The Shape of Things to Come (Walls)

Things are literally beginning to take shape at the Willow Grove branch site. Throughout this post, you'll see pictures of bare rebar sticking out of the ground, marking the places where walls eventually will stand.

The corner you see in the photo on the right marks the left corner of the building as viewed from Davisville Road.

While it may be raining cats and dogs today, the weather last week was perfect for the next stage of the process. Lightweight, pre-fabricated forms were delivered, then erected around the rebar frame.

Once the form is in place, concrete will be poured inside it, surrounding the rebar, which serves to reinforce the walls.

The white forms represent what will be the back of the new facility, which faces the road. You'll enter the parking lot from the left side of the rear of the building, then park on the side that isn't visible from the road.

Thusly, the front entrance of the building actually is in the rear of the lot, on the same side as the railroad tracks that occasionally make their way into the pictures.

Here's another shot of the concrete form from the other end of the lot. Part of the wall created here will be under the ground, forming one wall of the building's lowest floor.

Have a question about the Willow Grove construction project? Let us know in the comments below and we'll do our best to answer it.

Elevators, jacks and pylons, on my!

Exciting stuff happened at the site of the Willow Grove branch just after the first of the year. The big trailer you see to your right was pulled onto the lot in order to lay the groundwork for a piece of the construction process that won't happen for a few months.

Any guesses? In case the subject of today's post didn't give it away, this jack drilled a solid metal pylon straight into the ground. Thirty-eight feet straight into the ground to be precise.

When it's installed a few months from now, the weight of the elevator machinery will rest on top of this pylon.

Just a reminder, you can see larger versions of each of these images by clicking on them.

Settlement's 2009 Nutcracker Performance from a Parent's Perspective

I was a student in Olga Blumenkrantz's first class of ballet students at the Kardon-Northeast Branch about thirty years ago. I had taken nine years of ballet with Olga. In 1983, my class and I performed at the Academy of Music honoring Settlement Music School's 75th year. I can remember getting ready in the dressing room. I still have a framed program from 1986, when Robert Capanna was the Branch Director for the Kardon-Northeast Branch. Countless hours went into practicing ballet in order to achieve the prize of wearing toe shoes. After that, the goal switched to earning a solo, toe-shoe performance.

On December 22, 2009, I watched the annual version of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Olga Blumenkrantz. The festive decorations, Christmas tree, and brilliant lights transformed the stage. The performance was enhanced for me because my daughter, Ava, played the role of the Nutcracker. The most magical part for me came when my nine-year-old daughter, Chloe, danced the part of Clara wearing my toe shoes. To me, Chloe floated across the stage more gracefully than any professional I'd seen.

The audience, along with my husband, in-laws, aunt, uncle, and nieces enjoyed a wonderful, dynamic performance of The Nutcracker. Through my tears, I witnessed memories flooding back and experienced the passing of a beloved talent to the next generation with the help of Settlement Music School and the dedication of the Kardon-Northeast Branch founding ballet instructor, Olga.

My memories at SMS and recent experiences compelled me to join as a member of the Board of Directors. I wanted to give back something to an organization that had given me so much. Prior to joining the board, I knew the office personnel and my daughters' teachers. Now, I have the opportunity to engage with other parents, faculty and students by attending performance hours, recitals, and board meetings.

I wanted to share my story with other parents who are trying to give opportunities to their children and yet ask themselves, "Is it worth it?" Is it worth the drive? Is it worth the money? Is it worth the effort? I can tell you that, as a former ballet student and mother of current ballet and violin students, it is. They will carry the experience with them always, just as I do.

Julia C. Roberts
Settlement Parent
Kardon-Northeast Branch Board Member

Willow Grove Construction Over the Holidays

As you can see from the photos on this post, real work on the Willow Grove project started in earnest in December.

Once the construction vehicles arrived, the first goal on site involved clearing some trees from the sides and back of the lot.

Following that, workers began clearing and grading the land in preparation for drainage installation.



Despite the surprise that was the pre-Christmas nor'easter, the drainage pipes were delivered. Further photos to come as work progresses. Be sure to visit the blog regularly for updates.

Settlement's Willow Grove Project Begins!

Welcome back to Settlement's blog! One of our resolutions for 2010? More updates, more regularly.

We'll start with the progress on the Settlement's Willow Grove project. A reminder: the new branch replaces and doubles the capacity of the Jenkintown Branch, which currently is housed in a leased facility.

To give you a clear idea of where we started, the photo on the right shows what the lot looked like less than two months ago.

If you haven't been to the lot recently, then you missed the excellent sign that our builder, TN Ward, built for the site just before construction started. As with any image on the blog, just click for a larger version. Shortly after the sign went up, a trailer and portable restroom were installed on the property, a sure sign the construction was about to begin.

In the second of today's posts, we'll share what happened at the construction site over the recent holidays.