Published: Friday, November 6, 2009
Kids getting more space at Naval Station Everett
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Heidi Hoffman / The Herald
Madison Nowlin, 5, (center) takes a break from digging during the Child Development Center groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday at the Everett Naval Station. Also helping to mark the start of construction on the new addition are (from left) Capt. Pat Rios, Capt. Thomas Mascolo, Zachary Malcolm, 5, Erik Bogdanowicz, Natalie Kingsmore, 5, Pat McClain and Elijah Debeauville, 5.
EVERETT — Children grabbed golden shovels and began scooping dirt like they were on a playground during a groundbreaking ceremony this week at Naval Station Everett.
The 4- and 5-year-olds were marking the beginning of construction on a new wing for the base’s Child Development Center, a day-care facility.
Capt. Thomas Mascolo, commanding officer at the base, said there’s a chronic need for space at the center. The waiting list already has 45 names on it, and nearly 60 women connected to the base are expecting a child.
“They have to have somewhere to bring their children,” Mascolo said. “They all prefer to come on base.”
The construction will provide enough room for 28 more children, a 25 percent jump from the 110 it can handle now.
The $1,070,000 expansion is the first Navy project in the Northwest to be funded by federal stimulus dollars, officials said.
The project was chosen for a couple of reasons. Most notably, it was “shovel-ready,” Capt. Pat Rios said, meaning crews could begin work almost immediately.
Indeed, fences were up and heavy-duty construction equipment sat idle while the children were turning over dirt. The project may be completed by late March.
Rios, commanding officer with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, which manages Navy construction projects, said the expansion was appealing for another reason: It will help those in the service.
“Basically,” he said, “troops perform better when they’re not concerned about their family being taken care of.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
The 4- and 5-year-olds were marking the beginning of construction on a new wing for the base’s Child Development Center, a day-care facility.
Capt. Thomas Mascolo, commanding officer at the base, said there’s a chronic need for space at the center. The waiting list already has 45 names on it, and nearly 60 women connected to the base are expecting a child.
“They have to have somewhere to bring their children,” Mascolo said. “They all prefer to come on base.”
The construction will provide enough room for 28 more children, a 25 percent jump from the 110 it can handle now.
The $1,070,000 expansion is the first Navy project in the Northwest to be funded by federal stimulus dollars, officials said.
The project was chosen for a couple of reasons. Most notably, it was “shovel-ready,” Capt. Pat Rios said, meaning crews could begin work almost immediately.
Indeed, fences were up and heavy-duty construction equipment sat idle while the children were turning over dirt. The project may be completed by late March.
Rios, commanding officer with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest, which manages Navy construction projects, said the expansion was appealing for another reason: It will help those in the service.
“Basically,” he said, “troops perform better when they’re not concerned about their family being taken care of.”
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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