Chapter 61

When I arrived at the college Ken Smith and the county inspector were already on the job inspecting the electrical wiring. They were satisfied that it met code and the requirements on the blueprints. With that done they gave the insulation contractor the go ahead to start at 9 instead of at noon. They had made a change in the contract to require that all the inside walls be foam insulated. The new revolutionary heating system would work better and it would soundproof all the offices

They also scheduled the dry wall contractor to be here Saturday morning to hang, tape, and do the first mudding. The second mudding would be done Monday morning and the final sanding and touch up on Tuesday.

Outside, the masons must have worked until dark and started at first light because the bricks were almost to the trusses. Some of the masons were now working on the walkways that were also to be brick.

On the roof the roofers were starting to put down slate, of all things. I had wondered why the trusses were on 12 inch centers and the reason for two layers of plywood. Now I knew it was because slate was very heavy.

I went into the office to get my day going. The night shift had another very quiet night. Vandals had slashed tires and broken some car windows all over town but had steered clear of the college grounds and the nearby streets. Our new security presence was starting to pay off, not just at the college but out to closer neighbors.

Another e-mail from Mr. John Jenkins, chairman of the board, asked for a meeting to update me on additional changes coming to the campus. The board would be meeting in his office at 9. 'You think that was a hint as to the time he wanted to meet' I thought. I replied that I would be there at 9.

Patti was upset again when she came in. Somewhere there were some problems that needed to be addressed. I made a cup of coffee for her and a cup of hot cocoa for me to get started. I noticed that she was wearing a lot more makeup than normal. We reviewed the prospective colleges and started by dividing them into two piles. The first pile would get a second, more detailed look. The ones in the second pile were pretty much out of it for the first go round. That was one of the things I was going to discuss with Mr. Jenkins and the board at 9. How many programs would I be allowed to do?

At 8:45 I went over to Mr. Jenkins office and sat in the waiting room. I chatted with his secretary for a few minutes then I worked on the smart phone. At 9 the secretary told me to go in, that they were expecting me. Mr. Jenkins started the meeting off by reading a letter of thanks for performance and service in protecting the students and staff of Kent Community College and bringing an end to the serial assaults. It was signed by all 240 staff members of the college. I thanked every one and shook all their hands.

"This letter of thanks belongs to every one in my department and every girl that took the rape prevention class because without them the assailants would have never been caught. It took just two girls to stand up and say no and defend themselves that brought this to an end. I accept this on their behalf," I said.

Mr. Jenkins continued, "The benefactor that gave the security department the 500k grant was so pleased with the performance of the department over the successful conclusion of the assaults that he increased it to 2 million. The only conditions were that you hire additional full time persons to have a minimum 2 full-timers on all shifts and that you do as many prevention classes as you can at other troubled colleges. The trust that held the financing for the new dorms and expansion was also pleased and has released the full funding for the construction months ahead of time. Construction will begin as soon as contracts are approved. We recommend that you begin the hiring process soon to get the qualified people that can do the necessary oversight as required in the contracts. Those salaries will be paid out of the construction funds"