If you happened to be driving by the club last Friday about 6 a.m. (and doesn’t everybody?), you would have seen a large yellow truck with arms and pipes and who knows what else plus a concrete mixer truck placed in position and ready to launch a key element in the construction process ... pouring the lower level floor. The concrete was poured into a hopper on the yellow truck and then under pressure pumped up and over the largest wing of the house, thence by gravity down to the lower level and then another 90 degree turn into the pour area where it spit out concrete for spreading and leveling to make the floor! Remember the days when this would all have been done by laborers wheeling numerous wheelbarrows full of concrete and lots of Absorbine Jr.

By the end of the day the floor was poured and as the cement began to harden, men with large paddle wheelers compacted and smoothed the floor so that when the 21-day curing period was completed it would be smooth enough to lay tile on or to seal paint. By next week carpenters will be on site and putting up partitions and stairways and electricians and plumbers will follow with power and light and bathrooms etc.

Your reporter talked with Scott Gove , president of Maine Modular , with whom I have worked since day one on the project. I asked Scott if he was happy with BHYC and with the project and his retort was, “It doesn’t matter how happy I am as long as BHYC is happy.” My reaction was that Scott was indeed happy and BHYC does also appear to be happy as well.

It’s too cold here so let’s go to Miami and these comments from host Don Tomlin: : The Winter Reunion was a lot of fun and good eating for all of us. We had up to 35 people participating at different planned events and everyone had the opportunity to be on their own or with other friends at many events around town. On Monday, 20 of us went on the 1½ hour Duck Tour around South Beach and the islands in Biscayne Bay. After the tour they were joined by others for a 35-person cocktail party at my house that didn’t end until after Chinese food was ordered and consumed by a dozen of us. Tuesday was an “open day” until 35 of us attended an early evening cocktail party and delicious dinner at the Coral Reef Yacht Club hosted by Melissa Horwitz. Wednesday was open in the morning and afternoon with a noon lunch at Joe’s Stone Crab for 20 of us and, as always, Joe’s was outstanding. Late Thursday morning Claire led a group of 10 for lunch at a James Beard chef’s (Norman Van Aken) new restaurant “Three” and after, we toured the Wynwood Walls area. That evening 20 of us had a wonderful dinner at Café  Roval. Friday morning a few of us went to Joe’s Stone Crab Take Out Café for breakfast where final good-byes were shared.

Should you be reading this column and not be a club member (and we know that many non-members do), there is an opportunity which is made available by the membership co-chairs Sandy Wheeler and Sharma Schacknow. If you are interested in learning more about BHYC, you are invited to attend informational meetings on May 31, June 14, July 5, and Aug. 9 from 4-5 p.m. in the BHYC Casino. For specific information, please contact Sandy at 633-3747.

Louise tried to put together a March social event in Maine to add to the Miami date but of the three possible sites there were none that could support the necessary parking element. One upshot of the planning is that Howard and Dee Wright, who started the winter series many years ago, will be hosting an event next winter. Thanks to all who have hosted events this year and to Greg and Joan Shea who will entertain at the final event of this season on April 18.