School construction an inconvenience for park-goers

CONTROVERSY IS BREWING OVER AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE NORTHEAST HEIGHTS A-P-S IS REBUILDING GEORGIA O KEEFE ELEMENTARY - AND THEY RE DOING IT BY TAKING OVER THE MAJORITY OF A CITY PARK SOME SAY IT S WORTH IT BUT OTHERS SAY IT S NO PICNIC JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR TRAMWAY AND ACADEMY WITH TONIGHT S TOP STORY JEFF RIGHT NOW TWO- THIRDS OF GEORGIA O KEEFFE PARK IS BEING USED FOR PORTABLES FOR THE KIDS TO LEARN IN WHILE THEIR NEW SCHOOL IS BEING REBUILT NEXT DOOR A-P-S REACHED A COMPROMISE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD EARLIER THIS YEAR - BUT NOW THAT CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY -- SOME NEIGHBORS ARE HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS FOR THIS GROUP OF FRIENDS - THEIR REGULAR RUGBY PRACTICE IS NOT QUITE THE SAME ANYMORE we used to use this field so much we would come here like every other day THIS IS WHAT GEORGIA O KEEFE PARK LOOKED LIKE LAST DECEMBER AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW - LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION AND A LOT LESS SPACE for one if anyone else is playing football or soccer it takes up the entire field section and in rugby we practice kicking and you kick the ball - it goes over the fence - you have to go over the fence to go get it I think it s pretty sad really you have a big old spot for kids to come and play get outside and get some exercise and you cut it down to this BUT OTHERS SAY SACRIFICING THE PARK IS WELL WORTH THE CAUSE I think it s a good compromise there is going to be a new school built over here which is needed long overdue GEORGIA O KEEFE ELEMENTARY WAS BUILT IN 1989 AS A MODULAR SCHOOL - MEANING IT CONSISTED OF JUST PERMANENT PORTABLE CLASSROOMS IT WAS ONLY MEANT TO LAST TEN YEARS EARLIER THIS YEAR A-P-S OFFICIALS HELD NUMEROUS MEETINGS WITH THE CITY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST PLAN FOR HOW AND WHERE TO REBUILD THE NEW SCHOOL ONCE THE 15- MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT IS FINISHED A-P-S OFFICIALS SAY THE KIDS WILL HAVE A BETTER AND MUCH LONGER-LASTING CAMPUS even though we ll go through some pain to get there we must have some compromise to eventually get what is best for the neighborhood and the taxpayers of Albuquerque THE PARK WILL BE THIS SAME SIZE UNTIL JANUARY OF 2010 - THAT S WHEN CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW SCHOOL WILL BE FINISHED AFTER THAT - A-P-S WILL FIX THE PARK AND HAVE IT READY THAT SUMMER LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST HEIGHTS JEFF