Equipment damaged by flooding in AHS theater – The Recorder

By ADAM SHINDERStaff WriterEquipment in the Bert DeRose Theater at Amsterdam High School, including a piano and sound equipment, was damaged recently by flooding caused when two pumps designed to remove excess water did not function, officials said.The flooding was discovered by one of the high school custodians on April 14, Greater Amsterdam School District spokesman John Noetzel said in a phone interview Tuesday.AHS English teacher and Drama Club advisor Bill Nelson said Tuesday that he received pictures of the flooding from a hall monitor.The water had gotten nearly to the height of the stage, and that is 18 inches, Nelson said. The flood was significantly high, and it had been there for a little while. I can tell that from the fact that the damage I witnessed to the piano that was down in the pit shows a very clear water line mark and a whole lot of peeling of lamination that would not have happened if it was just there for a few hours. This was there for a while.Flooding had long been an issue in the AHS auditorium, but Nelson said the issue was addressed more than a decade ago with the installation of a perforated pipe that could collect water and two pumps that would remove any excess.The whole reason for the renovation was to try and mitigate the flooding problem, said Nelson, adding that in the 13 years since the renovation, there had been no floods in the space, where before it was an annual issue in the spring.This time, as water collected during recent rainstorms, Noetzel said one of the pumps burned out, for some reason, and the second pump failed. It didnt work for some reason. It couldve been electrical, Im not sure. Thats all we really know.Nelson said with the theater being unused as school is closed during the COVID-19 crisis, there likely wasnt a reason for anyone to check on the auditorium or the status of the pumps.If, for whatever reason, [the pump system] gets tripped or theres a power interruption and the pump isnt functioning, the little alarm that goes off isnt terribly loud, he said. You have to be vigilantly aware of whether or not theres been a trip.AHS Principal Tyrone OMeally was able to survey the damage and said that once it was spotted, district maintenance workers were quick to fix the issue.I took a look at it and went, Whoa, OMeally said. The good part is, by the time I got to look at it, the team was already outside taking a look [at the pumps] and trying to address the issue.Noetzel said the result was minor water damage in the orchestra pit area to the piano, two speakers and a microphone jack. Pictures have been sent to the districts insurance provider.Its covered, Noetzel said. We have flood insurance.Nelsons hope is that the damage isnt too extensive.There was carpeting on that floor, and it was completely submerged, he said. I imagine its possible to dry it all out, and it looks like they did a fairly good job of sucking water out of there, but is there mold underneath the carpet now? These kind of questions will always be there.I cant imagine the sound board wasnt affected by it. But, they may think that its probably OK, or good enough. I dont know. Its one of those moments where you can really begin to tell what matters. As is oftentimes the case, people in the community are very good at pointing out that there are certain kinds of activities that seem to matter more than others. These kind of episodes oftentimes expose those preferences.Nelson added that, should schools be able to reopen, its unknown how long it would take for the theater the largest performance venue in Montgomery County and one used by groups both in and out of the school community to become usable again.The impact on the communitys involvement with the school district would be curtailed significantly if the auditorium use had to be curtailed for any reason, he said, for any length of time.

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Equipment damaged by flooding in AHS theater - The Recorder