thedrifter
03-14-07, 07:37 AM
Slidell recruit station routed by mold
Staff retreats to new office on Gause
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
By Jenny Hurwitz
St. Tammany bureau
Slidell's U.S. Military Recruiting Center -- a city fixture for nearly two decades -- has been shuttered indefinitely, after a mold infestation prompted officials to clear out the office and relocate operations.
Starting today, the office, which handles local recruiting for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, will reopen down the road, at 811 Gause Blvd., said Michael Croft, the Army's recruiting station commander in Slidell.
The original recruitment center, at 1308 Corporate Square Blvd., incurred roof and water damage from Hurricane Katrina. Workers made repairs last year, fixing the roof and clearing out the mold, said Roger Harmon, chief of public affairs for Army recruiting.
"It must've come back," he said.
The Army Corps of Engineers is running tests to determine the type of mold and its severity, Croft said.
The recruiting center was housed in a strip mall that includes a dry cleaner, a hair salon and a hobby shop, all of which are open. The complex is part-owned by Ross Mancuso of Slidell. Mancuso could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Workers discovered the problem about a week ago, while ripping out and replacing the office's carpets during a routine maintenance check, Croft said.
"We're not sure how long it's been under there," he said.
After uncovering the infestation, Croft moved operations outdoors due to "health and safety concerns," he said. He erected a tent in the parking lot so staffers and potential recruits could continue doing business while avoiding exposure.
While none of his staffers has fallen ill, prolonged exposure to mold can induce fevers, allergies, wheezing or shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recruiters from the various military branches donned face masks and spent Tuesday morning hauling furniture and office equipment out of the building.
The Slidell station opened in 1988 and is one of three military recruitment centers in St. Tammany Parish. In addition to a center in Covington, Slidell is also home to a second office that handles National Guard recruits.
While recruiting dropped off immediately after Katrina, it has rebounded quickly and resumed its target levels in Slidell, Harmon said.
"We're doing extremely well," he said. "And for the whole state, we did better in '06 than in '05, even with a lot of recruiter stations shut down."
For more information on the Slidell center, call 1 (877) 461-1939.
. . . . . . .
Jenny Hurwitz can be reached at (985) 645-2848 or jhurwitz@timespicayune.com.
Ellie
Staff retreats to new office on Gause
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
By Jenny Hurwitz
St. Tammany bureau
Slidell's U.S. Military Recruiting Center -- a city fixture for nearly two decades -- has been shuttered indefinitely, after a mold infestation prompted officials to clear out the office and relocate operations.
Starting today, the office, which handles local recruiting for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, will reopen down the road, at 811 Gause Blvd., said Michael Croft, the Army's recruiting station commander in Slidell.
The original recruitment center, at 1308 Corporate Square Blvd., incurred roof and water damage from Hurricane Katrina. Workers made repairs last year, fixing the roof and clearing out the mold, said Roger Harmon, chief of public affairs for Army recruiting.
"It must've come back," he said.
The Army Corps of Engineers is running tests to determine the type of mold and its severity, Croft said.
The recruiting center was housed in a strip mall that includes a dry cleaner, a hair salon and a hobby shop, all of which are open. The complex is part-owned by Ross Mancuso of Slidell. Mancuso could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Workers discovered the problem about a week ago, while ripping out and replacing the office's carpets during a routine maintenance check, Croft said.
"We're not sure how long it's been under there," he said.
After uncovering the infestation, Croft moved operations outdoors due to "health and safety concerns," he said. He erected a tent in the parking lot so staffers and potential recruits could continue doing business while avoiding exposure.
While none of his staffers has fallen ill, prolonged exposure to mold can induce fevers, allergies, wheezing or shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recruiters from the various military branches donned face masks and spent Tuesday morning hauling furniture and office equipment out of the building.
The Slidell station opened in 1988 and is one of three military recruitment centers in St. Tammany Parish. In addition to a center in Covington, Slidell is also home to a second office that handles National Guard recruits.
While recruiting dropped off immediately after Katrina, it has rebounded quickly and resumed its target levels in Slidell, Harmon said.
"We're doing extremely well," he said. "And for the whole state, we did better in '06 than in '05, even with a lot of recruiter stations shut down."
For more information on the Slidell center, call 1 (877) 461-1939.
. . . . . . .
Jenny Hurwitz can be reached at (985) 645-2848 or jhurwitz@timespicayune.com.
Ellie