Show The People Should Know From The TIle Ephraim Enterprise Is the Ephraim School building safe or is it unsafe That is THE burning question for Ephraim and for all of So South tl Sanpete right now And the people especially the teachers and those who have children in the Ephraim elementary elementary elementary elemen elemen- tary and junior high school have a right to know and NOW If it is unsafe who is going to o pronounce it so OFFICIALLY If it is safe who is going to say so OFFICIALLY One private engineering firm in December 1949 pointed point point- I ed out the many defects of the building said a complete reconditioning reconditioning reconditioning re re- re- re conditioning is necessary and in consideration of the enormous expense of such a project stated Accordingly we believe that such a corrective program is not economically justifiable and that steps for the removal of this structure and replacement with a new one are advis advis- a able ble I Another structural engineer on July 14 1950 pointed out essentially the same defects and named one wall failure failure failure fail fail- ure more emphatically and then concluded Although the structure is old and in a state of disrepair disrepair disrepair dis dis- dis- dis repair most of the structural elements appear to be in good condition and still serviceable However due to the dangerous danger danger- ous condition of the walls at the southeast corner of the b building and the questionable safety of the stairs pl plaster ster and roof structure it is recommended that further use of this building building building build build- ing in its present state be discontinued Through an extensive remodeling program this structure structure structure ture could again be made serviceable although the economy of such action is questionable That this latter inspection had ever been made was known by comparatively few people Even officers of the I Ephraim Teacher Parent-Teacher Association the group which has hasI been most active in following up the matter state they did not know until very recently that the inspection had been made nor had they heard of the recommendation that further further further fur fur- ther use of this building in its present state be discontinued But apparently one group was aware of the inspection and nd recommendation This was a group of citizens from all communities of the district appointed to visit school buildings of the district ascertain the the building needs and report on their findings The publishers sought a report from this com committee at the time last August but were told that no p public report w was as ready but one doubtless would be made later Now we have been supplied with a copy of bf a letter dated August 9 1950 as follows u Mr Leland E. E Anderson Superintendent y r I I South Sanpete School District Manti l Utah Dear Mr Anderson The committee you appointed to consider the building program for the South Sanpete School District met again on Tuesday evening August at which meeting the following resolution was passed It was moved by William G. G Barton that due to the fact that the time and legal limits do not permit the planning of a complete building program for the South Sanpete School District at present we recommend that because of the Ephraim Ephraim Ephraim Eph Eph- raim building being designated as a hazard steps should be betaken betaken I taken immediately to make any temporary arrangements possible possible possible pos pos- sible to make it safe for the children or remove them from said building and that we look forward to the completion of the entire district building program as soon as adequate funds can be provided within the law and this may bb bh possible after the legislative session of 1951 Very V ery truly yours Signed Ray P. P Dyreng Chairman Well there are two recommendations One from a structural engin engineer er Mr Hoffman C. C Hughes recommending that further use of this building in its present state be discontinued discontinued discontinued dis dis- dis- dis continued and the other from a group of citizens from all parts of the district recommending that beca because se of the Ephraim Ephraim Ephraim Eph Eph- raim building being designated as a hazard steps should be betaken betaken betaken taken immediately to make any temporary arrangements possible pos pos- Bible sible to make it safe for the children or remove them from said building What are Ephraim children and parents and teachers to think Should school be continued in the building What should be the attitude of other communities where new school buildings are needed Should they consider the plight of the Ephraim people Would they be willing to send their children to a building designated as unsafe and a hazard Should they expect this situation to continue until sufficient funds are available for a complete building program in the district a program recommended by the committee but details details details de de- de- de tails of which we do not now have Or should the unsafe condition at Ephraim take precedence over other building I needs of the district In the meantime something official concerning the Ep Ephraim raim building is needed NOW But where is the official 6 agency to make the official inspection and render the official official cia cial verdict concerning the building whether it is safe or not A summary investigation by Mayor G. G Calvert Larsen of Ephraim this week seems to indicate there is no official state agency with power to act and to rule in the matter of public buildings And that seems strange doesn't it We have state agencies to inspect scales gasoline pumps automobiles automobiles automobiles automo automo- biles etc and yet there is none apparently to say whether whether- or not a school building is safe Maybe its it's a matter for county action or community action But that seems rather out of line with some other matters in which the state has acted I Take the matter of swimming pools for instance Manti ManU Ephraim and a lot of other communities had pools which they considered a boon to the children and comparatively safe far safer than canals creeks reservoirs etc where the children have been swimming and one of them drowning drowning- since the pools were closed And who closed them Why a state agency without any consideration of local wishes local ability to meet standards set by that agency or the fact that no serious accident or disease is known to have resulted from use of the pools as they were If one state agency has such power in a matter where no one is forced or required to attend surely there should be some agency to rule officially on the safeness of a school 1 building where hundreds of ot pupils must go every day In the meantime Ephraim parents and children are jit jit- jittery tery And who can blame them Some are clamoring for fora a mass meeting which we believe would do far more nore harm than good Others are urging that children be kept from the building and placed elsewhere as recommended by Mr Dyreng's Dyreng's Dyreng's Dy- Dy reng's committee last August But one thing is certain some official action should he be taken and NOW The people of all South Sanpete should be informed at once of the true condition of the Ephraim building as determined by an official inspection by some som Is no the agency with power to say yes or to question the building safe If it is unsafe surely there is not a thinking person in the district who would make remedying of the condition wait on funds for a new gymnasium or other building not so urgently needed Let the th people have tho the official facts and we believe they will act cooperatively and wisely in the matter |