April 2020

Remove and Replace Polycarbonate Skylight

Project Manager Curtis Russell led a project at the Blocker Building to remove and replace an existing skylight system that had hail storm damage.  Replacement included demolition of the existing and installation of new frame and panels.

ADA Accessible Parking

Project Manager Nevin Brown’s project was to provide ADA accessible parking for Nagle Hall, Hart Hall and Psychology. The grading of the lot and sidewalks was changed to provide drainage away from Psychology.

Replace all the Hydronic Piping in the Psychology Building

After many pre-construction planning meetings with the Client, Contractor and SSC the plan was in place to be led by Project Manager Jim Uehlin. From December 13th, 2019  to January 2, 2020 the entire building was shut down/off limits to all Building occupants. Dynamic Systems, Inc.(Mechanical Contractor) had three weeks to demo the existing Hydronic Piping and install new pipe on Levels 2, 3 & 4 along with new Building Controls. It was a great undertaking! DSI worked (6) ten hour shifts with 25 to 30 personnel working those shifts……they ended up working Sundays as well in order to finish on time.

We reinstalled the ceilings that were demo’d after the new pipe was installed, put everything back in order along with a Final Clean by 8:00 am on January 2, 2020 before the occupants returned to work. Our mantra was: “As if it never happened”

It was a true Team Effort!! Many thanks go to Dr. Hether Lench, DSI, Marek Bros., Siemens and Bill Cox.

John Hernandez, Jr.  a Lead Custodian who works at the Beutel Health Center on campus is wearing the proper PPE which includes gloves, a masks, goggles and a gown while cleaning and disinfecting special rooms where patients with Coronavirus concerns will be received.

John is a veteran employee expected to retire in April of 2020 after 23 years of combined dedicated service to Texas A&M and SSC custodial. He previously retired from the City of Bryan and looks forward to reaping some of the benefits of his hard work by spending time with his wife, grand-kids and traveling.

John has already trained his successor as well as the other custodial employees at Beutel so he knows that he is leaving everyone in good hands.

“Thank You” John for being the example of excellence by providing top quality service to all during your custodial journey. 

Good luck with all of your endeavors and on your retirement.

We love you and we will miss you.

The horticulture and the arboriculture department collaborated together during the spring break period at Texas A&M University to provide the MSC landscape with maintenance that will extend the life of the trees around the MSC and Rudder buildings.  Before the project took place, we could see the trees needed: dead wood cut out, tree rings expanded, and their roots to be air spaded. Cutting dead wood out of tree are important for their health because we are removing places of the tree that are dead and are decaying.  If there are places on trees that are dead and decaying, it’s vital to remove because it opens the opportunity for disease and pests to enter the tree.  Also, removing dead wood open the opportunity for the tree to send nutrients and focus on the living tissue that the tree has.  When we cut dead wood, we either climb the trees or we use our bucket truck to weave through the canopy of the tree.

Expanding tree rings will improve tree health because we are creating open space for the tree feeder roots.  The feeder roots of a tree aren’t above the ground of course, but they can be anywhere in a 24 to 36 inch zone right beneath the surface of the ground.  Generally, the feeder roots extend just past the tree canopy and the canopy is the term used to describe the top portion of the tree.  Tree rings are commonly added around the base of trees.  Some people might think that it is just for looks but the real reason is so that there is nothing growing throughout the canopy of the tree and mulch is just used to cover bare soil to make is look nice and the mulch also decomposes and adds nutrients.  One major example for the use of a tree ring is so that mowers don’t have to mow and drive over the top of the feeder roots of a tree.  Driving over the feeder roots of any tree will decline the health of trees. Another reason is for us to be able to provide maintenance to the tree roots without damaging grass or landscape.  Expanding tree rings around the MSC was beneficial for tree health but it was also much work for us.  We wanted to cut out the rings cleanly by using a sod cutter and we cut enough sod out around each tree.  This process of cutting sod was the most time consuming of all the factors that went into our project for tree health.

Lastly, we air spaded the soil around the feeder roots of the tree.  The overall purpose of air spading tree root is to aerate the soil and to relieve compaction.  Air spading tree roots is a common practice in arboriculture in areas like Brazos County due to the soil type that we have, which is primarily clay and sandy loam.  The process of air spading is messy because we are blowing compressed air into the ground and creating trenches and we air spade throughout the canopy of the tree and we also add organics in the process to add nutrients to the soil.

submitted by Neil Fletcher

There are many tools and resources available to support your physical, mental and emotional well-being during this time of distancing and uncertainty. We encourage you and your family members to take advantage of these options while you navigate this unprecedented experience. Caring for yourself will be the foundation that allows you to better care for others, so that we can all emerge happy, healthy and safe in the future.

Medical Help

•    Teladoc: If at any time you believe that you have symptoms of the Coronavirus or have questions about it, Teladoc doctors are available 24/7 for all associates through the end of May 2020. Simply download the app to register or visit www.teladoc.com and click “set up account”. Prefer to call? Call 1-800-TELADOC (835-2362). Consultations are provided at no cost if you are enrolled in an eligible Compass Group medical plan and $49/visit for those not enrolled in a Compass Group medical plan.

Mental Health & Energy Support

•    EAP/Health Advocate program: An emotional support hotline is available to all associates and their family members. It is free, confidential, and available 24/7 – simply call 866-342-6892.

•    Substance Abuse Support is available 24/7 to answer your questions related to your personal health, care for a family member, coverage, cost of care, and more. Simply call anytime, day or night: 1-855-780-5955.

•    Sanvello: On-demand help with stress, anxiety and depression.

•    Sleepio: Sleepio is a 6-week online program that can help you to rebuild a healthy sleep pattern and address even the most stubborn sleep problems.

•    Daylight App: Helps you cope with all the feelings of worry and anxiety.

CUSTODIAL NEW ASSOCIATES

Macarena Arguello

JaCorey Brooks

Tammy Brunkenhoefer

Ariel Burney

Willie Copeland

Sarah Davis

Vanessa Garcia

Essence Gilmore

Chad Glover

Stacey Green

Jamarcus Jefferson

Exzavion Jenkins

Yulonda Jones

Shawn Lange

Victoria Lopez

Joann Mason

Jessie Resendez

Lori Sims

Jennifer Skinner

Janet Tarver

Tariq Thompson

Nichol Torres

Sandra Wilson

Jerry Workman

Kevin Yeomans

EDCS

David Adame

Tim Pyrtle

GROUNDS NEW ASSOCIATES

Alex Bregenzer

Douglas Hopkins

Preston Hornung

Jesus Robles, III

MAINTENANCE NEW ASSOCIATES

Megan Garcia

Jose Guevara

Christina Hargrave

Lauren Imbriano

Dylan Mathis

John Petty

Isabel Wormington

Custodial

Myrna Agramonte

Maria G. Alvarado

TreMelia Ellis

Linda Martinez

Tetyana Syvyk

Billie Workman

Grounds

Corey Fillip

Gloster Cooks

Jose Martinez

Maintenance

Julio Lapensee

Thomas Ray

Fernando Lopez