Letter carriers’ food drive will send help to the hungry

Paper or plastic? U.S. Postal Service workers hope you will choose the latter.

Letter carriers from Oklahoma City and more than 40 cities in the state will collect nonperishable food donations as they deliver mail Saturday.

The “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” benefits Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma receive food from the charity.

Residents can place plastic bags of food next to their mailbox. Letter carriers are delivering plastic bags but residents may use their own.

Saturday will be the toughest day of the year for letter carriers, said letter carrier Steve Riggs. Letter carriers will deliver mail, but also pick up food.

“Letter carriers through the course of delivering the mail all year long, we see the actual face of hunger. Because we’re on every street in every city every day,” said Riggs. “This is just one other way we give back to the community. We’re proud of the fact that we can help.”

Last year, Oklahoma City letter carriers collected about 684,000 pounds of food and nearly $586,000. Letter carriers nationwide collected a record 73.4 million pounds.

Food banks need nonperishable items, such as canned meats, meat-based soups, canned fruits, canned vegetables, peanut butter, rice and beans. They will not accept opened packages, baby food, glass containers or home-canned items.

This story, written by Brian Sargent, was published in The Oklahoman on Sunday, May 2.

City schools are preparing for millions in renovations

OKLAHOMA CITY — Renovations at seven Oklahoma City schools will begin this year as the multiyear MAPS for Kids initiative continues.

Construction costs in 2010 are expected to be $54.5 million, a school district status report shows.

Four high schools — Capitol Hill, Classen School of Advanced Studies, Northwest Classen and Southeast — and Eugene Field Elementary School will be renovated. Classrooms will be added to Linwood and Thelma R. Parks elementary schools.

Terry Wolfe, facilities manager with the school district, offered a blunt assessment about the physical condition of some of the schools.

“Our buildings are very old. We have not had a significant investment that has brought them up to being ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant,” Wolfe said. “The end result should be an extended life for our buildings.”

The final 20 projects are scheduled to begin in 2011 and be completed in 2012, he said.

The seven schools scheduled for work this year aren’t being rebuilt completely, Wolfe said, but the buildings will be brought up to date and have the same features as new schools and classrooms.

Wolfe said newer electronic equipment in classrooms requires more electricity than some schools were built to provide.

“Mechanical systems weren’t designed to keep up with equipment found in some of today’s classrooms,” he said.

Not all renovations will be as complex as replacing mechanical systems.

Some will be as simple as new bathroom fixtures, paint, floors and ceilings.

“The general appearance of our schools will be first-rate,” Wolfe said.

Linwood Principal Susan Combs said it’s important to keep students aware of what to expect while the school is being renovated and eight classrooms are added.

“There will be noises. There will be distractions. Keeping that focus on learning and how important that is, we have that instilled here,” she said.

Nearly 400 students attend Linwood.

In addition to more classrooms, a new media center and administrative offices will be built. Construction was to start this month.

“We are extremely excited because our area has grown so much population-wise,” Combs said. “We are at higher student numbers than we have ever been, and we’re crowded. It will be a long process, but the end result will be phenomenal for all of us.”

This story, written by Brian Sargent, was published in The Oklahoman on Sunday, April 25.