Building Permits for the Sewer and Restrooms
The architectural plans for the restroom additions are drawn and have been turned into the Mendocino County Building and Planning Department along with applications for all seven building permits. (The county requires a separate permit for each building.) These permits have been prioritized so that they will do plan checks on the most pressing buildings first.

Our first priority is to do the inside rest rooms of the Loniceras. Because of dry rot and water damage from the current shower room, the floor is being held up by the carpet only. The plan is to repair that restroom and add another interior restroom so that there will be interior rest rooms for each of the interior rooms. The second part of that project is to add the exterior restrooms so that each of the rooms in the Loniceras has their own restroom. Jerry Hetzer has agreed to begin this project on March 7-9, pending the receipt of the building permit.

The second priority is Vanessa. It is the main cabin specifically designed for handicap access. Since we have no cabins with handicap access, this needs to be done as soon as possible.

The third priority is to get Sequoia (one of the dorm cabins) completed. The dorm cabins were the nucleus for the concept of rest rooms in the first place.

The hope is to have a building permit for the Lonicers and the sewer work by the time of our March 17-19 weekend.

Planning Session at Albion March 17-19
We are in the final planning stages for the Friends of Albion weekend at Albion on March 17-19. Please come! Your attendance is important to the weekend's success. How is that so? We need ideas for planning, organization, recruiting, scheduling of projects and general advice. The weekend at Albion is at no monetary cost to you.

At present, our "new" VP for Advancement and Gifts, Pam Sadler and Kellie Lind, her associate, are planning to be with us through Sabbath evening. They are solidly behind this project and want to get acquainted with you. In addition, they will be sharing their vision of Albion and posing some hard questions for which we need answers, to make this project a success. In addition, they want to hear our vision for Albion and be a part of making that vision come true.

During the weekend, I will be reporting on the estimated costs of completing all our projects, indicating the amount of money we have on hand and the new dollars we will need to raise. As we have gotten into the building plans it has become quite plain that a certain amount of the propane and electrical infrastructure will need upgrading. This will add to the over all cost of the project. The good news is that the materials are the only cost we will have to bear. The labor will be done by volunteers.

I am hoping to have individuals lined up, by the time we meet, who can start the excavation for the sewer system portion of the project as well as the leveling of the building pads.

Call Dave Wiebe at Albion (707-937-5440), and let him know that you will be attending the March 17-19 weekend. You can e-mail him as well at albion@puc.edu.

Further Plans for Albion
The engineer is finalizing the engineered drawings for the boat dock this week. As soon as those plans are completed (hopefully the first week of March) I will have this last aspect of of our total project off to the California Coastal Commission (lead agency), California Department of Fish and Game, and Mendocino County Planning Department (they have to approve the actual plans). Following Mendocino County's approval I will then send the project to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Water Quality Control Board and the California State Lands Commission (These three agencies want some indication of local approval). My suspicion is that it will take approximately a year for this to work its way through the public agencies before we have a permit for the boat dock and barn.

What's the Latest with the Field Station?
There is still a bit of cleanup to do. Dave Wiebe and I are planning on having a dumpster available during the week prior to our planning session (March 10-17). I will be there toward the end of that week to fill that dumpster. I am hoping that some of you can join me. Please contact me by e-mail, phone or mail, as indicated at the end of the newsletter.

Through Military Surplus, we have acquired seven 18' Boston Whalers with twin 75 hp motors. All of these will be serviced and made functional in the next few months. After 18 months we will be able to sell five of them and keep two for Albion.

Also through Military Surplus, we have acquired a 30' Boston Whaler. Although it is stripped, we have 150 hp engines that will go on this boat. It is very likely it will be Coast Guard certifiable for more than six passengers. This boat has the potential of being a very practical ocean boat for us.

We will have about $1,600 each in the Boston Whalers by the time we get them to campus. We could have sold at least two of them (18') for $10,000 as is. From this, we think we can have three "new" boats for Albion for "nothing" by the time all this turns around.

The Surf Rescue Boat (SRB) that we acquired several years ago is currently on the market for $26,000. We hope to sell it soon. It is 30 feet long with a 350 hp detroit diesel engine. If you know of a person who would like to buy it send him/her my way. We will consider offers!

It is our hope to have a couple of the 18' Whalers at Albion by the time of our planning weekend in March.

Future Events at Albion
Below are some events happening at Albion in which you might like to participate. If you would like to make a reservation, e-mail Dave Wiebe at albion@puc.edu, call him at 707-937-5440 or write to him at Albion Field Station, P.O. Box 86, Albion, CA 95410.

Whale Watching Adventure - March 3-5, 2006. Come watch the California Gray Whales as they migrate along the Mendocino Coast. Non-Credit

Bird Watching Spring-Time Adventure - May 26-29, 2006. Spring Bird Watching Memorial Weekend on the Mendocino Coast. Non-Credit Workshop

Painting Classes: Art 131 and Art 151 - June 18-30, 2006. Water color, oil and acrylic painting classes. 2 Hrs. Credit.

Outdoor Education: EDUC 449 - July 10-14, 2006. Come stay on the Mendocino Coast and plan your science camp under the guidance of Dan Wyrick, Nature By Design Director. 2 Hrs. Credit

North Coast Natural History: EDUC 450 - July 10-14, 2006. Learn about the Natural History you experience in Outdoor Education. 2 Hrs. Credit

Digital Photography: Art 100 - July 10-14, 2006. Enjoy digital photography while learning the principles of art that make prize winning photographs. 2 Hrs. Credit

Presentations - July 10-14, 2006. Learn presentation programs like PowerPoint and other free presentation programs. Bring your class presentations into the 21st Century with automated class presentations and notes. Credit Pending

Bird Watching Fall Migration Adventure - September 29 - October 2, 2006. Bird watching on the Pacific Migratory Flyway and enjoy Fall on the Mendocino Coast too! Non-Credit

Subscribe to this Newsletter
This edition of the newsletter is being widely circulated to both those on our mailing list and those not on our mailing list. We hope to keep you informed and want to have you on our e-mail/mailing list. If you would like to receive this newsletter on a regular basis please send an e-mail to me (gmuth@puc.edu) or follow the link below. I will put you on the list. If you don't have e-mail but would like to get a copy mailed to you send the information to me at the address listed below or call me at the number listed below.

You will also note that there is a website for the building project at Albion. Follow the link below. This same information as well as previous Friends of Albion Newsletters will be available there.

Donations
It will take more money than we currently have to complete the restroom project and the boat dock-boat barn project. We have about $200,000 toward all this and at this point it looks like we will need approximately $500,000 more (these figures will be refined by the time we get to the Albion weekend). If you would like to donate, send your donations to Advancement Office, Attn. Betty Price, Pacific Union College, One Angwin Ave, Angwin, CA 94508., and indicate which project the money is for.

You can donate to either the "restroom" project or the "land" project. The restroom project will be for the building of the restrooms and the associated infrastructure upgrade like the sewer, propane and electrical. The "land" project is for paying off the rest of the land acquisition (recent land purchase of the up-river lagoon) and the rebuilding of the boat barn.

So, when you send your gift, mark it RESTROOM or LAND. This will get it to the correct fund.

Newsletter Written and Edited by Gilbert Muth, 305 Sky Oaks Drive, Angwin, CA 94508 (707) 965-2607

To subscribe/unsubscribe, e-mail gmuth@puc.edu.
Send all feedback and correspondence to gmuth@puc.edu.
Albion Building Project News http://web2.puc.edu/Albion/Albion_2008/Newsletters.html

© Copyright 2005 >Albion Field Station.