Laurels & lances: A last goodbye and a final cost
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Laurel: To a sad goodbye. Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire was killed Jan. 2 in an incident that was a tragedy for his family and the community he served.
On Wednesday, the massive turnout for his funeral spoke to his relationships with his neighbors as well as his respect within the law enforcement community.
“He was like a son to me,” said Jamie Bock, the retired police chief McIntire succeeded four years to the day before his death. “I’ll never forget him.”
While the people of the area lined the streets for the funeral and literal signs of support were everywhere, the solemn, solid turnout of his police brethren told the sad story silently. McIntire’s watch ended too soon. His fellow officers will pick it up from here.
Lance: To a ballooning cost. Everything is going up in price right now. Gas, eggs, you name it.
Still, a $31 million increase? That’s a lot — even for a government project.
That’s the number now attached to the Hempfield Area High School renovation, up from a low of $97 million.
It is in part because of inflation. Everyone can identify with that — and people who did quarantine renovation projects can no doubt empathize with the increased cost of materials. The other factor is an increase of square footage in the project.
The real issue is in how long a school construction project can drag on. It takes years from the initial feasibility studies to the designs, redesigns, submissions to the state, etc., to wind their way to the point where ground is dug and concrete is poured.
As we have seen in recent years, that can make a huge impact in the final cost of a project. This is a reason for school boards and their administrators to be realistic and concise in their projects and planning. However, it’s also a reason for the public to pay close attention to what’s going on.