Summary status report on our facilities needs, 2026 (Speculation)

NEARING THE END of this fiscal year, with newly elected officers and directors, let me take stock of where we stand. From this vantage point, our recent accomplishments and imminent projects are taken as givens. What matters most are the challenges that we have yet to address.

The focus in this post is not on making improvements per se, but more simply on attending to what we currently have, beyond routine maintenance. I further restrict my focus here to items that are not obvious.

Below the jump, this post sums up the needs of our facilities’ major areas of concern. The list is not exhaustive. 

FAQ: Tenting & fumigation at end of December (Background Report)

WE ARE ALMOST READY for the tenting and fumigation of our premises at the very end of this month. 

Although this was discussed and previously approved by the board in 2022, it turned out not to be feasible at the time. Many interlocking pieces needed to fall into place, but a few of them did not do so then. Same thing in 2024. However, this time around, it just might work—given the cooperation of our neighbors, the promised participation of many volunteers, and the preparations by our staff that I have already seen.

Below the jump, this post offers an FAQ about what is happening.…

Looking into possible funding from a Perenchio Foundation grant (Activity Report)

A PASADENA-BASED FOUNDATION is requesting grant applications from organizations like Mishkon. They want to fund capital improvements that will support the arts locally. 

In their own words, “We welcome applications from non-arts organizations based in L.A. County that maintain robust, year-round arts programming and seek to strengthen their arts-related infrastructure.” 

Below the jump, this post sums up my investigation into the grant program and its requirements. It then discusses how Mishkon could meet those requirements. To be honest, I had not previously thought of Mishkon in terms of its engagement with the arts, so this exercise has been eye-opening for me. 

(N.B.: We still need someone to champion our grant application. Might that be you?)

Air purifier selected for school building (Activity Report)

WE HAVE SELECTED the most appropriate air purification device for our school/office building. It is a NuShield-R, which is a compact unit—smaller than a cigar box. It uses needlepoint bipolar ionization (NBPI) technology.

It appears that we can count on the impending air scrubber to significantly reduce the airborne transmission of disease inside our school building — as long as the hallway doors are kept ajar, so that the air can keep circulating throughout the building.

Below the jump, this post explains this unit’s benefits and features.

Improving entry accessibility to sanctuary: Hampton Drive side (Draft Proposal)

THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR is the only entrance to (and exit from) our historic sanctuary that works for someone in a wheelchair. Yet that success is mixed: It relies upon employing portable aluminum ramps that are placed at a steep (and thus rather unsafe) angle. And making it work requires careful attention from at least a couple of people at a time.

Surely we can do better than this! Therefore I am planning to propose to the board that we engage an architect to design a solution for us.

Below the jump, this post lists the criteria for a proposed project to improve the level of accessibility through this corridor. It also touches on the role of an architect in this project’s success.

How to make the preschool facility more functional

OUR PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR has requested that we modify the school building by putting a door in one wall and removing some storage shelving. 

Below the jump, I describe April’s idea. (NOTE: This is a speculative post that is exploring a possible project; no funds have been allocated at this time.)…

Update on the storage room idea

IT TURNS OUT that there is competition for the otherwise unused space above the stairwell! In addition to the storage room idea that I described previously, it could be used to augment the play yard.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Below the jump, I discuss the second idea. (NOTE: This is a speculative post that is exploring a possible project; no funds have been allocated at this time.)…

Before altering our school facility, we must notify state gov’t

BECAUSE WE HOST a preschool, one stakeholder that we need to keep in mind is the state Department of Social Services. 

Last week, our preschool director pointed me to California’s Child Care Center General Licensing Requirements. 

In particular, Title 22, Division 12, Article 7 is about the Physical Environment. This is the section that pertains to our building-and-grounds concerns. It begins (emphasis added):

1. Prior to construction or alterations, the licensee shall notify the Department of the proposed change(s). 
2. The Department has the authority to require the licensee to obtain a building inspection by a local building inspector if the Department suspects that a hazard to children's health and safety exists. 
3. Prior to construction or alterations, state or local law requires that all facilities secure a building permit. 

The above are among the conditions for retaining a preschool license.

Gross usable area of preschool rooms

INTERIOR Gross Usable Area  =  Large Classroom  +  Shemesh Classroom  +  Library  +  Chapel  =  1986.09 sq ft

EXTERIOR Gross Usable Area  =  Play yard  =  1390.67 sq ft

For the measurements and calculations, based on the “School Floor Plan” as-found architectural drawing in the 2003 Historic Structure Report, see below the jump.

Smoke alarms and CO detectors in the school building

THIS POST is an inventory of safety devices on the walls and ceilings — sensors whose batteries occasionally need to be replaced. (It does not make note of the alarm system’s motion sensors, nor of clocks.)