April 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
Hauser greenhouse to be updated (corrected)
An outdated and unusable greenhouse at Hauser Jr./Sr. High School is about to be updated with modern bells and whistles.
Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County donated $20,000 last month to the school's agricultural department, which will combine the funds with $8,000 already in its coffers to repair the facility for use by high and junior high students, according to Aleesa Dickerson, the school's agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America adviser.
She said the greenhouse, built about 30 years ago, has not been used for several years because of blown fuses, missing parts and an overall deteriorating condition. The repairs will not only allow the space to reopen, she said, but also will include updated technology that is more conducive to modern practices and techniques.
The facility is about 1,050 square feet and connects physically to the school, Dickerson said. FFA members and other students with helpful skills already have started locating underground drainage systems and begun checking the greenhouse's still-working systems, like electricity and water.
Dickerson said work would begin very soon and will include replacing the supporting structure for the glass from the metal siding to a block wall. She said the school would reuse all of the building's existing glass panels, which are in good shape.
Whatever parts of the job that students and staff are unable to perform will be contracted out to experts in the community.
Dickerson said the building will be used initially by:
- The FFA for a plant sale.
- The agricultural department through a horticulture or plant/soil science class.
- A junior high science class that currently uses a temporary space.
Shawn Price, superintendent of the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp., praised Dickerson during an Aug. 25 school board meeting for securing the grant from the Heritage Fund. Dickerson, who recognized the need for an updated facility, had to apply for the grant, which ultimately made up the bulk of the facility's $28,000 price tag.
"We are very excited to begin this project and can't wait to get it to usable condition," she said.[[In-content Ad]]
