SUNLAND : Asbestos Removal at Library Completed

The removal of vinyl asbestos tiles and glue at the Mount Gleason Middle School library was finished this week, clearing the way to rebuild the library damaged by a fire two years ago, Los Angeles Unified School District officials said Thursday.

The school has had no library for most of those two years, but in April an unused shop room was converted into a temporary library with books and equipment donated through the Sunland-Tujunga Coordinating Council.

The fire, set by thieves two years ago, destroyed 11,000 books and 300 videotapes, causing about $250,000 in damage.

Julie Crum, deputy director for the school district’s maintenance operations branch, said that a monthlong $13,000 asbestos removal project was finished Tuesday.

School officials will meet Oct. 27 with OB General Contractors of Arcadia, which is scheduled to begin library reconstruction Nov. 9 under a 165-day contract, with the job scheduled to be completed in April for $304,000.

“We’re in the very first phase of this,” Mount Gleason Vice Principal John McLaughlin said.

While a fund to replace books and equipment had been dropped in budget cuts two years ago, Crum said there may be a request to the school board for some money to be earmarked to replaced the lost equipment at Mount Gleason as part of the budget proposals in the spring.