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by Karissa Clark

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Fountain's Leak Repair
Scheduled for Spring

November snows covered the 9-foot fountain.
--Benjamin Tertin, photo

In May 2006, the graduating class of Multnomah Biblical Seminary dedicated a 9-foot fountain to the memory of Fern Moulder Bronleewe. Bronleewe was a 1948 graduate of Multnomah School of the Bible, and her family contributed to the last gift of a three-part series to the college and seminary campus.

Ty Krout, president of MBS's student body from 2002-2005, made a push to use the student government funds to make lasting legends on campus. The fountain was one of a series of three gifts given to the campus, including the brick sign and the marble "M" engraved into the cement in front of the seminary building.

"We wanted to give toward a water feature for the campus," Krout said, "but we weren't sure how or what it would look like at first." Then the sons of Fern and Gordon Bronleewe volunteered to pay for the installation of a fountain. Krout approached Lloyd Helm, the director of campus services for MBC, and they agreed to partner in an effort to install a fountain on-campus.

"It was amazing that out of 15 designs, we all agreed on the one design," Krout said. "It created another feature on the campus, besides the prayer chapel, where someone could propose to their future wife or dedicate their life to ministry -- a place that would have significance."

After they agreed on a design in the fall 2005, the Master's Cabinet began planning for the installation. As part of the campus' contribution, Lloyd Helm instructed the MBC grounds crew to prepare the area for installation. A separate installation company hauled in the fountain's stones and began assembly. But the mortar connecting the wall pieces to each other and the base was porous and eventually allowed slow-but-steady water drainage.

Ron Casey, head of the grounds department, has been held responsible for the fountain's upkeep since its installation.

"Since it's been installed, it's become an attraction for campus mischief -- we've cleaned out goldfish, rubber duckies, and things I can't repeat," said Casey. "It's so heavy duty [and] it could be working," he said. "But it's not running because it wasn't installed properly, and it leaks."

Campus Services hired a water and fountain company, Little Baja, to reseal the base of the fountain, intending to prevent leaks and allowing the fountain to flow all year. Resealing, however, requires warmer weather and three consecutive days of sunshine, so Campus Services will not complete the fountain until spring.

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