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University Daily Kansan, December 7, 1981
Walling in, walling out Unlike Rome, Penn House was built in a daw
By JOE REBEIN Staff Reporter
The crew from "That's Incredible" wasn't there, but the event could easily have fit into their television program.
In only nine hours and 15 minutes, 285 rambunctious construction workers built a 3,400 square foot building that included a kitchen inside and a landcased lawn.
It was all part of a volunteer effort by local contractors to donate time and materials to build new quarters for the school. S1., St. A, a neighborhood assistance center.
"It looks to be a world record for this type of structure," said Bob Moore, a local contractor and a member of Penn House's advisory board.
Moore organized the event after he read about a house in a trade magazine that had been built in 7½ hours.
"Don't ask me to do it again," Moore said with a laugh. "Once is enough."
A BULLDOZER demolished in less
than half an hour Penn House's old two-story house; Penn House had used it since it was started 13 years ago as a social agency for mothers on welfare.
Since that time, Moore and others have been organizing the effort to build the agency's new building.
The concrete pad for the building and adjoining parking lot and driveway were completed Friday afternoon. But a rural work began at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
The workers massed in the street in front of the site until MOore, standing high atop the area on a metal platform, gave the go-ahead with a bullhorn.
"Let's get it on,"he yelled.
The workers hesitated and then ran to assigned positions to start the frezzied job that ended six hours later.
Whap, whap, whap! Almost 200 hammers exploded as thousands of nails were pounded into the structure.
Within 15 minutes the exterior walls of the building were standing and two large cranes were lowering the rafters into place.
A volunteer worker does some gardening while roofers attach the last few shingles above.
THIRTY-FIVE men scale the walls and began to finish the roof.
"Just suck it up here," yelled a bearded worker as a truss set.
"Need any help up there, Bob?" asked a man from the ground.
"Are you kidding?" he answered as he pointed to the swarm of men on the roof.
Down below, Moore and Robert Sarna organizational director for the project, were directing different crews onto the site.
Sarna said 13 teams, from plumbers to roofers to electricians, were used to build the project.
He used a walkie-talkie to give directions to two men who were blocking off Pennsylvania Street to allow construction of the construction site.
"Don't be surprised how quickly this building is going up," Sarna said as he motioned a pickup truck to stop blocking the driveway.
Even though Sarna wasn't surprised, the swarm of spectators were awed by the effort.
An area had been roped off for spectators, but most of them moved nearer the building to watch the action.
BY 10:30 A.M. the shinglers were already on the roof. Inside, wood paneling was nailed into place and the heating and cooling systems were installed.
"It's amazing to see this pulled off," said Stephen Fawcett, director of Penn House's advisory board. "It's a modern barn-raising, but this time they have a clock to beat and the competition between each other."
Outside, a mammoth yellow builder was showing fill dirt around the building. Once that was done, green sod was laid on the ground and a small evergreen, complete with Christmas lights, was planted in the front lawn.
As each job was completed, more and more people gathered on the freshly sadded front lawn to watch the finishing touches.
Slowly the hammering and sawing subsided. Finally, the carpet was installed, the windows shined and the interior trim was done.
When the clock was stopped, nine hours and 15 minutes had elapsed.
Robert Billings, a member of the Penn House advisory board, gave Ocken Miller, a founder of Penn House, a three-foot key to the manager, a three-foot key to the building.
"We are really pleased that the building industry and others could take part in something very special for our town." Billinas told the crowd.
"Forty-eight hours ago, this was just a bare lot, and now we have a new building." he said.
NICHOLS SAID that the organization would not move into the building until the first of the year. Between now and that time, the concrete will have a roof to cure. Meanwhile, the organization will finish its Christmas services.
"Until now, I couldn't believe they could do it," she said as she walked through the building. "I don't know if we should until the first of the year to move in!"
As the crowd moved away from the building site and to their cars, many couldn't resist a last look at the house that hadn't been there the night before.
in only nine hours and 15 minutes, 385 construction workers built the new quarters for Penn House,$35 Pennsylvania St. The building, which included a completed kitchen and a landscaped lawn, was an effort by local contractors who donated their time.
Holidays aren't always filled with gɒd cheer
By JoLYNNE WALZ Staff Reporter
'Tis a time for good cheer, but many people find that it'a a time for sadness,
"But you have to distinguish between sadness and depression," Donald Goodwin, chairman of the University of Kansas Medical Center psychiatry department, said. "If a person is not able to handle the sadness, there's a chance there's something more than the season involved."
Actually, hospitals admit fewer depression patients during the holiday season than during the rest of the year, avoid, and the suicide rate does not go up.
"I think there's a lot of sadness on Christmas," he said. "People expect to be hit by the rain."
That kind of sadness is normal, though, he said, and many people actually enjoy the bittersweet feeling.
Christmas is a time linked with childhood memories, he said, and many people tend to forget the bad parts of childhood and remember only the good parts. They remember how it was when mom and dad were alive, and all the kids were gathered around the Christmas tree.
"The most exciting time is the three weeks before Christmas, and it goes downhill from there," he said.
Goodwin sd. they can also make people sad because of all the commercialism
Although the shopping and preparations could be exciting.
"There's something sad when you don't afford to give your children the things that bother children seem to be buying. You can see in the catalogs ancient windows."
"Emergency room workers, nurses and interi who have to work on Christmasmas be more impressed by sadness, sh as seeing elderly people in the emergency room all alone on Christmas," he said.
Althoughoodwn denied that more depressed ople were admitted to the hospital dung Christmas, he said that why people might think there were
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