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SUNNY Temp: 41 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 28, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 2, 2002 Eagle Point burn site hazards will delay classes By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune EAGLE POINT — Fire officials have declared the fire-damaged middle school off limits to salvage operations, stalling the start of double shifts at the high school for a week. Students from the middle and high schools will start school on Sept. 16, a week later than school officials had earlier anticipated. Eagle Point’s elementary schools will open on schedule on Tuesday. Wayne Gallagher, co-principal at Eagle Point Middle School, said the fire investigation has prevented teachers from retrieving belongings from 14 classrooms that didn’t appear to receive major damage from the fire on Thursday. Tom Brookins, battalion chief for Jackson County Fire District No. 3, said the classrooms might look intact, but attic areas have been so severely damaged that ceilings could collapse. Before anyone can enter the classrooms, the insurance company has to evaluate the potential safety risks, he said. The fire broke out last Thursday morning, quickly sweeping through unoccupied classrooms built from the remains of 1940s-era Camp White Quonset huts. Firemen continue to patrol the smoldering remains of the campus every four hours to make sure no hot spots reignite. Gallagher said, "There are some hot spots that won’t even be cooled off until Tuesday." Two security personnel are conducting 24-hour surveillance around the campus and a cyclone fence has been installed as additional protection. Despite the extra delay in school starting, Gallagher said an orientation will be held Sept. 12 and 13 at the high school for 760 middle school students, which will mean they’ve only lost one full-week of school. An administrative area should be set up in the former Eagle Center of the high school by Thursday. Calls to the middle school will automatically be rerouted to the new offices. Under the new schedule, high school students will start at 6:30, ending at noon. Middle school students will start at 12:30, finishing up at 6 p.m. Gallagher said the school will have to reconstruct many of the permanent records of students, which had been stored in fireproof safes, but probably didn’t survive because they were in one of the hottest areas of the blaze. While many of the files are also on computers, Gallagher said state assessment scores might be lost forever. Gallagher said the unrecoverable records would have a note stating the information was destroyed in the fire. The school will ask parents to come in and verify any records it does have. Gallagher said the district is still waiting to hear about the extent of insurance coverage to pay for demolition and rebuilding. "There definitely is the possibility of a silver lining in all this," he said. Voters had already approved a $34 million bond to build two new middle schools and demolish the existing middle school campus in about a year. Jody Streetman, president of the teachers’ union, said the middle school has received calls from people wanting to donate file cabinets and other supplies to teachers. "The outpouring of community support has been incredible," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S