band Wall

Office

Office walls

Electic, Gas & Frame

Bob asks ... Who is this guy ???

The Guy Behind BOB

· Son of Patsy and the late Louie Davisson / born 11/25/53’
· Mom worked for school district for over 20 years
· Dad was a mail carrier for 35 years / member of the 52’ Bears State champs
· I’ve lived in Cannon Falls my whole life.
· I’m a dog lover and have had 13 dogs so far - Pepper, Shinner, Punky, Starsky, Ace, Bandit, Scooter, Bo, Trixie, Brutus, Blondie, Annie and Spot. Bob, who I feature in my blog, is my grand dog.
· I started playing sports when I was 4 years old, thanks to Jeroy Carlson and Dad & Mom
· Was involved in jazz band and art (Myron Johnson) and sports (Mac & Hawks)
· Was captain of our track team - had a few school records and kicked a few footballs
· During school I cleaned the Post Office on Saturdays and cleaned and did dishes at the Country Club
· Graduated in 1972 from Cannon
· Married Deb Becksted in 1972’. She had moved here from Edina in 1969. Deb is a nurse and works in the Burn Clinic at Regions Hospital.
· Worked at Point of Sales for a year.
· Our first son, Josh was born the summer of 1973’. He is the Business Manager for the school district and has been a coach for over 10 years.
· August 15th, 1973, I was hired by the school district and started work at the Old Elementary under Elmer Lundell.
· Our second son, Jake was born the summer of 1975’. He was the Payroll Manager for the school district and now does the same thing for Xcel Energy. He is involved in music, playing guitar.
· In the late 70’s, I was president of ‘Small Town Truckers’, the local van club in town.
· In 1980, I moved from the Elementary School to the High School to take the retiring Gust Johnson’s place under Arleigh Berg.
· In 1982, I was named Head Custodian of the High School.
· For four years in the mid 80’s, I was a part-time Police Officer and Captain of the 17 member Police Reserve unit in Cannon Falls, while still working full-time at the school.
· In 1992, I was named District Head of Operations & Maintenance for the school district and was also the Head Custodian for the High School.
· This spring, I was named to be the Construction Coordinator for the school’s remodeling and addition project.
· Over my 35 years with the school district, I’ve been involved with the cleaning, maintenance, operations and changes that have taken place in our buildings ( Vasa, Wastedo, Old Elementary, Bus Garage, High School, New Elementary, Cannon Community Center and the Army Reserve building.

I’ve designed and help design different room changes and the Community Center.
This project has been a long time coming and it’s great to see it happening and being able to be a part of it. There are also other projects that we will be taking care of over the next four years that will give the Cannon Falls school district and our Community, facilities that will take care of all of us for the next twenty years and better.

Reflections ... by Bob

Well, it's the start of another school year and things are really changing quick for me. Not that they need to speed up more, especially when I'm already living 7 years to your one. This school thing is new to me. I got all pumped up about it. Went out and bought me a new 'who let the dogs out' backpack and a blackberry phone, so I could keep connected with my fav five, only to find out I gotta stay home ! So now, I play pretend school during the day when my family is gone and having fun at school and I wait patiently for them to come back home. Sometimes I come out and sit by the garage and watch grass grow, but that's starting to slow down this time of year also. Hey, don't even say it. I'm a sofisticated dog - I use the bathrroom. All and all, Dave tells me that even with all that's happening with the new construction, it's actually going pretty good. The students have been great and have adapted to the changes from day one. There is a ton of work to be completed yet but it will go quick. I can't wait to check out the new auditorium, fieldhouse, etc. I know this guy who knows this guy, so I'm sure I'll get to check things out, especially since he's using my likeness on his update site, and then I can officially get my letter (M) and become a BOMBER and not a BOBER.

Thanks and take care ~

BOB

... And The Beat Goes On

The construction process has been going well ... and that's what it is, is a process. As you can see in some of the pictures I've posted - footings for the new auto shop, construction classroom and receiving area are in and the walls are starting to go up. The current wood and auto shops will change into the wood shop, allowing for more room in that area. Out front, footings have been poured for the main lobby and the west wall of the new band room. Footings for the auditorium and field house will begin next week. As you can also see in posted pictures, that the new HS/MS/Nurse/Guidance office area is progressing. Walls will start getting framed this week. Rerouting of the gas lines and the sanitary sewer will also happen next week. Xcel Energy set new poles and moved their wire last Saturday. Mediacom will move their wire this week and then the old poles will be removed so we can make our last water line tie in and finish installing some valves. The new Alternative Learning Program was able to move into their new classrooms at the Community Center this week. A new sidewalk and stairs will be installed shortly on the north side of the Community Center.

Footings