November 1, 2017 | Allen Van Driel, CEO
Here we are – the first of November. The days are getting noticeably shorter. Daylight Savings Time will be ending. (Will we ever decide to quit messing with time changes twice a year and just leave the clocks alone to match with the natural changes in length of days?) We’ve been treated to another gorgeous display of colors as the leaves on the trees change colors and drop off. Fall harvest is winding down, after getting a slow start because of weather delays. So with cooler nights and shorter days comes the feeling (for some, anyway) of wanting to hibernate for the winter.
Fortunately, that doesn’t apply to all. Included in those who won’t hibernate are the workers building the new Smith County Memorial Hospital. Timing of the project is such, however, that we’re in the final stages of getting the building closed in so that temporary heat can be turned on in the building. That will allow the workers to continue working through the colder months and keep us on track for completion of the project late next summer. We are blessed that the project has stayed on schedule, which puts us exactly where we needed to be before the really cold weather gets here. This is largely thanks to the efforts of our excellent Construction Managers, Hutton Construction. They continue to do an excellent job of coordinating the work by many subcontractors and keeping details straight so that there are no conflicts between the different tradesmen working on the project. Many of you have enjoyed keeping up-to-date by watching the periodic “flyover” videos produced by Doug Armknecht. As we get the building closed in, less progress will be visible from the drone, so we’ll have to come up with new ways to update the project status and progress. Please continue to watch our website www.scmhks.org to see the latest progress.
Last month I mentioned that the annual SCMH Employee Fundraiser was coming up. That was part of a discussion about the strong support we receive from the community. This year is no exception. The Employee Fundraiser generated more than $25,000 in proceeds. These funds will be used in the purchase of furniture and fixtures for the new hospital. We are extremely grateful to the community. Just one more thing to be grateful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving later this month. We truly have much to be grateful for.