West Bowdoin Baptist Church

Recent Building Progress as Shared in 2009 Annual Report

Excerpts from Annual Meeting Report

    We have accomplished much this year, but per usual, it is less than what we would like to have accomplished. During the past year, we have installed the room partitions, strapped the ceiling, installed 6" of insulation in the ceiling, completed the rough electrical wiring on the first floor, installed the recessed light fixtures on the first floor, and started installation of the fire alarm system and part of the sprinkler system, both on the main floor of the addition. We have gotten the bricks installed on the new side entrance and installed a chair lift for those who have difficulty climbing up and down the stairs to the existing bathrooms.

We have on hand the materials to do the new 200 amp electrical service; the wiring, boxes and light fixtures for the rough wiring of the basement level; the needed supplies for the fire alarm system and sprinkler piping to complete the main floor level; and the studs to do the partitions needed in the basement.

While installing the emergency lights and some of the fire alarm components in the Church sanctuary, it was discovered that the ceiling is sagging more than it should and more than it can if we are to add additional insulation to that ceiling. I have sent the details and data concerning the existing design and load on the ceiling structural components to Aroostook Truss Company for them to analyze with their truss software. They designed and built our current floor and roof trusses for the addition. We also need to do a survey of how much the ceiling is sagging and find exactly where, so that we can then fix it.

Very soon we will be installing the drainage and water supply piping for the new bathrooms. Obviously, we can't use them in cold weather until we also have the heating ducts installed. We will, however, proceed hoping that by fall, and the return of cold weather for next year, that we will have installed those heat ducts. Once it is a little warmer, we will also start work on the new 200 amp electrical service. As stated, we have the needed materials. We have to cut a 4" diameter hole through the bricks on the front of the Vestry and bore a 4" hole through the Church sill, between the Vestry and Church, for the power cable to route through. That requires working in the crawl space under the Vestry and a little warmer weather will help a great deal.

The winter's cold weather is not going to stop us but daily temperatures below freezing definitely slow us down. Therefore, waiting a short time for it to warm up a little will be the best approach at this time.

It has been my intention to get as much donated labor as possible, but there are some tasks which we can't do and have no volunteer source for. That was the case with the brick masonry work. This was one area where we had to pay for labor to get it accomplished, just as we did to construct the building shell. Another are we will be paying experts tp dp, and hopefilly be accomplished this coming year, is the drywall installation and patching.

The financial report can be found in the printed Annual Reports.

Norris Dwyer, Build Committee Chairman.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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