Parking Stall Lines, One or Two?

I recently read a very interesting article about whether or not parking stalls should be striped with single lines or double lines. The article was written by a parking consultant in Colorado so all of the data is based on a survey done strictly in selected Colorado cities. However, I think the findings are worth passing along.

Many parking locations that I have come in contact with around the country have used double lines for parking stall striping. In almost all of those cases, the owners or managers of those parking facilities were adamant in their belief that it helped to center cars within their respective stalls, that it provided the maximum space between parked vehicles and, cut down or eliminated door dings. Intuition tells you that all of that makes sense. However, since double striping the lines between parking stalls costs over twice as much as traditional single line striping, this survey was taken to see if in fact it has a positive impact on how people park their cars.

The survey was taken in 25 garages in Colorado and covered a wide array of users including office use, mixed-use, residential, health care facilities, municipal, shopping centers and others. According to the survey data, some interesting conclusions were drawn.

Single-line striping was preferred over double-line striping 72% vs. 28%.
90 degree parking spaces were preferred over angled spaces 61% vs. 39%.
7.6% of cars were parked improperly.
Parkers seem to pay little or no attention to signs or striping that designates a space for compact or small-car-only; they found a space and they parked in it.

I am not ready to pronounce double-line stall striping dead but at the very least, this cluster of data sparks my interest. Our local environment is predominantly urban core office use and our demographics in Little Rock would be somewhat different from those in the Colorado cities but I am going to investigate this issue in greater detail.

With that in mind, if you happen to see Jeff or me walking through your garage with a clipboard and a measuring wheel, we’ll just be exploring this parking stall line-striping issue!

As the spring of 2007 approached, one of our management fee clients instructed us to move forward with the scheduling of a complete wash-down of their parking facility.

We had assumed the parking operation for the garage last fall and accomplished some initial cleaning and painting when we took over. However, we all agreed that waiting for the messy winter weather to clear before we resumed our cleaning work was a prudent course of action.

We spent the first weekend using brooms and gas powered back-pack type blowers to clear off dust, cobwebs and debris from the ceiling and heavy build-up areas. We followed up a second weekend with brushes, water hoses and a small pressure washer unit. Once the surfaces dried out, the garage looked significantly brighter, smelled better and gives us a much more accurate view of which areas may need further cleaning and/or painting consideration.

Now that we have a cleaner and much clearer canvas to work with, it is obvious that the amount of painting that may need to be done is much less than we earlier anticipated. This will not only save time and material cost for the owners but will also help ensure that the paint will adhere much better and be much more durable than it would have otherwise been.

Following are some of the before and after pictures that show just how effective a simple wash-down of a parking facility can sometimes be.

Before- Years of dust and grime had accumulated on most of the horizontal surfaces throughout the garage.

After- Even though there is typical wear and tear expected in a facility of this age, many of the surfaces cleaned off nicely.

Before-

After-Note the curbing and parapet wall top surfaces.

Before-

After-

Before- There are several of these nested control points within the garage that are no longer used. The barrier gates have been long since removed but the remaining curbing and bollards were a significant repository of dirt and grime.

After- Note the conduit and the back of the guardrail in the left upper quadrant of this photo and compare it to the before shot.

After- Another old control point.

After- A control point no longer used.

Before- This wall runs along the first up-ramp into the monthly parking area and even though we had broomed it and the curbing off and painted the bottom portion yellow when we first took the garage over, it had already started to look dirty.

After- The wash-down really made a positive change in the appearance of the wall.

Before- Even though this garage is obviously in an urban setting, spiders seem to be a major non-paying tenant of the garage as evidence by their dust catching webs.

After- In several cases, the smooth painted ceiling surfaces came out acceptably clean and may not even require further painting.

Before- Another example of dirt and grime collections on some ceiling portions.

After- The wash-down removed much of the grime but in some instances like the one shown here, areas where there were lime deposits or other stains that shielded the paint from the outside elements showed up as whiter paint afterwards.

Before- Another typical example of the cobwebs and ceiling dirt.

After- Customers enjoy a much cleaner and brighter appearance.

After- Even non-painted surfaces responded well to the wash-down.

Before- There is a significant amount of extremely functional unpainted metal guardrail strategically placed throughout the garage. The downside is that it is a major dirt and dust collector.

Before- Although not as obvious in this picture as it was with the human eye, long stretches of very prominent guardrail were covered with dust. We had used a power blower upon our arrival last fall but accumulation since then was significant.

After- Pressure washing these guardrails really made a huge difference in their appearance.

After- We expect that dust and grime accumulations overall will diminish noticeably going forward merely because we have substantially eliminated so much of the dirt and grime from the facility.

After- Not only were the guardrails addressed but notice that the grime that always collects on the tops of pipes was also attacked successfully.

Before- A side view of a parapet ramp wall and curbing showing the built up grime.

After- The wash-down produced a clean and fresh looking appearance.

After- We worked right out to the exterior edges of the facility washing as much of the accumulated dirt and grime out of the entire facility as possible.

So when you’re walking your parking facility and mentally adding up the cost to make it look fresh again, don’t discount the impact a good wash down can have. You might be surprised!

Free Parking. What a neat phrase! However, the truth is that ther is no such thing as “Free Parking".

First, let’s take a quick look at the cost to “create” a parking space. Downtown Little Rock land prices can range anywhere from $12/square foot to $60/square foot. Consequently, just the land beneath a typical downtown Little Rock parking space will cost from $3,600 to $18,000. Add grading, base rock and blacktop paving, and the cost gets higher.

What about a parking deck? Not including the land cost, the average nationwide price-tag for the construction of a parking deck car space built in 2006 was $13,588. Even if the parking deck is built on relatively inexpensive land (which is not usually the case since they’re in higher demand downtown locations), it’s easy to see how the “true” cost of a single parking garage car space exceeds $20,000.

So maybe the next time you find a “freebie” or are allowed to park in a “free” parking space, know that someone, somewhere is subsidizing it somehow, someway.

We receive email from our customers all the time but we recently received this email and I must say, they hit the nail on the head! They probably worded their email better than I could and in fact, it was so good, I wanted to share this one with all of you.

There is a tinge of humor in the email but the truth and sincerity of it cannot be dismissed. Please read and make sure YOU are not doing some of these things. . .

—–Original Message—–
From: (deleted by BestPark)
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 3:25 PM
To: info@bestparkllc.com
Subject: Parking Deck Etiquette - 6th & Spring Streets

Alright people. It’s time for some basic parking deck etiquette (well, since I’m not Emily Post, we’ll call it COMMON SENSE). This is in no particular order.

1. You only get ONE space. NOT THREE, No parking sideways, and please, stay between the little yellow lines.

2. SLOW DOWN. It’s a parking deck, not Talladega.

3. GET OFF THE PHONE. Hold your calls until you’ve parked the car or you are completely out of the deck so that no “mistakes” happen.

4. DO NOT BACK INTO A SPOT WHEN 10 CARS ARE WAITING BEHIND YOU. This, above all else that is wrong in this world, is my pet peeve. When there is no one behind you, be my guest. Feel free to back in and pull back out and back in and readjust as many times as you feel you need to, but if I’m behind you, get out of my way. I have somewhere to be as well as you.

5. Don’t park your big honkin’ EXCURSION (or other SUV) in the COMPACT parking spots. This should be self explanatory. It also blocks those parked behind you in so that they have to risk denting their and YOUR vehicle to get out.

6. This parking deck is a ONE WAY drive. This morning, no lie, a very STUPID blonde girl in a burgundy car(probably someone on a summer job) ON A CELL PHONE (see no. 3 above) was driving the WRONG WAY through the garage. She met me (and had to slam on her brakes by the way) on the 4th floor and had the nerve to look at me like I was crazy!! SO, she had to BACK UP to the next floor and she STILL didn’t put the phone down. I had visions of a demolition derby all the way to the space I finally found on the roof (thanks to those who parked one car to two-three spaces…see nos. 1 and 5 above).

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Cleanliness Really Does Matter!

Best Park was recently awarded a new contract and we took over the facility on July 1, 2006. Once we got “inside” and got a good look at things, it was obvious that there had been little effort given by the previous operator to keep the facility as clean and attractive as it needed to be.

We established a plan of attack and with several of our dedicated employees, we began very early Saturday morning to get the facility looking the way we are accustomed. Teams of Best Park employees swarmed the garage and each Team had a specific area of responsibility. Back-Pack leaf blowers, brooms and collection barrels went off in one direction while the rags, sponges and the “wipe-down” crew followed closely behind. The High-Pressure Wash contractor began applying de-greasing agents in the exit lanes and as that solution was allowed to penetrate and loosen the caked on grease, they moved to the top of the garage and pressure washed all of the stairwells. The paint Team prioritized their areas and soon the entire garage was buzzing with action as it was being refreshed.

It ended up taking both days that first weekend to restore the garage appearance as the accumulation of dirt, dust, grease and grime was nearly overwhelming. In the end, the many monthly parkers that returned to work on Monday morning were pleasantly surprised to arrive at a parking deck that was clean and bright! It told them without saying a word that they were indeed appreciated and valued as customers!

We have received many compliments this first week and it seems obvious to all the “regular” customers that something major has changed. It has. Best Park is now the Parking Operator!

Some of these classic Before and After photos really do help tell the story:

*** This was the entrance ramp. It’s a long and narrow encounter with a bending left turn at the top to address the access equipment. It’s fairly difficult to navigate and was only made worse by the lack of any delineation markings. ***

*** After the Best Park touch, drivers have a much better sense of where the ramp curbs are located and the entire “front door” took on a cleaner and more inviting aura. ***

*** The rate and capacity display at the entrance was overshadowed by the faded and rusting pole. ***

*** A wipe-down and some paint changed the entire appearance of the sign. ***

*** Ticket customers were faced with this unkempt ticket machine and bollard. Not very inviting, is it? ***

*** This is what ticket customers are presented with now. ***

*** A faded yellow bollard, a faded red bollard, a white entrance control gate and a rusty chain aren’t exactly what we view as a “professional” look. ***

*** The Best Park entrance has all components painted in bright high visibility yellow, the gate arm is level, the area is clean and bright, and we’re ready for business! ***

*** Dust had accumulated on this sandwich board sign at top of the entrance ramp. ***

***It’s amazing what a sponge and little “elbow grease” can do sometimes! It’s hard to believe but this IS the same sign pictured above! ***

*** This is a shot of the interior edge of one of the parking bays. Keep in mind that we took this shot on Saturday, July 1st and notice the dead leaves that had accumulated along the garage curbs. The last time we saw those kinds of leaves in town was sometime late last fall when they fell off the trees for the winter! ***

*** The outside edge of a garage is even more challenging since it is next to the natural elements. Here’s a typical outside edge after we powered and swept away the accumulated debris. ***

*** Every customer makes this last turn down a short ramp as they exit the garage and their view was of this dirty air handling unit and a large triangle of built up tire dust, dirt and grime. ***

*** After a thorough cleaning of the area we “blanked out” the air handler by painting it black and then highlighted the protective railing with yellow. The end result is a much more crisp appearance. ***

*** With that air handler we mentioned in the background, this is the last short ramp down to the exit platform and again, it’s a dirty mess that is not only unappealing but it speaks volumes to the customers about how you run your business. ***

*** The area is now clean, the curbing edges are bright and crisp, and drop down ramp suddenly takes on an entirely different “feel.” ***

*** As you approach the exit platform, there are protective guardrails strategically placed on each side of the apron. The one on the left protects the cashiering station area and the one on the right protects the area that houses facility mechanical and utility equipment. This guardrail is something you have to walk by in order to enter the cashiering station and garage manager office so it’s not exactly “out of sight” every day. We were faced with what became a familiar pattern again where the dust and grime was so thick you could easily write your name in it. ***

*** We washed it down and put a fresh coat of paint on it. ***

***Here’s the guardrail on the other side of the exit apron. Same deal, different place.***

*** After we cleaned and painted, the guardrails really “popped” and framed the exit lanes nicely. ***

*** This is the double exit lane and everything you’ve seen so far was in abundance here. The oil and grime in the lanes took several repeated de-greasing treatments and pressure washings to remove. ***

*** We eventually got much of the grease and gunk in the lanes up but I must admit it’s not perfect. We will hit this area again in a few months and over time I think we can get it all. The sign stand is now brightly painted and we have ordered a new sign to put in it. All equipment was washed down, adjusted and painted. Crisp curb edges complete the area and the entire exit platform was genuinely transformed. ***

*** Here’s a look at the same exit platform from the street side. As you can clearly see, all of the effort in attacking the grease and oil in the exit lanes really did pay off! ***

With a couple of hard days of effort, Best Park transformed this uninviting parking garage into a clean and much more attractive facility.

Each Parking Deck presents different challenges when it comes to cleanliness and appearance. Some are inherently well lighted, have bright colors inside and smooth ceiling and wall textures. Others may have the opposite conditions and are much more difficult to work with.

Regardless, how you approach the cleanliness of a parking facility says a lot about you as a Parking Operator. It is awfully difficult to tell a current or prospective Client how much you care about their facility when your actions say something else. It’s inconsistent for you to say how crisp and accurate your accounting and money handling procedures are when your locations look like you couldn’t care less.

The reality is that if you don’t have enough pride in your business or care enough about how you look to your customers to make any attempt to keep your locations reasonably clean and sharp looking, why would you really care about your Clients and Landlords? It’s a simple concept. I believe it’s called “Pride of Ownership.”

So if you are looking for a parking operator that will actually “care” about your location, give us call. If you’re just not sure, go back and look at the before and after pictures above. We’ll be here and we would very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss your particular parking needs!

A FEW TIPS ABOUT PARKING YOUR CAR OUTSIDE IN THE SUMMER

The hot Little Rock summers pose some additional considerations for you to consider when parking your car all day outside on a surface parking lot. Some tips are listed below that may be helpful, particularly during these summer months while others are more universal and are things you should always be mindful of.

LEAVE A WINDOW SLIGHTLY CRACKED OPEN
The heat inside your cars interior can become excessive while sitting outside in the sun all day. Darker colored cars and cars with dark interiors can reach even higher temperatures inside. Always try to leave one of the windows slightly cracked open just an inch or so, preferably a rear window, to let some of the heat built up naturally exhaust from the car interior.

KEEP ITEMS OUT OF SUNLIGHT- OUT OF SIGHT
Many items that we keep in our cars can be damaged or destroyed due to excessive heat or prolonged exposure to the suns rays. We have seen cassette tapes, CD’s, cosmetics, electronic equipment, access cards, cell phones, cameras and many other items lying on dashes and in car seats that didn’t look like they were doing very well in the sun! Windshield Sun Screens can be helpful in this regard as they block off the sun from entering through your windshield. If you use one of these and you are a monthly parker, make sure your current hang tag remains displayed for our lot checker to see.

In all cases, keep anything of value out of sight by putting them in your center console, glove box, trunk or other similar area. Although our checkers visit lots at various times throughout the day, we are not a security firm and cannot be held responsible for the malicious actions that some people seem to enjoy perpetrating. You’ve probably heard the cynical old phrase in the past, “If it’s Free there’ll be a long line and if it’s not bolted down, it’ll get stolen!", and we’re sorry to say, there IS an element of truth to that. Keep valuables out of sight in your car and if there is such a person in the area, they will most likely prey on someone’s car that has left things out that attracted their attention.

TREES CAN HELP WITH SHADE, BUT. . .
Please note that parking under or near a tree can indeed allow your car to remain shaded for extended portions of the day. However, “nature’s” luxury also many times brings “nature” along with it and tree sap and bird droppings can be the result. Keep both of these things off your car’s finish by frequent washings as paint damage can occur.

FINISH AND RUBBER PROTECTANT
Make sure your car has a coat of “wax” on it to protect it against the elements. More importantly, keep a good rubber conditioner on all rubberized surfaces and make sure it is one that has UV Protection in it. Window moldings, bumpers, tires. . . anything that’s rubber, needs to be treated frequently. Nothing will dry out, fade and make rubber brittle and ineffective any faster than “baking” it in the sun all day long everyday with no protection. Also be ready to replace your wiper blades more frequently. Wiper blades generally aren’t worn out because of sweeping water from your windshield but rather are ravaged by the sun’s rays every day. When it does rain and you really need them, that’s when we notice they are streaking or chattering and they need replacing. Replace them BEFORE you can’t see very well driving in the rain. Also, many cars now have leather seats or simulated leather interiors. The summer heat and sun can dry those out and cause premature wrinkles and cracking so keep your leather interiors well conditioned. There are many products on the market that moisturize and condition your cars interior and those should be used liberally in the summertime.

GENERAL PARKING
Make sure you are evenly parked within your marked stall and aren’t crowding the parking space next to you or taking up two spaces. This is not only inconsiderate but increases the chances of a door ding or other contact. And speaking of door dings, even if you aren’t so concerned about your car it’s likely that the owner of the car next to you cares about theirs so be careful when opening your car doors, especially on windy days, and avoid “clunking” your fellow parker’s car. If you have an SUV that happens to have huge protruding mirrors on it, you might want to fold one or both of those in if they are obviously something that may become on obstruction for you or the cars next to you when walking or pulling in and out of the parking space.

Have a parking application on file with us and make sure that the information is kept current, even if you have been a monthly parker for years. The contact information comes in very handy once in a while when our checkers spot a car that has a tire going flat, a radiator or transmission leaking fluid, lights left on or other such things. We then can take the license plate and hang tag numbers, match them up with our records, and contact the owner to relay the observation. There have been many times that we have been able to contact a vehicle owner so that they could address a problem during the day instead of begin “hit” with it when they came out from work and were ready to leave that evening.

Make sure your hang tag is clearly visible for the lot checker to see and make sure it corresponds to the current calendar month. We usually send our hang tags and statements out early and in plenty of time for the following month but try to get in the habit of waiting to display the next months tag on the first business day of that following month. Unfortunately, we have had a few of our monthly parkers put their new hang tags on display immediately and then give their old one for the current month to a “friend” so they could try to use it for a few days until the end of that month ran out. Naturally, we tend to take a dim view of that practice and monthly parking privileges for those involved may be discontinued when caught.

Hopefully some of these parking tips will be useful for you. We sincerely appreciate every customer we have each day and want to provide the Best parking experience we can for you. Be safe and enjoy your summer!!

Best Park is now offering Automatic Electronic Payments for your Monthly Parking!

The simplest, no-hassle way to pay your monthly parking is now available! Best Park has worked out an arrangement with One Bank & Trust, N.A. in downtown Little Rock that will allow for an automatic debit of your monthly parking payment directly from your chosen account on the first business day of each month. The debit transaction will show on your bank statement each month for easy tracking and reconciliation. This is a safe, secure, Bank-to-Bank electronic transaction that saves you time, effort, check writing and postage, and it’s absolutely FREE!

All you need to do to begin this hassle-free service is simply complete a simple form like the one shown below and return it to Best Park with a Voided Blank Check. It’s that easy!
You can get the form from our office, from the cashier booth where you park, or by requesting one through our Website.

Best Park will remain your contact point for any parking needs, changes or alterations to your parking account. If you need to terminate your monthly parking at some point in the future, you must inform Best Park in writing giving us at least Ten (10) days notice prior to the first of each month so we can contact One Bank & Trust, N.A. and effect the change. Other than that, you’ll never have to worry again about getting your monthly parking payment to us again as it will all be done automatically!

It is our continued privilege to serve you and we look forward to receiving your completed form so we can begin this hassle-free payment system for you on December 1, 2005!!!

When to engage a Parking Consultant can sometimes be a difficult decision.

Do you use one on a big parking deck project and if so, when do you get them involved? . . .If you don’t charge for parking, do you need one? . . . If you handle all of your billing on a monthly basis “in-house", what could a parking consultant offer?

These are all valid questions so let’s take a brief look at each one.

We have seen many parking decks built over the years that had more spaces than were necessary or were inefficient in their parking layouts from the onset. When you consider that each marked car space in a parking deck will cost anywhere from $10-16,000 on average to build, you can see that an “extra” 70 spaces or so is $1 Million Dollars that did not have to be spent! And that’s without land cost! Still other times we’ve seen where an architect has done a beautiful job of conceptualizing a parking garage and used a layout “right out of the books” that should be functional. However, based on the various types of parkers will ultimately be utilizing the facility, we knew the layout would NOT flow smoothly or be “user-friendly” at all.

Since we are parking operators, we know first hand what parking layouts may be best suited for a particular user mix. We’ve been able to suggest alternative layouts that required altering column spacing slightly but the result was a more efficient utilization of parking space and a smoother in traffic flow. It is ALWAYS much easier to change a drawing than to change a parking deck after construction has begun or it’s been built!

Sometimes Hospital Employee or University Campus parking is essentially free and we have seen inefficient layouts or bottle neck producing traffic patterns. Too often, the number of parking spaces is overbuilt simply in the hopes of addressing overlapping shift changes and class attendance. We’ve even experienced a case where there were 742 employees but over the years and through different departments, 957 parking stickers were “out there"! Consequently, a commuter ride-sharing program had developed undetected!

Niche retailers in smaller towns and city areas seem to always say their customers have no place to park and that consequently, more parking spaces need to be built. Sometimes that is true. However, many times we’ve been able to determine that employees are soaking up all of the “front door” spaces or that parking meter enforcement is easily fooled or not enforced regularly. This forces true customers to circle endlessly looking for a space or having to park a few blocks away and walk. Instead of attempting to find land and financing to build a parking deck, maybe the problems can be alleviated by actively addressing the problems noted through alternative methods.

“In-house” parking can be a “hit or miss” proposition at times. We’ve seen some well run operations, but we have also seen many that had countless loopholes. Tenant lease parking requirements and charges were not being followed accurately, friendly “free-bees” were rampant, validations were out of control as everyone ended up having a “rubber stamp” in their drawer, and there was basically no way to audit the system!

This is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of occasions when a Parking Consultant would have been helpful but I think you at least get an idea of just how valuable experienced and knowledgeable parking input can be at various times.

If you have parking involved with your business you probably have some parking related problems. Best Park may be able to help. Unlike so many “Consultants” and “Experts", we are parking operators and we live with our decisions each and every day. We take great pride in problem solving and we are fully aware of how challenging some parking problems can be!

We invite you to contact us with your parking related problems. It just might be one of the Best calls you ever made!

A while back I wrote about the saga to get the USS Razorback SS-394 submarine back home and how it sounded almost like a fiction story. (See Article in Archives)

In short, following 26 years serving the US Navy, USS Razorback faithfully served another 21 years in the Turkish navy and was finally decommissioned in late 1991. At that point it was just assumed that the long obsolete World War II era submarine had been turned into scrap metal.

But a chance sighting of a portrait of the sub, some reminiscing by a group of Subvets, and “dreams", fueled a search that not only found the sub intact but ultimately landed her back “home” in Arkansas.

After a few fresh coats of paint and other minor repairs, she is now permanently on display for the public to board and explore as part of the new Maritime Museum

Once I saw the submarine up close, I was immediately impressed with just how large the Razorback is. Just to give you an idea of her size, her two propellers have been removed and they are currently on display in the Park. Each one is 60 inches across, weighs 5,500 pounds, and is made of solid brass.

As I said in the earlier article, there are wonderful stories told by the men who served on this submarine and life lessons learned every time I read one of them. I am proud of those who served, proud of this submarine and the part it played in our history, and proud that she’s home, here in Little Rock. Plan to come and see her, to descend into the ship and stand where brave men stood as they spent days underwater in cramped quarters. It’s real history on a real submarine and an experience that you don’t want to miss!

You probably have seen some of the new Best Park signs popping up around downtown lately and may have wondered “When did they do that?” I can answer that.

While most of you are enjoying your weekends going places and doing things with friends and family, we have been hanging signs, installing new coin boxes, painting poles and re-striping! And has there been a weekend this summer when it wasn’t nearly 100 degrees? Our team has picked up nice tans, a few scrapes and bruises, and lost several pounds along the way!

All kidding aside, it has been and continues to be a real labor of love. We have worked hard this summer to restore many of our parking lots to reflect the pride we have in them.

We have had many sign frames built and had them powder coated to help them look sharp and last longer. Likewise, we’ve removed old coin-boxes and had them ground down and powder coated to produce a bright, long lasting finish. We’ve also purchased and installed new coin-boxes. Hundreds of parking spaces have been re-striped and numbered so our customers can clearly see each marked stall line and corresponding stall number.

The expense of money, time and effort has been considerable in this endeavor and we still have a ways to go before this major task is complete. The progress has been steady and sure, and we intend to have the entire operation’s appearance restored by early fall.

All things considered, it’s worth it. Not only is this new “look” more indicative of our new company, it also shows the care and concern we have for our landlord’s and client’s locations. We have received several unsolicited customer compliments who have noticed the changes taking place and that inspires us even more.

As always, if you are one of our customers we appreciate you very much and thank you for your patronage. Give us a few more weekends and we’ll have this place in “ship shape!”