Other school improvements include security upgrade
By Ed Simmons, Jr.
cpreporter@lcs.net
"This is my pride and joy!" says Caroline Public Schools Maintenance Supervisor George Gagnon with a sweep of his hand showing off the revitalized and gleaming Caroline High School gym, site for the Battlefield District Boys Basketball Tournament in February. Teams will travel to compete in the Caroline gym from Culpeper, Eastern View, Chancellor, Courtland, James Monroe, King George and Spotsylvania. With hundreds and hundreds attending, Gagnon predicts a boon for county restaurants. The visiting teams will play in a gym that's a world-class winner now. Formerly it was poorly lit and its old rickety beat-up bleachers were risky to walk on. But now, with Gagnon as project manager and with the support of Superintendent Greg Killough, Assistant Superintendent Eric Cunningham, Principal Tucker Donahoe and Athletic Director Dan Dickey, it's a championship gym and a credit to the county, with a mirror-like floor, bright new lights, plenty of fresh paint, a new sound system with six five-foot-long speakers mounted in the ceiling, colorful new school banners and new blue vinyl bleachers seating 1440.
Unlike the old bleachers, which were dismantled for recycling by Mr. Hobbs and Mr. Roberts' shop students, these have handrails, aisles and spaces on the edge of the court for up to 12 wheelchairs; previously spectators in wheelchairs had to be tucked away at the far ends. In huge letters, the bleachers are painted "CAVS," and a vinyl curtain will prevent the overly adventurous from wandering underneath. Gagnon is planning too to beautify the gym's sound boards, covering them with cloth in school colors red and blue, and adding more sound boards over the bleachers. "Now all we need is an auxiliary gym so we can keep this our showcase gym," he says. He's hoping parents will keep reminding the Board of Supervisors and the School Board that the high school needs renovation and enlarging, and that Bowling Green Primary should soon be converted into a preK-5 school.
Gagnon's other school projects include installing buzz-entry locks on all schools together with security cameras so staff can identify visitors before buzzing-open the door. "Parents will feel comfortable their children are safe inside the school," he said. This summer, as well, Caroline Middle School has gotten seven more cameras, bringing the total to 20, and Caroline High received two more for a total of 12. Bowling Green Elementary and Bowling Green Primary will each be getting five cameras to monitor bus loops, parking lots and main hallways. The Annex's slate roof was also repaired, its two rear valleys redone. The work just completed, Gagnon said he's waiting for rain to check for leaks. New rain gutter was also installed, the soffit repaired and a new hot water heater installed.
Gagnon also supervised the building of a new office at Madison Elementary. "We're working diligently to get that done on time," he says. In the project's second phase next year, a new entrance will allow visitors to enter directly into the office. A bright-eyed, energetic multi-tasker, whose daughter is English teacher Amanda Dickey and son-in-law is Athletic Director Dan Dickey, Gagnon says he "enjoys seeing the results of our efforts" improving Caroline's schools. "It keeps me busy and that's what I like about it!" he says. Then speedily he's on to his next project.
For pictures of these and other maintenance projects, see www.caroline.k12.va.us. On Aug. 23, George Gagnon is awarding a big shiny trophy for "Cleanest School of the Year."