Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 133 No. 2 Winter 2011-2012 | Page 17

Power House Summer Projects
During the summer months, when most of the staff and students are not on campus, the WSD Power
House staff continues to work on many projects. Usual summer work includes painting and thorough
cleaning and waxing of classrooms, offices and dorm rooms. Repairs and general outdoor maintenance
continues as well including care of the lawns and flower beds. In addition, one project visitors may
notice is the removal of the small stage from the Firebird Center in the dorm. The Firebird Center - FBC
continues to remain a popular social center for students. The removal of the stage allows for another 1520 people to sit and comfortably socialize. Middle school and high school age students use the FBC on a
daily basis and especially enjoy the extra room.
One large project that was completed during the summer of 2011 was the sewer and water repair and
replacement, including an additional water main. Power House Superintendent John Brown explains that
all current large and improved construction projects include a second water main as a standard practice. It
allows the ease of shutting off valves for any repairs. It also allows for the backup in the event of a water
main break. This repair work was obvious all summer, happening along Frank Turk Lane from the Power
House and east to the end of Huff Hall and Robinson Hall. Workmen from Odling Construction, a local
Delavan company, were amazed when they hit an old root cellar. WSD had two root cellars back in the
1930’s that kept many vegetables for the WSD kitchen. One of these root cellars was squeezed between
the power house and kitchen. They were able to continue the new water main line through that area and
into the Power House. In addition to the root cellar, the construction crew expected to hit the old tunnels.
They were able to waterproof, insulate, and repair these tunnels. The tunnels were from remodeling that
occurred in the early 1930’s. There are several large blueprints of the WSD campus from past years on
display in the Power House. John Brown was able to show the workmen the exact location of the root
cellar, the tunnels, and other landmarks of the past by pointing to these displays.
Upon completion of the sewer and water repair and replacement project, new blacktop now covers Frank
Turk Lane, hiding evidence of this summer project. With the new water mains installed and ready, John
Brown is anxious and hopeful for the beginning of the ‘New Building”, projected to begin in May 2012.

Summer 2011
construction project.

One Dark Night….
On one dark night,
There was one small house with a light on
A girl with brown hair
Sat on a green chair
And heard the phone ring
It made her earrings bling
As she answered the phone
Nobody home
She said “nice joke” and then she smelled the smoke
And heard the scary voice
Who did not sound nice
She SCREAMMED…..
And woke up from a bad dream
Anna Dorst
Winter 2012 - 17