Over Christmas break multiple repairs were completed on campus, and now that students are back in class, they are benefiting from that work. 

“New LED lighting were installed in the Welch Activity Center due to (some) very generous donations. Some cosmetic work on some interior walls were scheduled,” Vice President of Operations Mr. Jim McLinn ’70, wrote in an email.

The new lighting in the WAC will benefit the school in several ways. “The lights in the WAC (were) replaced with new dimmable LED lighting. This will increase the longevity of light fixtures, while providing a more energy efficient, less costly lighting,” McLinn said.

McLinn said, “The new LED lighting in the (WAC) could result in a 25 percent less electrical use versus the replaced halogen bulbs. The life expectancy of the replaced halogen bulbs was five to seven years. The life expectancy of the LED could be unlimited, with a minimum of 25 years. The LED lighting increases the brightness of the light by times that
of halogen bulbs.”

A donor provided the funds to purchase these lights. “The lighting fixtures were provided free of charge to the school by Mr. Dave McDowell ‘75 from Techlite Inc. The electrical work was provided free of charge to the school by Andrea and Mike Webster from Freije-RSC Engineering Solutions,” McLinn said.

Maintenance took place during the vacation in order for the crew to work and not distract classes. McLinn said, “Over Christmas break from a maintenance standpoint, the maintenance crew fix or repair situations that would to wait until school is not in session for a longer span of days. Breaks such as fall break, Christmas break, spring break and summer break are used so as not to interfere with classes.”

Preparing for the maintenance over break requires a great deal of work and commitment and is organized far ahead of time in order to align with the calendar. McLinn said, “(We planned) a year in advance with an ongoing three years out prioritized planning process, which is directly linked to overall school budgeting process.”

Executive Management Services maintenance as well as other groups organized the repairs and work Christmas break. McLinn said, “The EMS maintenance staff (worked) on campus and outside vendors were involved in the maintenance planning.”

McLinn encourages students as well as families to show courtesy for the campus and to help keep the facility in top condition. He said, “I would hope that all Cathedral family members could develop a sense of pride and respect for our campus and facilities and pitch in to help keep it clean and functioning properly.”