UCAR > Communications > Staff Notes Monthly > June 2001 Search


June 2001

ML Tree Plaza begins life anew (with the main entrance and Fountain Plaza to follow)

Like leaves on trees the race of man is found,
Now green in youth, now withering on the ground;
Another race the following spring supplies:
They fall successive, and successive rise.

The Iliad of Homer, Book vi. Line 181,
from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

The newly curvaceous tree plaza has many places to sit and enjoy the view.

A new succession of trees, not people, can now be seen on the Mesa Lab's Tree Plaza. Physical Plant Services has just completed the plaza's refurbishment, complete with 15 Marshall ash trees (in the green ash family). "The plaza's concrete was broken and the old trees were dying," explains Tina Bogott (PPS), who manages the refurbishment project. "We're happy to have completed the project in time for summer, as the plaza is popular with staff." The trees are surrounded by grass (see the Delphi Question), and the tables are back in service, along with curved concrete benches that take advantage of the dramatic views from the plaza.

Starting in June, the refurbishment effort will turn to the Fountain Plaza, the main entrance, and the driveway. The Fountain Plaza will be first: the concrete will be replaced on the plaza and all stairs to it, and a new cascading fountain will be installed—different from the one that graced the plaza many years ago. "The new fountain will not include jets of water, which in the past soaked passersby on windy days," notes Tina.

Workers are giving the ML exterior a face-lift this summer. (Photos by Carlye Calvin.)

Once the Fountain Plaza is completed, the Mesa Lab's front entrance and driveway will be replaced, says Tina. "During this phase, visitors and staff will need to enter the Mesa Lab via the Fountain Plaza. Since the Fountain Plaza's stairs will have already been replaced, the circular stairs leading up to the main entrance level can still be used; staff and visitors will simply enter through the door near the cafeteria." There will be signs directing visitors to the reception desk, and the ML science and art exhibits will remain open to the public.

Throughout the summer, you'll see contractors on scaffolding working on the lab's exterior. "We're recaulking around all the windows and repairing joints where necessary," adds Tina. All of this is being made possible by a special ML refurbishment fund from NSF. It will be busy on the mesa this summer.

• Sally Bates

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UCAR > Communications > Staff Notes Monthly > June 2001 Search

Edited by Bob Henson, bhenson@ucar.edu
Prepared for the Web by Jacque Marshall
Last revised: Thu Jun 21 11:00:53 MDT 2001