New year, new gear

Roachdale Elementary opened its doors to show off the new renovations that were completed for the new school year. And while the students, parents and staff have mostly seen the new building, the novelty is anything but worn. "I love it, it's phenomenal," Principal Scott Spencer said. The school has undergone a dramatic face lift, over the course of construction it has received new air circulation units, new doors on every classroom, energy efficient boilers, new dishwashers, energy efficient lighting, a parking lot renovation, paving of the eighth-mile walking track, a larger reception area, heated and air conditioned corridors and gym, an outdoor shelter, new ceilings and new shelves in each classroom where antiquated, banging radiators once sat. With all this new comes a new outlook as well. The air in the hallways has improved so drastically that it has been cited as a good way to understand the transformation: go in and take a deep breath, it's completely different. (bottom photo by KYLE HOLLINGER top photo courtesy photo)