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Local News - August 2003 |
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Love Memorial copes with water damages |
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Published August 1, 2003 |
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By JEREMY ASHTON, LTN Staff Writer Stacks of ceiling tiles welcomed visitors to Love Memorial Elementary School on Wednesday, days before the start of the school year. The 225 tiles will go in third- through fifth-grade classrooms and the cafeteria. They will replace missing tiles, tiles stained brown by water and tiles that have had holes punched in them to relieve the weight of built-up water. In the gym, walls need to be repainted to cover up water damage. Outside, loose shingles have diverted water over gutters and washed away soil on the playground. “This will be my fifth year here, and we’ve had problems with (the roof) every year I’ve been here,” Principal Diand Canipe said. Almost as soon as it was completed more than five years ago, the roof covering an addition to Love Memorial has leaked. New shingles have been put on, and the roof has been thoroughly inspected, but the source of the leak has yet to be pinpointed. Everyone involved in the design and construction of the roof agrees something is wrong; they just can’t decide who should repair it. M.B. Kahn Construction Co., a construction management firm employed by Lincoln County Schools, has tried to sort the problem out for the last few months. Orkan Architecture, the roof’s designer; Charley Company, which installed the roof; and the shingle manufacturer all insist it’s not their responsibility. “There are a lot of issues on it,” said Steve Hyman of M.B Kahn at last week’s Board of Education meeting. Representatives from M.B. Khan have repeatedly told the school board the matter is Khan’s concern. But the lack of a resolution has frustrated board members to the point where they’re ready to take action. “If I hired you to paint my house … and if it peels off, it may not be your fault, but I hired you to do it,” said board member Bobby (“Rusty”) Beam at a meeting of the Building and Site Committee held Monday. “None of them want to accept responsibility, and we should not have to go through this.” The committee directed board attorney David Black on Monday to send a letter to the involved parties that sets a Sept. 9 deadline for putting the issue to rest. If it can’t be worked out by then, legal action could follow. “We’re paying somebody big bucks to look after this, and somebody’s responsible,” board Chairman Tommy Houser said. In the mean time, roofers from Charley Company continue to come out to the school every time a leak occurs, said Randy Putnam, the school district’s maintenance supervisor. They have repaired damage outside at no cost since the problem was identified before a five-year warranty on the work expired. The ceiling tiles, however, have cost the district, Putnam said. He estimates each 2-by-2-foot tile costs $3 or $4. And Canipe still has to deal with the “nasty, ugly mess” left by the water damage. Aside from the appearance of the school, the cafeteria has its health rating lowered by a couple of points because of the leaks. Canipe also has concerns about mold being created that could hurt air quality in the school. “It doesn’t matter who’s at fault or blame — just fix it,” she said. ————— Staff Writer Jeremy Ashton can be reached at 704-735-3031 or jashton@ltnews.com.
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© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
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