STEELE CREEK NEWS
Association
Meeting Focused on Deteriorating Facilities at Olympic
(February
24, 2007) Parents, staff, students, and other community supporters
expressed concern over the condition of facilities Olympic High
School at the 2007 annual meeting of the Steele Creek Residents
Association on Thursday, February 2 at Olympic high School.
Several members
of a new committee of the Residents Association spoke on the needs
of Olympic and their vision for making it great.
Craig Bollinger said
that the Steele Creek community was unique in Mecklenburg County,
lying between the airport, I-77, the state line, and Lake Wylie, it
is more geographically identifiable than other sections of the
county. It is rapidly changing with new residential, commercial, and
other development coming in. It is a naturally diverse community,
and Olympic High School is the pillar of the community.
The creation of the
five schools comprising the Olympic Community of Schools is a model
for the country. It can go from being merely good to being great,
but not unless the community gets involved.
Annabelle Suddreth
said that Olympic received a grant from the Gates Foundation to
create the five schools, but the grant didn't help the facilities.
Olympic
students Jessica Shamp and Jennifer Eickmeyer presented a slide show
illustrating some of the deplorable areas of Olympic.
John Rudisill, Fire
and Life Safety Educator with the
Charlotte Fire Department, talked about several new
facilities in the area. Fire Station 37 has just opened on S Tryon
Street near Shopton Road West. The temporary station on Sledge Road
that was vacated by the Station 37 staff will become temporary
Station 38. The new Station 38 is now under construction on Shopton Road West
near Withers Cove, just north of The Sanctuary. It will have access
to Lake Wylie and house a fire boat in addition to an engine
company.
Also planned is
a Safety Village near Renaissance Park on Tyvola Road. This will be
an education facility where school groups and other children can
learn about fire safety.
Mr. Rudisill also
stressed fire safety in the home. Statistics show that every person
will experience a home fire twice in their lives. Everyone should
have functioning smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and fire
extinguishers. Every residence also should have an evacuation plan
and families should practice evacuation regularly, just like fire
drills in school.
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