Construction set to begin at MRHS

By Heather Killen

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Work on the long-awaited Middleton Regional High School gym and music room is near to groundbreaking.

Heather McCormick, MRHS principal, said she’s pleased that things are coming together again, after a complication forced the board’s engineers to revise its plans for the new gym and music room.

A test revealed that the soil wasn’t able to support the foundation for the new structure. The board’s first plan was to dig the area out and replace the soil with gravel.

Further consultation with engineers revealed that the best plan would be to use pilings to support the foundation, similar to those used for the elementary school.

The new plans call for about 115 holes to be drilled for pilings, and this will take place at a rate of approximately five pilings per day.

“The Town has been wonderful in supporting us,” she said. “They have already notified the citizens about the work and when it will take place.”

Once the tender is awarded, the first step will be limiting traffic and access around the site.

“We’re all pretty excited,” she said. “The community has invested so much effort and support into this. It never would have happened without them.”

McCormick said she expects the work to begin within the next few weeks. She’s keeping her fingers crossed that the new structure will be ready in time for graduation in June.

“People may have to bring their own chairs,” she said. “But wouldn’t it be wonderful?”

In the meantime, the MRHS Enhancement Committee is taking a short break from its ongoing fundraising efforts. McCormick added the committee has met its goal for the January deadline, and so students will turn their efforts towards raising money for community projects.

“We usually do some fundraising in October and November,” she said. ”But we don’t have a pressing need right now, so the students will work on behalf of the food bank, and the Terry Fox Run.”

McCormick added that when the committee has a better idea what fittings are needed for the new facility, fundraising efforts will resume again.

New designs for gyms don’t always include standard features such as stages, so until the project is further along, the enhancement committee won’t know how much it needs to supply.