Historic Mechanism Sings Like New!

ROCHESTER—
The most spectacular show at the Rochester Opera House is back in production. The severely damaged auditorium floor raising and leveling mechanism is again ready to take center stage, thanks to the dedication and technical expertise of George Allen, son Don, and the Oasis Alignment Services team, led by Regional Manager Bruce Littlefield. The historic mechanism, invented and incorporated into the Rochester Opera House/City Hall building by George Gilman Adams in 1908, is the only one of its kind remaining today.
During restoration in 1996 Mayor Harvey Bernier called upon OASIS founder, engineer and inventor, George Allen, to attempt the monumental restoration of the quirky mechanism, left for decades, frozen in the up position. Allen led his volunteer OASIS team, including Bruce Littlefield, in unlocking the forgotten secrets and in exacting a historically accurate repair. Why did George Allen take on such a daunting task that, in the end, required sixty hours per week and three years to complete? “It was a labor of love”, explained Mr. Allen.
As it sometimes happens, history repeats itself. The historic moveable auditorium floor mechanism, sustained seemingly irreparable damage in October 2007. Broken gears, twisted rods and compromised bearings…déjà vu, but a lot worse this time.
George Allen and son, Don, assessed the extensive damage at great length. They concluded that a historically accurate mechanism repair would demand complete removal and off site testing. Such a plan would be cost prohibitive. The idea of losing the ingenious system born in architect George Gilman Adams’ imagination was unthinkable, but the show must go on. The Allens devised alternative fixes including hydraulics or several small motors to lift and lower the floor in lieu of the original mechanism.
At some point during this tortuous process, Don Allen reported the astounding news that a portable magnaflux testing system could be brought on site to determine damage, which meant that an historically accurate fix was possible! George Allen and his skilled and dedicated team produced the first miracle repair during restoration. Without question, only OASIS, intimately familiar with every gear, rod, screw and intricacy of the hundred-year-old mechanism, would be trusted to produce a second miracle. But would they accept the challenge?
The answer from Regional Manager Bruce Littlefield, delivered with fervent emotion, “I could not imagine letting the last moveable floor of its kind die, especially with all the work the volunteers had put into the renovations of this historically valuable treasure, here in our own town. I knew it would take a lot of work, but I had the team that could fix it right!”
And, indeed, it did take a lot of work and the team did fix it right…so right that the old mechanism sings like new.
On Sept. 8, 2009 the OASIS team began the laborious job of disassembling damaged gears, bearings and rods. Team member Jay Jordan, fascinated by the hundred year old, yet well engineered mechanism, said of the laborious effort, “It was a miserable pleasure to work on.” Working in an extremely small crawlspace under the floor undoubtedly required ingenuity, evidenced by the employment of one quite unconventional tool…the skateboard. Both Jay Jordan and Jeff Copp, in turn and lying prone, rode the skateboard down a twelve inch board to reach damaged gear #7, tucked in at the farthest point of entry. Once retrieved, the gear rode the skateboard back. The team then loaded the priceless cargo into their van for transport to their Oasis shop for repair.
The team returned to the Rochester Opera House during the week of Sept. 28, 2009 to install the century-old, but good-as-new gears, rods and bearings. The far from state-of-the-art original motor and stop/start switch, treasures not to be tossed aside, were painstakingly restored and returned on Jan. 4, 2010 to, again, assume their unique role…to power “The Last Moving Floor in Action.”
On Jan. 6, 2010, Bruce Littlefield and Anthony Ejarque flipped the switch that begins the forty-five minute floor leveling process. The century-old mechanism whipped into action. “I’ve never seen it run this smoothly,” said Ejarque.
A historically accurate repair of a one-hundred-year-old, one-of-a-kind-mechanism unquestionably required an extra measure of expertise, creativity, patience and commitment. Adding special care at every step of the way, the OASIS team toiled many long hours through a grueling process from beginning to end. The community of Rochester is fortunate to posses this historic, cultural, educational and economic treasure and we are grateful for the Herculean efforts of Oasis Alignment Services, who, by their efforts, ensured that the “Last Moving Floor in Action” at the Rochester Opera House is preserved for the generations.
Photo caption: Jay Jordan was one of the people working on the massive renovation project at Rochester Opera House. (Courtesy photo)

C’est si bon!

By Chip Schrader
Book Review Editor
Peter Mayle’s latest novel, The Vintage Caper, carries on the French themes and settings he wove into literary gold with A Year in Provence in 1989. With locales stretching from Los Angeles to the French Riviera, Mayle’s eye for beauty, and the tastes of the world’s most exotic wines, this novel is easily categorized amongst the world’s finest art.
This time, the novel begins in a Los Angeles wine cellar belonging to a wine collector named Danny Roth, who lives up to his post as an entertainment lawyer with his cantankerous and materialistic personality. As he commissions the Los Angeles Times to cover his three million dollar Bordeaux collection, of which many connoisseurs might insist he only understands the monetary value, he insists this story will bring him the attention and respect amongst elites that he so desires.
Needless to say, he comes home to a vanished wine vault. Investigators find security of his cellar was shameful, the methodology of the heist ingenious (including an ambulance that enters the gated community to cart the wine out without incidence), and Roth’s lack of poise annoying. Insurance claim agent Elena Morales has neither the patience nor the expertise to wrangle with Roth’s case, so she taps an old friend, Sam Levitt, to take the case.
Levitt, an appreciator of the finest wines and women, particularly French for both, is an investigator with a past. Even with his unsavory past dealings, there is plenty of scoundrel left in him as he charges the insurance company a trip to the Bordeaux region of France where he seems to be right at home. As he networks his way into the tight knit French billionaire community with the help of the beautiful mademoiselle, Sophie, he finds that the motive for the theft and the means of retrieving of the goods would need just the relaxed morality only Levitt can achieve.
All the while Sam’s eyes wander from one pair of lovely legs to the next as he sips and dines his way through the case. But, as the case winds down and closes, that wandering eye finds attention for one woman, and Levitt’s days as a scoundrel might very well be limited, but maybe not.
The novel migrates from the west coast to Paris, and winds around to Marseilles all within 227 pages bringing the reader on a delightful whirlwind voyage. There aren’t too many major twists to make the reader guess and marvel at the ride. Instead, the novel unfolds organically and logically, but with slight turns away from predictability. The outcome is satisfying and whimsical, much like the journey that takes the reader there.
Mayle’s prose is tight, pointed and airy, like the wines and foods he describes within these pages. The novel is like a whipped desert with hints of bitter cacao to balance the sweet flavor. While the humor is subtle, this book is the kind of story that aims to make the reader smile and experience a delightful vicarious life.
Photo caption: Cover to Peter Mayle’s latest novel, The Vintage Caper. (Courtesy photo)

New Commander for Local Civil Air Patrol Squadron

NEW HAMPSHIRE—
Prior to a potluck Christmas and farewell party in December the Seacoast Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) installed a new Commander. Col Donald C. Davidson, N.H. Wing CAP commander presided over the Change of Command ceremony in which Maj. Dominic Goupil of Kittery relinquished command and Capt. Blain Cote of South Berwick accepted command. This ceremony is an age old one where the flag of the unit is handed to the outgoing commander by the wing commander. The outgoing commander then states they are relinquishing command and returns the flag to the wing commander who then hands the unit flag to the new commander who states they accept command. Maj Goupil had served as squadron commander for the past six years.
Capt. Blain Cote, a lifelong resident of South Berwick, has been a CAP senior member since March 2007. He previously had been a CAP cadet joining the former Liberty Cadet Squadron in 1980. He was the cadet commander of the squadron from 1984-1986. He earned the Billy Mitchell Award in May of 1984. He left CAP in 1986 when he graduated high school and rejoined in 2007. He has previously been the Emergency Services Officer for Seacoast Composite Squadron which meets at the Pease ANG Base in Portsmouth in Bldg. 252.
Outside of Civil Air Patrol, Cote has been a member of the South Berwick Fire Department for 27 years and the town’s Emergency Management Director for the past 4 years. He is employed by Wilcox Industries Corp. in Newington, N.H. as a quality inspector/lead auditor. He and his wife Kathleen have five children who they hope will join CAP when they are older.
As the new Seacoast Composite Squadron commander, Capt Cote hopes to focus more resources on community service and disaster relief. He also hopes to have the squadron heavily involved in the upcoming Air Show at Pease this coming August.
Civil Air Patrol is an all volunteer auxiliary of the United States Air Force and is tasked with 90% of the inland search and rescue missions within CONUS. It’s other missions are disaster relief, aerospace education and cadet programs. CAP was credited with 51 saves in 2009. It has over 55,000 members from ages 12 to 90+, about 300 of which are members of N.H. Wing. FMI: www.gocivilairpatrol.com.
Photo caption: Col Donald C. Davidson N.H. Wing Commander, Capt Blain Cote. (Maj. Penny H. Hardy photo)