GE engineers school improvements

LYNN – Pedro Espinosa worked from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at his River Works engineering job Wednesday and then spent four hours on his hands and knees in a school basement, smiling and laughing as he scraped away thick paint layers.?It?s just rewarding to give back to the community,” said the nine-year General Electric employee.Espinosa is a soldier in an army of 1,612 River Works volunteers who contributed 7,500 volunteer hours to projects across the city last year, according to company spokesman Richard Gorham, and tallied up more hours this year.Two GE volunteer teams started cleaning up and painting the arts and music room in the Aborn School?s lower level last week. Volunteers painted the walls before Espinosa and fellow engineers Al Hernandez and Louie Lampes scraped away wall plaster and floor paint loosened by water seeping into the 118-year-old school?s walls.The project will be finished sometime next week.The men devoted up to four hours a day after their work shifts this week to get the room in shape for Aborn?s 257 students. Their efforts were not lost on Aborn Principal Patricia Muxie.?Their dedication to the community is so incredible,” she said.GE volunteers donated time and labor in 2012 and 2013 to carve out a library inside Aborn to replace the small reading and book storage space set up on the school?s stage. They also created storage space for school teachers.River Works employees outpace many of other GE aviation workers when it comes to volunteering, according to statistics provided by Gorham. They earned praise from River Works Area Executive Michael Sims and Lynn School Superintendent Catherine Latham earlier this month.?You are great for our community and our schools,” Latham told volunteers gathered at luncheon recognizing their service.Volunteers also created a science laboratory in the Washington School to help expand efforts to focus students on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. GE workers continue to stop by the school and work with students.With its art supplies stored on shelves and partially disconnected computer teaching system, Aborn?s lower level arts room was overdue for improvements before the volunteers started work.?It was all dark and drab,” Muxie said.Lampes and his co-workers scraped away layers of paint and old wall mortar this week before nailing in new molding and painting the floor.?At the end of the day, you see you have accomplished something. When you see the kids appreciate it, it?s special,” he said.Hernandez?s mother, Mexico resident Maria Bolinaga, pitched in Wednesday to help prepare Aborn?s floor for painting. He said GE volunteer projects in playground renovations and tutoring at KIPP have one goal.?We?re doing this for the kids,” Hernandez said.