Storm downs trees at Big Bend's campus
A total of eight trees at Big Bend Community College were blown down by Sunday's storm, including this one in front of the school's Learning Center/Childcare Building.
MOSES LAKE - The thunderstorm that rolled through town Sunday night discombobulated some construction work underway on the Big Bend Community College campus, and knocked down eight trees, according to college officials.
One of them, outside the child care center, blocked the playground and the backstop at the women's softball diamond was damaged by another tree.
The administration building's roof is being replaced, a project that's still ongoing, Doug Sly, BBCC public information officer, said. "During the storm we got a little water damage downstairs," Sly said. The leak damaged ceilings and offices, some of which had just been remodeled, he said.
The new roof is one of the maintenance projects on campus, mostly wrapping up as students return to class next week. The biggest project of the summer was the installation of new lighting around the campus, inside and outside.
Every building got "new and improved outdoor lighting," Sly said, and many classrooms got new lights. The project cost $947,335, Gail Hamburg, the college's financial officer, said. It's being paid for by $472,032 grant from the state Department of Commerce, $63,462 in incentives from the Grant County PUD, $200,000 from the college and $211,841 from other sources.
"There's a really big difference at night when you come on campus," Hamburg said.
Designers did a "night audit," going out after the sun went down and looking around for the dark spots on campus, Hamburg said. They also looked at classrooms; all technical and professional classrooms and shops, except the aviation program, got new interior lights in at least some classrooms, she said.
The BBCC campus is built on the bones of the old Larson Air Force Base, which wasn't designed with concepts like night classes in mind, Sly said. College officials have been looking for ways to address that, he said.
College officials also are working on expanding the security camera networks, Sly said.
Recently additional cameras were installed at the dorms and the nearby bus stop, he said.
"They're so good you can read license plates," he said.