Star-Spangled Beam

Under a bright blue Colorado sky, the project team last Friday helped the Jefferson County Public Schools celebrate the topping off of the K-8 School at Candelas, which will be ready for about 1,000 students next fall.Members of the Jeffco school board and facilities department, architect Travis Bostic from Hord Coplan Macht, plenty of GH Phipps team members, the school’s principal, and workers from Drake Williams Steel and Total Welding Erectors gathered around as the beam rose in the air and was placed in part of the academic section of one wing of the school. Total Welding had painted the beam to look like a flag, leaving white stars perfect for someone to sign his or her name. Even a couple of bald eagles visited, flying over the job site to view the event along with a drone recording video.Jeffco school board president Ron Mitchell thanked the team for “what you do every day,” noting that “we sit in a board room and decide how to fund projects like this. We’re awfully excited to be out here today to see it come to fruition.”Gary Constant advised the team to keep working safely, and reminded them to think of the school district they live in when it’s time to vote in November. “A lot of districts this year are having bond elections.”Congratulations to the GH Phipps team working on site and in the office on the project!