Re: Governor Jeb Bush's IN THE NEWS... Friday, November 4, 2005

[Guest guest]

HUMMmmmmmmmm,

What about This?!.

ABC 7 Medical: Sick School?

Monday October 24, 2005 5:45pm Reporter: Kathy Fowler

Washington,DC

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1005/271481.html

eVideo: Medical: Sick School?

-WJLA Script-

Anchor:

TEACHERS AT ONE Montgomery County (website - news) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

NOTICED AN INCREASING NUMBER OF THEIR STUDENTS SUFFERING FROM

RASHES, NOSE BLEEDS, HEADACHES AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.

THEY BELIEVE IT'S CAUSED BY MOLD IN THE SCHOOL.

ABC-7 NEWS MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER WENT TO THE SCHOOL TO

INVESTIGATE.

Kathy Fowler:

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE ON TOP OF THIS MOLD

PROBLEM, BUT SOME PARENTS DISAGREE AND ARE THREATENING TO PULL THEIR

CHILDREN OUT OF THE SCHOOL.

Jack : " he saw my tongue and my vocal cords.. my swollen vocal

cords. "

EVER SINCE 8-YEAR OLD JACK wright WENT BACK TO SCHOOL AT DUFIEF

ELEMENTARY IN MONTOGMERY COUNTY HE'S HAD RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.

JACK'S PARENTS SAY ANTIBIOTICS, ALLERGY MEDICINE , EVEN STEROIDS

DON'T HELP - THEY BELIEVE " MOLD " IN JACK'S SCHOOL IS MAKING HIM

SICK.

, Father: " He's never had health issues like this before,

all the sudden he does.

Jack : " I want my voice back. "

IN AUGUST TEACHERS AND CUSTODIAL STAFF RETURNED TO DUFIEF ELEMENTARY

TO FIND BLACK AND GREEN MOLD GROWING EVERYWHERE - FROM CEILINGS TO

FLOORS. A STAFFER WHO DID NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED DESCRIBED WHAT

THEY SAW.

Custodian: " I couldn't believe what I seen.. her cabinets had black

mold.. everyone of her desk had black mold...every chair... even the

floor.. had black mold on it.. and it stunk.. it was the worst

smell. "

, Montgomery County Schools: " we've done extensive

cleaning, cleaned all the air vents, used hepa air filters. "

BUT EXTENSIVE CLEANING DIDN'T PREVENT THE MOLD PROBLEM FROM COMING

BACK. THAT'S WHEN SCHOOL OFFICIALS ORDERED AIR QUALITY TESTS THAT

REVEALED POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LEVELS OF BACTERIA AND FUNGI - IN

SOME CASES THE REPORT LISTS " OVERLOADED " WHERE MOLD SPORES WERE TOO

HIGH TO COUNT.

Custodian: " So you keep cleaning??? yeah.. but the mold???? came

back yeah... Keeps coming back. "

INDOOR AIR QUALITY EXPERTS WHO WORK FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SAY THE

MOLD PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A THERMOSTAT MISTAKENLY SET TOO LOW OVER

THE SUMMER. BUT A SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER SAYS THE REAL PROBLEM IS A

LEAKING ROOF.

ABC-7 NEWS WENT UNDERCOVER TO INVESTIGATE. WHEN WE LOOKED BEHIND A

BRAND NEW CEILING TILE THAT REPLACED A WATER-STAINED ONE, and

DISCOVERED a HOLE IN THE ROOF.

WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED IT HERE... YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE SKY FROM THE

CLASSROOM.

: There's a hole in the roof??? yeah .. there's a hole

in the roof.. you can see through the classroom?? the only thing

between the sky and the classroom is a tile.. that would need to be

repaired quickly. "

ABC-7 NEWS OBTAINED WORK ORDERS THAT SHOW THE PROBLEMS WERE FIRST

REPORTED AT LEAST 3 YEARS AGO. HEALTH EXPERTS SAY MOLD CAN CAUSE

ALLERGIES AND HEALTH ISSUES EVEN IN HEALTHY CHILDREN...

Children's Environmental Health Network: W'll see lots of asthma who

have long-term exposure to mold... Definitely respiration

infractions.. lots of wheezing and coughing. "

ONE TEACHER, WHO WANTS HER IDENTITY CONCEALED SAYS SHE'S TIRED OF

GETTING SICK AND WORRIES ABOUT HER STUDENTS

Teacher: " Do you feel your health is at risk?? Yes I " m scared.. i'm

afraid.. i'm afraid for the kids.. I'm terrified for the kids. "

BUT MANY PARENTS HAVE LOST FAITH IN THE SCHOOL'S PLANS TO FIX

PROBLEMS... THEY'RE HOLDING MEETINGS WITH THEIR OWN INDUSTRIAL

HYGENIST AND FORMING THEIR OWN PLAN OF ACTION.

: " They say it's going to cost millions or dollars, okay,

so what. Close the school down and send the kids someplace else if

there's a health problem. His life is worth a million dollars to me. "

Kathy Fowler:

PARENTS WANT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HIRE AN OUTSIDE CLEANING SERVICE

THAT SPECIALIZES IN MOLD REMEDIATION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

MONTGOMERY SCHOOL OFFICIALS HAVE ORDERED A SECOND AIR QUALITY TEST

AND THEY SAY ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY RESULTS, THERE HAVE BEEN

SERIOUS IMPROVEMENTS...

Governor Jeb Bush's IN THE NEWS... Friday, November 4, 2005

> For those E-Newsletter recipients who have Adobe Acrobat reader, Governor

> Bush's e-newsletter is available in .PDF format by clicking here:

>

> http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/government/otherinfo/in_the_news.html

>

> The text version of the e-newsletter is below.

>

>

> COMMEMORATIVE BOOK ANNOUNCED DURING REUNION LUNCHEON HONORING GOVERNOR'S

> MANSION DOCENTS

>

> On Monday, First Lady Columba Bush and I were joined by former Florida

> Governors and First Ladies for a special reunion luncheon honoring

> Governor's mansion docents. During the luncheon, we announced the

> creation

> of a commemorative 50th anniversary book, First Families in Residence:

> Life

> at the Florida Governor's Mansion. Sponsored by the Governor's Mansion

> Foundation, the book will highlight the history of the current residence

> and

> the eleven gubernatorial families who lived there from 1957 through 2006.

>

>

> PLAN TO ASSIST SCHOOLS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE WILMA ANNOUNCED

>

> On Tuesday, Commissioner Winn and I announced that public schools in

> counties most affected by Hurricane Wilma will receive waivers from the

> Department of Education (DOE) on a variety of issues, including compliance

> with class size requirements, flexibility on the required number of school

> days, suspension of immunization requirements, and eligibility for McKay

> and

> Opportunity Scholarships. Continuity in the wake of a hurricane is

> critical

> for returning community life to normal. The Supplemental Order I signed

> provides school districts with support and needed flexibility to provide

> educational services for students affected by Hurricane Wilma. For the

> most

> up-to-date hurricane information and Florida's schools, please visit

> www.fldoe.org

>

>

> GOVERNOR BUSH ANNOUNCES EMERGENCY " BRIDGE LOANS " AVAILABLE FOR SMALL

> BUSINESSES SEVERELY IMPACTED BY WILMA

>

> On Wednesday, I activated Florida's Small Business Emergency 'Bridge Loan'

> Program to provide emergency, short-term loans to businesses in counties

> severely impacted by Hurricane Wilma. Applications will be available in

> Broward, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee,

> Palm

> Beach counties and the Glades communities of Belle Glade, Pahokee, and

> South

> Bay. I also allocated $20 million from General Revenue to fund the Bridge

> Loan Program. The appropriation is made through a budget amendment

> pursuant

> to the Governor's emergency declaration. For more information on SBA

> disaster assistance loans, go to www.sba.gov.

>

>

> $3.1 BILLION IN TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR GROWTH MANAGEMENT UNVEILED

>

> On Wednesday, I unveiled more than $3 billion in transportation

> improvements

> as part of Florida's sweeping growth management reforms signed into law

> last

> June. The " pay-as-you-grow " proposal overhauled the state's growth

> management laws for the first time in two decades to ensure roads, schools

> and water are available to meet the needs of Florida's growing

> communities.

> The transportation funding will be used to relieve a backlog of road

> projects and improve major transportation corridors across the state.

> Investing in our transportation system is vital to Florida's economic

> prosperity and our high quality of life. For more information, please

> visit: www.dot.state.fl.us

>

>

> CHARTER SCHOOLS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED

>

> On Thursday, I addressed more than 300 charter school administrators and

> school district charter staff at the annual Florida Charter School

> Conference in Lake Buena Vista. Challenging the charter schools to renew

> their promise to pursue academic achievement for all students, I also

> praised school founders for their innovative and dedicated approach to

> education. By setting high standards and supporting students in new ways,

> charter schools provide flexibility and true accountability to parents and

> students. " For more information on Florida's educational options, visit

> http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org.

>

>

> GOVERNOR BUSH PRESENTS POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD TO CHRISTA BAUCOM

>

> Congratulations!

>

> To read more about this week's winner, please click here:

> http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/governorsoffice/pdfs/pol20051102.pdf

>

>

> ____________________________________________________________________

> Volume 7, Issue 43

> Copyright© 2005 State of Florida

>

> If you would like to change your subscription or unsubscribe, please go

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>

> Thank you.

>

>

>

>