In addition to its ceremonial use, Courtroom No. 1 has been an active, working courtroom. It's where "Calls of the List" are commonly held. That's where which lawyers signal their readiness for a trial or hearing. Judge Leonard Zito routinely arraigns hundreds of criminal defendants monthly. It's where monthly herds of Defendants seeking A.R.D, a special program for first offenders, are corralled. But for the time being, Courtroom No.1 is closed for business.
The doors have been locked because mold has been discovered near the ventilation system.
Executive Lamont McClure said testing reveals that mold levels are a bit higher than they should be, and has decided to remediate it before it gets worse He said he's working to have the situation addressed as quickly as possible, consistent with the Administrative Code. In the meantime, other courtrooms are being used.
According to the National Institute of Health, mold usually poses no health risks to healthy humans. But some people experience nasal and sinus congestion, eye irritation, blurred vision, a sore throat, chronic cough or skin rash.
17 comments:
We've heard people have the same symptoms when they sit near O'Hare!
Now take care of the employee's ridiculously low salaries. Not with just a step increase but with a salary study and actually pay that amount stated by the study. Otherwise you are continuing to do an injustice to the actual people making the courthouse run effectively.
This article brings back memories of working in the County's Wolf Building before its conversion to apartments. The basement was a dank, mold-filled place. Secretaries had the distasteful task of going down there to find stored case files. I wonder if the new owners were successful in addressing that area? Mold was also a problem in the offices from leaking roof and plumbing fixtures. Then again the Farr Building in Bethlehem was also a real treat. The landlord threw up cheap plywood walls and ran extension cords under carpets throughout the building to address electrical needs. Or the basement of the Sear's Building. The building's fire alarm could not be heard in the basement and staff bought a large horn alarm to help alert all the multiple offices that evacuation was needed. The world could have ended and we would not have known. In event of fire the elevators would have been off limits and handicapped clients would have needed to be carried up a narrow stairway. Every couple years, when administrations changed, a favored landlord of the new administration would move the social services offices to a new building. What memories!
CR 1 was completely renovated when the historic courthouse was restored 10 years ago. Wonder what is causing the mold?
I'm no expert, but since it is near the ventilation, my guess is that indoor condensation caused it.
That poor old geezer baked Ziti should be careful mold is very dangerous to octogenarians.
"Walk Away" = Tricia Mezzacappa, which is what most people do when they see her. You can see her above, insulting Judge Zito. Not particularly smart on her part. As usual.
Her moniker should be WWWE. Wicked Witch of West Easton.
Just another example of the difficulty the County has in maintaining an active " on top of it " maintenance program and why the Human Services building was leased .It doesn`t have the person power or expertise in house to anticipate much less stay on schedule with various projects.
The Human Services building lease was written by and for the owner. The county does all maintence.
Correct. But Public Works should have scheduled inspections and maintenance so that mold does not get to the point where it requires remediation.
Bitch, bitch, bitch. With guaranteed pay and benefits it is all county workers ever do. God give us all a rest. Try working in the real world.
Rank and file maintenance workers, and for that matter their supervisors show little or no initiative on the job. They just complain about insignificant health issues, like the overblown asbestos scare years ago.
2:29, it’sa Triple net lease, and in triple net leases, tenant pays maintenance. This lease also includes a purchase option after five years, and that is what the county will do. I have written a post about this, and this is a good deal for the county, which did not have to float a bond for the construction. It’s a goid deal for the people who work there, and a good deal for the 80,000 residents served. No morebat guano or lead paint.
3:25, as chair of the capital committee, Hayden Phillips was really on top of this the past four years. So was Bob Werner. But yes, the county has historically done a lousy job taking care of things. Needed repairs or inspections would often be delayed or forgotten. I think all of our Public Works Directors have been excellent, but we have numerous facilities.
"Bitch, bitch, bitch. With guaranteed pay and benefits it is all county workers ever do. God give us all a rest. Try working in the real world."
Before this comment was posted, I did not see a single comment from a county employee bitching about anything. The only person bitching is you. You likely do that in the "real world," too, which explains why you never last anywhere.
"Rank and file maintenance workers, and for that matter their supervisors show little or no initiative on the job."
I see them every day, and they impress me as both knowledgeable and dedicated. The county would not function long without them.
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