Most find Norwich, Conn. Masonic Temple demolition painless

Norwich Bulletin
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Most find Masonic Temple demolition painless

21/10/06

By BRIAN WALLHEIMER

NORWICH -- With almost half the Masonic Temple now a large pile of rubble, the demolition of the 78-year-old building is going smoothly.

Most neighbors said there has been little disturbance from the wrecking crew, other than a few shakes and rattles in their homes.

"It's like an earthquake sometimes when a big beam falls," said Ike Ferber, 59, of Norton Court.

Ferber said he hears the glasses in his cabinets clink together and rattle when the beams from the temple are torn from their places and plummet to the ground. But he said nothing has broken or fallen from its place in his home.

"The only problem I've had is I wish they'd finish it already," Ferber said.

One neighboring family, however, said there have been dust clouds that come across the fence and onto its property.

Charles Olsen, 55, who is staying with his ex-wife at 188 Washington St., said he looked outside one day and saw a massive cloud of dust outside his window.

"I actually thought it was snowing," Olsen said. "I don't know if they were sawing or what. There were particles and debris in the air."

But Tim Bartha, vice president of Grey Wolf Construction, the company handling the demolition, said he's heard complaints from the family and has made sure there were no disturbances to the neighboring property.

"Nothing has blown on (the Olsens') home," Bartha said.

Bartha said there is no need to worry about asbestos, either, because it was all abated before demolition began. He said everything, so far, has gone according to plan.

"We're there to take down a building safely, the way we've been trained to do it," Bartha said.

Chuck Bunnell, a spokesman for the Mohegan Tribe, which owns the temple property, said the state Department of Environmental Protection has told Grey Wolf there have been no health dangers because of the demolition.

Antoynette Demicco, 74, of Norton Court can see the demolition out her back windows and said she doesn't want to go near it, but hasn't had any problems with dust or debris.

"We could see there was a guy hosing the dust," Demicco said. "I didn't see any dust."

Reach Brian Wallheimer at 425-4241 or bwallheimer @norwichbulletin.com