AHS construction updates

A few notes from my visit to Anniston High School today, covering their first ever leadership retreat (which you can read about in tomorrow's Star):

- The Anniston City Council approved giving the school system $44,250 Monday morning for repairs to the Anniston Center for the Performing Arts. The money will pay for lighting, sound and other equipment damaged by water and smoke after a May 2006 fire at the high school. It will be used by the Knox Concert Series but will be available for the high school's use as well. The school wasted no time ordering the equipment, and a crew was unloading a truck into the auditorium this morning.

- Work was also under way to install a covered ramp leading to the high school's main entrance. The work is required to bring the school into compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The ramp has been poured and a coat of white paint was being applied.

- Even more work was going on in the high school gym. A new floor is being installed as part of the school system's capital plans.

- Lastly, the bookshelves at the high school library are coming back to pre-fire levels. The school received a shipment of about 4,700 books in late September, and they're all tagged, cataloged and up on the shelves. Librarian Becky Brown plans to put in another order in December to bring the collection back to about 9,000, where it stood before the fire.