Wednesday, March 19, 2008

RMS renovations complete

Times staff report

With the Rawlins Middle School renovation project complete as of Oct. 29, Carbon County School District 1 officials are now wrapping up the project in the books.

District 1 Business Manager Garry Goergen is working with the School Facilities Commission to finalize project costs and reimbursement values.

At last week’s District 1 School Board meeting, Goergen presented an amendment to the district’s contract with the School Facilities Commission. The amendment adjusts the final project value according to changes made to the original design that are valued at more than $100,000. The price change flowed over a 5 percent contract allowance by $32,411. In its entirety, the Rawlins Middle School renovations project cost more than $1,621,637.

Changes included alterations to the roof design as well as additional electrical work that was originally part of the project’s second stage. After a revision to the SFC funding evaluation method last year, District 1 lost funding and was forced to adjust the project’s scope. The revised phase two is now “delayed indefinitely,” District 1 Superintendent Peggy Sanders said.

The intended exterior work included a new approach to the middle school from Harshman Street as well as work on the bus drop off and parking areas. They should be addressed at a later date. “We will know where we fall on the (priority) list when the SFC adds a final element to its assessment: the suitability score,” Sanders said. “At that point, every building will be ranked according to condition, suitability and capacity.”

County Easter events abound

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

On Saturday, area children should be on a sugar high after a host of egg hunts scattered across the county take place.

In Rawlins, the Eagles and the Veterans of Foreign Wars co-host a Saturday hunt at 10 a.m. in Washington Park. They are prepared for up to 400 egg hunters. Participants up to 14 years old can look for prize-winning, specially-marked eggs. There are also 100 smaller prizes, marked by a certificate inside the egg, for things like sodas, coloring books, footballs and bracelets.

In Saratoga, the Xi Alpha Kappa Beta Sigma Phi sorority hosts a hunt at the Saratoga Inn on Saturday at 11 a.m. Three prize baskets should be available to the finders of several lucky eggs. Kindergarten-aged kids or younger from any community may participate. An Easter bunny should make an appearance.

Encampment, Medicine Bow and Hanna have community Easter events on Saturday as well. The Encampment-Riverside Volunteer Fire Department holds their hunt for kids from pre-school to sixth grade at 10 a.m. in the Riverside Town Park. In Medicine Bow, the Lion’s Club hides eggs for kids ages 12 and younger in the field recreation area on the north side of town at 11 a.m. Hanna’s Girl Scouts sponsor another 10 a.m. egg hunt at the Hanna Recreation Center. Unlike the others, Hanna’s hunt should be held indoors. There is no age limit for participants, but the hunts are staggered by age so parents can watch.

Elks Lodge members plans to hide 5,439 eggs throughout the Carbon County Fairgrounds in Rawlins on Sunday. Stuffed with candy, money and gift certificates for cinnamon sticks at Domino’s Pizza, the eggs should be available for hunting at 1 p.m. for children up to age 14. “If it starts at 1 p.m., be there at 10 (minutes) till,” Rawlins Main Street Director Pam Thayer said. “It’s over at 1:03.”

For each egg hunt, kids should bring a basket or sack to stash their eggs.

Jan Kurbjun

A restless soul. A free spirit. An optimist. A thinker. Passionate. Fun-loving... :D