March 11th, 2005

The Bright Beginnings Center in Hopedale was closed on February 3rd 2005 and children located to another facility. This followed the discovery of asbestos fibers in the air. Asbestos is a known carcinogenic, and a thorough clean up and testing was planned before the children would be allowed to return.

However, during the clean up of the asbestos, additional asbestos has been found in the basement of the center. Clean up costs are now thought to have rocketed to around $130,000 following the discovery of more asbestos in yet another area of the center. Initially the asbestos was discovered in one of the classrooms, and only last week concerned parents met up with officials with regards to the potential risks of letting their children go back to the school.

Last week, following the parents’ concern, the school superintendent, Patricia Ruane, and the Town Co-ordinator, Eugene Phillips, both confirmed that the airborne asbestos problem had been sorted out. Patricia Ruane told attendees at the meeting: "We have sort of a clean bill of health to go back there. The teachers have been there to move their materials back into the classrooms."

Ruane stated in a message that clean up crews had found the additional asbestos in the plaster of the storage and boiler room on the ground floor. She also stated that the additional work had now been done as well as the initial clean-up, and that the center would still re-open after the holidays.