Ground Breaks on New Appleby School in Blythe
Just about every dignitary in town was on hand to wield a golden shovel, but the day belonged to the kids, as ground was broken for the new Felix J. Appleby School. The new school will be in unincorporated Riverside County just south of the city.
The kids were bussed from their temporary school at the old college campus on Chanslorway, and they stole the show as they celebrated by singing the school song and chanting "dig, dig, dig" during the groundbreaking ceremonies.
Mayor Robert Crain, Palo Verde Unified School District Superintendent Alan Jensen, and Appleby Principal Michelle Richardson all stressed in their remarks that they were looking to the future, after 7 long years at the temporary site.
The previous Appleby School campus, opened in the mid-60s, was built on top of a 30-inch natural gas pipeline. When the school district found that it could not use state funds or local school improvement bond money to improve the campus, they realized that they would be forced to move to a new location.
The latest incarnation of Appleby School is expected to be complete in late 2008.
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Ground Breaks on New Appleby School in Blythe