PE adds some detail to the Furniture Story

A bizarre episode unfolded at the Grand Terrace Senior Center on Monday.
Just as 40 senior citizens were finishing lunch, a moving van and six workers arrived to take away the tables, chairs and credenzas.
It seems the city hadn't paid the Corporation of Better Housing $72,540 for its contractor, BLH Construction, painting the carports and doing other work at Blue Mountain Villas, the senior housing next to the center.
The city wanted thorough documentation of the costs and had received it only this week, Councilman Walt Stanchiewitz said.
The council was set to approve the payment Tuesday night. But BLH launched the pre-emptive strike.
After hasty talks, the contractor agreed to keep the furniture and drop the demand for the $72,540.
The silver lining is that the seniors now will get to choose the kind of furniture they want (rectangular tables), not what the housing company decided to give them (round ones).

Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 951-368-9470 or cmacduff@PE.com