Slidell recruit station routed by mold

[Guest guest]

Slidell recruit station routed by mold

Staff retreats to new office on Gause

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

By Hurwitz

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-

7/1173851268105470.xml & coll=1

New Orleans Times-Picayune Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:04 PM PDT

Slidell's U.S. Military Recruiting Center -- a city fixture for

nearly two decades -- has been shuttered indefinitely, after a mold

infestation prompted officials to clear out the office and relocate

operations.

Starting today, the office, which handles local recruiting for the

Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, will reopen down the road, at 811

Gause Blvd., said Croft, the Army's recruiting station

commander in Slidell.

The original recruitment center, at 1308 Corporate Square Blvd.,

incurred roof and water damage from Hurricane Katrina. Workers made

repairs last year, fixing the roof and clearing out the mold, said

Harmon, chief of public affairs for Army recruiting.

" It must've come back, " he said.

The Army Corps of Engineers is running tests to determine the type

of mold and its severity, Croft said.

The recruiting center was housed in a strip mall that includes a dry

cleaner, a hair salon and a hobby shop, all of which are open. The

complex is part-owned by Ross Mancuso of Slidell. Mancuso could not

be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

Workers discovered the problem about a week ago, while ripping out

and replacing the office's carpets during a routine maintenance

check, Croft said.

" We're not sure how long it's been under there, " he said.

After uncovering the infestation, Croft moved operations outdoors

due to " health and safety concerns, " he said. He erected a tent in

the parking lot so staffers and potential recruits could continue

doing business while avoiding exposure.

While none of his staffers has fallen ill, prolonged exposure to

mold can induce fevers, allergies, wheezing or shortness of breath,

according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recruiters from the various military branches donned face masks and

spent Tuesday morning hauling furniture and office equipment out of

the building.

The Slidell station opened in 1988 and is one of three military

recruitment centers in St. Tammany Parish. In addition to a center

in Covington, Slidell is also home to a second office that handles

National Guard recruits.

While recruiting dropped off immediately after Katrina, it has

rebounded quickly and resumed its target levels in Slidell, Harmon

said.

" We're doing extremely well, " he said. " And for the whole state, we

did better in '06 than in '05, even with a lot of recruiter stations

shut down. "

For more information on the Slidell center, call 1 (877) 461-1939.

.. . . . . . .

Hurwitz can be reached at (985) 645-2848 or

jhurwitz@....