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Feliciana Explorer • Tuesday, February 3, 2015 • Vol. 5, No. 5 • Published Weekly • Circulation 17,000 • felicianaexplorer.com • © 2015

EXPLOREREXPLORERFeliciana

Proud to be the Felicianas' only locally owned, managed, and staffed newspaper.

See LEWIS on page 2

See BUDGET on page 8

Free CPR Training Class Set for St. FrancisvilleIf you needed to perform CPR,

would you be prepared for the task? What about the people closest to you, would they know what to do?

If the answer is “no” then make plans to attend the “Keep the Beat” Bystander CPR Training to learn life-saving CPR skills to maintain vital blood flow to the brain and heart until the ambulance arrives and how to recognize and provide basic care for breathing and cardiac emer-gencies.

“Keep the Beat” will be held Sat-urday, February 21 at First Baptist Church of St. Francisville, 12404 LA Hwy 10. There will be two sessions to choose from 8 a.m. OR 10 a.m.

Special guest, Superintendent of West Feliciana Parish Schools Hol-lis Milton, will share the story of his recent heart attack.

Anyone from the age of 8 to 88 may attend this life-saving class provided free of charge by Lane Re-gional Medical Center and Cardio-vascular Institute of the South.

CPR facts:• Only 1 in 20 people know

CPR, yet cardiovascular disease is the top killer in the country claiming

Brittany Weaver, RN teaches CPR skills to Macy Walker at a recent Keep the Beat community-wide CPR training class. The next Keep the Beat is set for Saturday, Feb 21st at First Baptist Church of St. Fran-cisville.

2,400 lives each day. • About 95% of sudden car-

diac arrest victims die before they reach the hospital.

• Brain death starts to occur within four to six minutes.

• CPR helps maintain vital blood flow to the brain until defibril-lation can be administered.

Registration is required: simply go to: LaneRMC.org, or call 225-658-4587.

The Power of DreamingEast Feliciana’s Dr. Lewis on

His Way Home to New OrleansBy Patricia Stallman

The Students of East Feliciana Parish

On Monday, January 26, Dr. Hen-derson Lewis Jr., said that his own back-ground mirrors that of his students in the East Feliciana Parish public school sys-tem: in most cases, a single-parent home, the strong influence of grandparents, and economic hardship. What could contribute to a child’s failure, however, in his case—and in the case of his East Feliciana students—has instead shone a light on the path to success. His extend-ed family—including an aunt who was a teacher—knew that education over-comes all obstacles. His mother gave him a challenge: “My job was to go to school, to do my very best, and to come home and study.” He did just that. On the days when his own school did not hold classes, he attended school with his aunt if hers was in session.

He learned to take action, and he learned to dream.

In East Feliciana, he says, “hope has been restored.” High expectations and accountability, he emphasizes, required

Henderson Lewis Jr.the team effort of the children, their par-ents, their teachers, the principals, the supervisors, the staff, the School Board, and, in fact, the entire community. In his two and a half year tenure, his East Fe-liciana students have risen to meet those high expectations.

“From the very beginning I saw East Feliciana as a place that was fer-

West Feliciana Schools' Audit Reveals it had a Good Year Controlling ExpensesBy Patricia Stallman

On Tuesday evening, January 27, the auditors of Postlethwaite and Netterville delivered good news to the West Feliciana Parish School Board. Mike Schexneider and Rodney Combs presented the year-end report, which included positive results for “internal con-trols over finances and compliance with State and Federal laws and regulations.” The West Feliciana staff’s record keeping and reports, measured against generally accept-ed accounting procedures, merited, in fact, an “unmodified opinion,” the highest rating.

West Feliciana Superintendent of Schools Hollis Milton, left, and School Board Presi-dent Kevin Beauchamp, right, welcome new School Board Member Beth Tycer, District 4. Tycer replaces Board Member David Cornette, who retired after many years of ser-vice to the Parish. Photograph by Patricia Stallman

The auditors reported an in-crease of $836,831 in total rev-enues to $30,232,926 for 2014. Calling 2014 “a good year for controlling expenses,” Schexnei-der noted that in the General Fund, revenues ($25,602,372) had ex-ceeded expenses ($24,187,441) by $1,414,931, leaving a balance of $4,819,052. Income from property taxes, sales taxes, and the State’s Minimum Foundation Program de-creased slightly, while income from Federal grants experienced a more significant decline of $843,105, re-

2 Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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Phone (225) 654-0122Fax (225) 208-1165

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LEWIS continued from page 1

The result of requiring excellence: just two of the bright faces Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr., says he will "never, ever forget." The two, Aleejah Alexander, seventh grade, East Feliciana Middle School, and Grace Weathersby, second grade, Jackson Elementary School, smile after addressing the teachers, principals, supervisors, staff, and School Board members of the East Feliciana Parish school system, a crowd that filled the Ear-ly Childhood Learning Center auditorium in Clinton. The occasion was the September 2014 kickoff rally to celebrate the new school year. Photograph by Patricia Stallman

tile ground—and that’s because of the children who are in this school system,” the superintendent says. “We’ve proven it over and over: If we teach them, they will learn, and they will excel at the challenge, whether it’s a State exam, a national exam, or the requirements of a particular grade level. Give them that challenge. And if we teach them, they will learn. It’s as simple as that.”

All East Feliciana students—not just those in high school—“from the day their parents first entrust them to us,” learn to dream, to look forward to col-lege and career. “When I ask a kinder-gartner, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I expect that child to reply, ‘An astronaut!’” The dream may change over the years, he says, but “the power of dreaming,” of knowing that they “can be anything in life,” propels all children to a future of hope and achievement.

The Move Home to Orleans Par-ish Schools

In his new position as Orleans Parish Superintendent of Schools, he will head “one of the most impoverished districts in the State of Louisiana.” Once again, his students share the background that both challenged him and provided the means to success.

This time, however, he will bring with him, as a model for the restoration of pride and achievement, the story of East Feliciana’s success. Another impor-tant part of his preparation for his new position is his prior experience, follow-ing Hurricane Katrina, with the New Or-leans Recovery School District.

The challenge in New Orleans, he says, is its two separate school systems. He will head the 20 to 22 schools under the Orleans Parish School Board, while Patrick Dobard will continue to lead the

more than 60 schools in the Recovery School District under State supervision. Of Dr. Lewis’ schools, 14 are charter schools. The Recovery District’s 60 charter schools were, prior to State take-over, failing schools.

When Recovery District schools im-prove, Lewis notes, they have the option of returning to the Orleans Parish sys-tem. As two are in that process now, Dr. Lewis may oversee 22 schools instead of 20.

“Even though I will work under the Orleans Parish School Board,” Lewis says, “part of my responsibility as a su-perintendent will be to facilitate a posi-tive and proactive relationship with the Recovery School District.” The two

superintendents will work together “to establish restoration and real reform for all of the students and parents of Orleans Parish.” Lewis explains that the taxing and bonding authority for public educa-tion in New Orleans is the Orleans Par-ish School Board, and that the citizens of Orleans Parish elect the seven Orleans Parish School Board members. Many of the students, however, attend Recov-ery District schools under State supervi-sion. That requires the superintendents to “work together.” The ultimate goal, he says, is to bring all of the schools togeth-er, as Recovery District Schools achieve a return to the Orleans Parish system.

A co-operative endeavor, Lewis says, calls for the two New Orleans systems

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“to formulate an agreement in three ar-eas.” They must “develop educational programs and services for all students city-wide, improve facilities, and use the available funding and shared financial resources efficiently.”

Lewis identifies his top two chal-lenges as: working with the Orleans Parish School Board on strategic plan-ning “to create specific goals and objec-tives that will guide us through the next five years,” and developing a process “to measure our success, to allow us to judge our progress, to see if we’re mov-ing in the right direction.”

Even though Lewis sees “much progress” in the New Orleans schools in the 10 years since Katrina, “we must make sure that every single student in the district has access to a high-quality education in an academically acceptable school.” Further, “we must rebuild the public’s confidence in the school system

in Orleans Parish.”He plans to remind Orleans Par-

ish residents of “what’s going on now in education and what’s to come.” The example for that hope? East Feliciana Parish.

The Accomplishments of the East Feliciana Public Schools

Here, Lewis says, East Feliciana public schools ranked first in the State for students’ academic growth in the 2012—2013 school year. In 2014, East Feliciana ranked fifth in the State for ac-ademic growth in grades three through eight. In 2013—2014, East Feliciana ranked fifth in the State for students’ academic growth in End of Course test-ing at the high school level. When Lewis arrived a few years ago, Slaughter El-ementary School was a “C” school; at the end of his first year, it was an “A” school. Clinton Elementary leapt, in one year, from a grade of “F” to a strong “C.”

Jackson Elementary improved by a let-ter grade. Overall, the district moved up-ward from a grade of “D” to a “C.” The Parish, which once ranked at or near the bottom of Louisiana’s school districts, has moved upward past 20 districts in its climb to the top.

As for finances, in East Feliciana, which has the lowest tax rates in the State and thus a low income from taxes, in the past two years the district has increased its general fund balance by $700,000 and is working steadily to reach the State De-partment of Education’s recommended fund level. East Feliciana has increased revenue by $300,000 and decreased op-erating expenses by $1.6 million.

As for community relations, many indicators support Lewis’ assessment that the district has restored academic and financial integrity to the school sys-tem.

“At Peace” With a Difficult Deci-sion

Leaving East Feliciana, Lewis says, is not an easy step. He recalls attend-ing Honor Roll ceremonies every nine weeks and recognizing “our scholars. I always congratulated them on their academic success, but I also challenged them to continue that success by achiev-ing scores of ‘excellent’ on their EOC exams, high scores on State or national exams, and at least an 18 on the ACT. I have, I told them, certain expectations.

“I have been, I think, a visible super-intendent. My greatest compliment is for parents to say, ‘His top priority is the stu-dents.’” For the past year, Lewis notes, “the model has been ‘Education First,’” which means that the students are in-deed the top priority, “to be certain in our decision making that we are in fact put-ting children first.” The superintendent explains that often system leaders will make a decision that appears appropri-ate…until they test it against “what is

best for the children.” That checking for “Education First” always makes certain that the focus is “children first.”

Leaving East Feliciana, leaving those children, is difficult. “I’m planning to schedule East Feliciana’s Homecoming every year,” he says. “East Feliciana has been great to me.

“I applied for the Orleans Parish job on a Sunday and contacted East Feliciana Board President Michael Bradford im-mediately to let him know, then met with him the next morning. I also communi-cated with all of the Board members and met with the supervisors and principals. I owed it to all of these people to tell them myself.

“All of them said that they were sorry to see me leave but wished the best for my family and me. That said a lot.

“Even though I’m moving on and re-turning home to St. Bernard, I cannot for-get—and shall never, ever forget—East Feliciana.”

Reminding himself that in pursuing his own dreams he gives the example for what his students, with whom he shares so much, can also achieve, he reflects on East Feliciana. “In leaving a place where hope has been restored, I’m encouraged, because when I arrived there was very little hope for public education. I believe you should never leave a place in the condition you found it. Always make it better.

“As I eventually pass the torch to the next superintendent, that individual will be walking into a district where the people now have a high expectation for education.

“That helps to bring me peace in my decision.”

With a catch in his voice, the superin-tendent smiles and says quietly, “To see the progress from where East Feliciana was two and a half years ago to where it is now has been a great experience for me.”

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Dr. Richard K. Munson Left His Mark on Rural Healthcare in the FelicianasBy JameS ronald SkainS

“Dr. Richard K. Munson’s legacy for health care continues in the op-eration of RKM Primary Care,” Ar-yln Munson told the Feliciana Ex-plorer. Aryln is married to Richard K. Munson, Jr. the son of the late Dr. Munson.

“Ginger Hunt, the founder of RKM Primary Care, had worked for Dr. Munson for a few years before he retired in 1999,” Munson added. “So when it came to finding a name for her concept of an all-inclusive Health Care Clinic in Clinton, it was not hard to find a name that exem-plified her dedication to health care than the long-term dedication that Dr. Richard K. Munson had for the people of the Felicianas.”

RKM Primary Care was opened in 1999, not long after Dr. Richard Kell Munson, a Tulane Medical School graduate, retired after more than over 40 years of practice in

Clinton. Ginger Hunt and Darie Gil-liam decided that they would honor his years of service by making the clinic his namesake- thus RKM.

The main clinic offers primary medical care services, dental ser-vices and mental health services. The majority of medical services are provided by four nurse practi-tioners. RKM Primary Care opened April 30, 1999, moved to a new, larger clinic in 2003, and received federal funding in 2005. It is the main clinic within the Primary Care Providers for a Healthy Feliciana, Inc. network. It also houses the ad-ministrative offices for the organi-zation as well. The state of the art 20,000 square foot clinic facility was completed in March 2010.

The mission and vison of RKM Primary Care complement each other in defining their beliefs and operating procedure. The mission of RKM is “To operate and main-

tain a non-profit clinic and other related activities encompassing the whole person – physical, mental, and spiritual. There is a focus on health education that includes ill-ness prevention, health maintenance and wellness.”

The RKM Vision is “For all resi-dents of East Feliciana Parish and surrounding areas to have access to affordable, quality health and wellness services, enabling them to achieve quality of life for them-selves and their families.”

“Ginger asked me to come down and help get the new clinic build-ing completed and up and running,” David Adcock, former Hospital Ad-ministrator at the old Clinton Hos-pital explained. “That was in 2005, and I’m still down here, busier than ever.”

Adcock, the Chief Operating Officer for RKM Primary Care continued, “After I left the Clinton

Hospital, my hospital administra-tor career took me to St. Louis and then Texarkana, Arkansas where I retired. Then we moved back to my wife’s hometown of West Monroe. I actually commute back and forth to West Monroe on a weekly basis. Four days of work here then off for three days back home.”

“The accomplishments of RKM Primary under the leadership of Ginger Hunt are almost unbeliev-able. Who would have ever thought such an outstanding medical facility as RKM Primary Care could be de-veloped in Clinton, Louisiana? In-teresting enough, we used very cre-ative methods in obtaining financing for the state-of-the-art medical clin-ic in the form of New Market Tax Credits. We leveraged financial re-sources we had into the New Mar-ket Tax Credits which have worked great for us.”

Services available on site at RKM primary care in Clinton include: primary pare, kid med, immuniza-tions, GYN, diabetic clinic, family medicine, pediatric developmental clinic, psychiatric evaluation, men-tal health services, substance abuse counseling, pharmacy assistance and specialty health services on-site include podiatry. RKM Primary Care currently employs 150 people making it a huge economic engine for the Clinton area.

The Primary Care Providing for a Health Feliciana organization be-came one of the first nurse-practitio-ner operated systems in Louisiana in 1999. Primary care is provided by eight nurse practitioners: four at RKM, one at Slaughter Health Cen-ter, one at Jackson Complex Health Center, one at West Baton Rouge Health Center, and one at Clin-ton Middle Health Center. Mental health services are also provided by a nurse practitioner at RKM. Four physicians are on staff for consul-tation and collaborative purposes. PCPFHF also employs one den-tist, along with a registered dental

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 5

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hygienist, who work primarily at RKM, but also visit school-based health centers to provide preventive services at least once per week dur-ing the school year.

Dennis Aucoin, Parish Police Jury President told the Explorer: “Ginger Hunt and all the people as-sociated with RKM Primary Care have done a great job in providing much needed health care to people in the parish. Having RKM Prima-ry Care based in Clinton gives us health care we couldn’t otherwise afford to have in the parish.”

RKM Primary Care has locations on all the school campuses in East Feliciana. Not only can the students receive care at the school RKM fa-cilities, but health care is available for the residents in the area. RKM Primary Care is linked by an elec-tronic records system allows any patient to go to any RKM facility in the parish and have their health re-cords accessed for treatment.

PCPFHF is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that has served the residents of East Feliciana Parish since 1999, and West Baton Rouge Parish since 2008, providing quality, affordable health care regardless of

ability to pay. PCPFHF is comprised of two stand-alone clinics (one in Clinton, and one in Port Allen, as well as four health clinics adjacent to schools within the East Feliciana Parish Public School System.

PCPFHF receives oversight from a Board of Directors, whose members have a vast array of back-ground experience–administra-tive, educational, financial, mental health, medical care, and communi-ty involvement. The Officers of the Board, who are pulled from the pa-tient base of all clinics, serve as the Executive Committee to facilitate strategic planning. An Executive Director, appointed by the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day man-agement of the corporation. Consul-tation is provided by specialists in the fields of management and edu-cation.

“No one but Ginger and Darie saw the huge need for RKM Prima-ry in East Feliciana Parish,” Mun-son said in conclusion. “I’m not sure that even Ginger imagined how fast RKM Primary Care would develop, not only here in Clinton but also in West Baton Rouge and Livingston parish.”

RKM Primary Care COO David Adcock and special assistant to the CEO, Aryln Munson.

Assisi Heights Bingo Champs!Sarah Arvie-Pointer, with WellCare, lead the bingo game for the tenants of Assisi Heights Apartments. Tenants meet monthly to enjoy group activities and claim bragging rights. Assisi Heights Apartments is assisted housing subsidized by Rural Development designed for the elderly and disabled.

6 Tuesday, February 3, 2015

To submit your MILESTONE for publication

in the Feliciana Explorer, please e-mail it to info@

felicianaexplorer.comEXPLOREREXPLORERFeliciana

Boater Safety Course set For February 28A boater safety course sponsored by the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s

office will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Clinton located 12024 Liberty Hwy. Contact the District Attorney’s Office at 683-8563 to pre-register now, lim-ited seating available!

Friends of the Clinton Library Cordially invites you to meet Deborah Burst Author of Louisiana’s Sacred Places. Light lunch of soup and salad will be served and a $5.00 donation would be appreciated. Thursday, Feb-ruary 12th at Noon at the Clinton Presbyterian Church 11023 Bank Street.Her book would make a wonderful Valentine Gift, and be sure to bring a friend.

Friends of the Clinton Library Luncheon

Writers and Readers Programs Reach Out to the West Feliciana Schools

This year, for the first time, two of the authors who are participat-ing in the Writers and Readers Symposium and the Writers Work-shop are conducting workshops for the students at both Bains El-ementary and West Feliciana High School.

Ava Haymon, the current Poet Laureate of Louisiana, will be teaching a poetry workshop to students at Bains Elementary on Friday, February 27. Principal Abby Temple Cochran is pleased that the students at Bains will be treated to Haymon’s workshop. Ava Haymon has participated in East Baton Rouge Parish for years as a poet in the schools, enriching students’ lives and exciting them about the reading and writing of poetry. She has also conducted her own poetry workshops at her home—getting the message out that poetry is alive, well and still enjoyed.

Award-winning novelist Abi-gail Padgett will be teaching a prose workshop at West Felici-ana High School, incorporating both memoir and fiction writing. Padgett, who lives in San Diego, California, has been a frequent visitor to West Feliciana for the past 17 years; therefore, her recent novel An Unremembered Grave is set here in the parish. Georgia Dudley of West Feliciana High School is coordinating her work-shop there, and she is so pleased that the students there will be able to have this educational experi-ence with a nationally acclaimed novelist.

The Writers and Readers Sym-posium is Saturday, February 21 and the Writers Workshop is Sat-urday, February, 28. Tickets may be purchased on brownpapertick-ets.com or from OLLI at LSU. For questions, please email olivi-apass@bellsouth.net.

Honor Roll Students at Slaughter Community Charter School Setting High StandardsBy JameS ronald SkainS

Slaughter Charter School has a record number of honor students for their 2nd nine week school period.

“We are just plain exuberant over what our students are accomplishing here at Slaughter Charter School,” Peggy Reno, Academic Dean of the school told the Feliciana Explorer. “Our students are buying in totally with the mission and goals of our school. There is a lot of pride with our students over their academic ac-complishments.”

Slaughter Community Charter School (SCCS) is no longer in a “start” mode, but is well on its way to achieving the academic achievements for which it was founded by parents in the Slaughter area concerned about providing the best education for their children as possible. Under the direction of Dr. Linda Saucier, SCCS has quickly, in a matter of a few years, initiated an array of activities that are standard in longtime schools with tra-ditions.

The Core Values of SCCS are spelled out to both parents and students continu-ously:

“We value and honor individual di-versity in our students and their families. Honesty and open communication are the foundation of our professional rela-tionships. We respect, support and value each member of our school family. We will ensure that every day, every Knight will advance. We are committed to a pos-itive attitude which enhances self-esteem for students, staff and families. We utilize a pro-active approach which empowers the school community to achieve mutual goals. We recognize that our obligations

go beyond our professional responsibili-ties. We view fellow staff members and students as part of our extended family.”

“All the hard work by the parents, the faculty, staff, and students is beginning to pay educational dividends of excel-lence,” Reno pointed out. “There were many people who did not think we could achieve our level of success in education so fast, but we had a lot of believers in our school. We all worked together to reach the place we are today with CCS.”

Slaughter Community Charter School is in the top 25 performing schools in the state of Louisiana.

The Core Values established at the school, along with the Goals established, have combined to place SCCS in a lofty position in education. SCCS is now in an expansion stage that will see a new facil-ity built in the very near future.

The initial Goals of SCCS to which the school has strictly adhered to are as follows:

• Attendance: Average daily at-tendance for staff and students will be over 98%.

• Grades: All students will earn a "B" or better in all academic grades.

• Student Proficiency: One hun-dred percent of all regular students will score proficient or better on state assess-ments.

• Behavior: No student will have any major behavior referrals during the year.

• Campus: The school campus will be clean, attractive, and safe.

• Effective: All students will en-joy school; all employees will enjoy their work.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 7

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FINAL wEEKEND

flecting the receipt of a large grant the previous year.

The West Feliciana school dis-trict, the auditors noted, like all oth-er districts in Louisiana and nation-ally, faces the challenge of rising pension and health insurance costs with little growth in help from the State’s MFP.

Also addressing the School Board was West Feliciana Parish Director of Public Works, Planning and Zoning Jim Ferguson, who is contributing his expertise toward the cleanup of the district’s Pecan Grove property. School Board Pres-ident Kevin Beauchamp expressed the Board’s appreciation, noting, “No one on this Board knows what goes into hazardous cleanup…. We appreciate your taking the lead on this.” Superintendent Hollis Milton added that Ferguson’s experience “has been invaluable to us.”

Promising that all involved with the project “will be properly vetted,” Ferguson requested the Board’s per-mission to allow Helen “Ruthie” Davis, supervisor of finance and management and School Board secretary, to begin negotiating a contract with Terracon of Baton Rouge and to report her progress to the Board at its February meeting. “That’s where I come in,” Fergu-son explained: to “make sure “ that firms submitting bids are qualified and that their bids are in line with

the costs of such projects, which he estimates at around $100,000. The Board agreed to the project’s next step, and Ferguson reported that he hopes for a project completion date of early 2016.

Parish President Kevin Couhig, he said, continues the search to find a new home for the West Feliciana Parish Clothes Closet and Food

Pantry, which can no longer occupy the Pecan Grove site.

In a careful and considerate discussion to set a March strategic planning date for the school system, a date that would accommodate all members of the School Board as well as princi-pals and supervi-sors and all other staff involved, the Board ended with a suggestion of an after-school-hours afternoon meet-ing. Milton prom-ised to return to the Board with the final recommen-dation at the February meeting.

The superintendent also an-nounced a February 21 CPR train-ing session, Keep the Beat, at the First Baptist Church of St. Fran-cisville. Lane Medical Center will sponsor the event, and the superin-tendent will take part in the instruc-tion.

The Board also approved the re-quest of Grace Episcopal Church to use the high school auditorium for a performance of the African Chil-dren’s Choir, “WATOTO,” as part of their tour of the United States.

The Board also welcomed new Board Member Beth Tycer, District 4, to her first Board meeting. Tycer replaces David Cornette, who re-tired after many years of service to

West Feliciana School Board Member Sara Wilson-Rogers smiles after the meet-ing, during which the Board strove suc-cessfully to assign a March strategic meet-ing day and time that would not conflict with her teaching schedule. Photograph by Patricia Stallman

the Parish.The new Board member, who

grew up in Ethel and has made St. Francisville her home for the past 15 years, is a speech therapist with Reliant Rehabilitation at St. Fran-cisville Country Manor. She and her husband, Captain Robert Tycer of the Department of Corrections at Angola, have three children. Ashli and Abbi attend middle school in St. Francisville, and David will en-ter pre-kindergarten next year.

Jim Ferguson, West Feliciana’s Director of Public Works, Planning and Zoning, addresses the School Board on the Pecan Grove property. Ferguson will assist the Board by vetting companies that have sub-mitted bids for the cleanup. Photograph by Patricia Stallman