The ceremonial ribbon was cut Saturday to mark the re-opening of Veterans Memorial School, winding up a two-year $14 million project that has added 20,000 square feet of space and remodeled virtually every other part of the building, originally constructed in 1954.
The ceremony was held in the school auditorium, with a small but appreciative audience of parents, students, and people associated with the project looking on. On the stage were school and district officials, local and state legislators and Jerry Murphy, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the New Jersey, formerly the NJ Schools Construction Corporation. NJ SDA provided all of the funding for the project, which was completed by the Arthur Ogren Construction Company of Vineland.
The school serves 750 students in grades six, seven and eight.
“We are so fortunate to celebrate both the re-opening of this school and the great cooperation we have been able to experience with the School Development Authority and other agencies,” said Charles Ottinger, Superintendent of Schools, who served as host. “What you are seeing here, in a sense, is this wonderful building coming back to life.”
“In the past year, we have also been very fortunate to open two brand new schools --- Petway (Elementary) and Wallace (Middle),” said Ottinger. “Quite frankly, this is a new building as well. We are so pleased to be part of the undertaking. I don’t think we could have done this without people like Mr. Murphy and his staff, willing to believe that if given the funds, Vineland would provide the very best facilities for our students and there would be no waste. We have developed a great relationship between the Authority and the personnel here.”
Ottinger also praised the work of Larry Merighi, of Manders/Merighi Associates, the district’s architects, and “key district personnel, Wayne Weaver, Director of Facilities, and Paul Farinaccio, his assistant, who do a great job on these projects.”
“I consider this school a landmark in Vineland, and you usually associate age with landmarks,” said Frank Giordano, Board of Education President. “But when you walk through this building, it really is like a brand new school. We are so thankful and appreciative to the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, formerly the SCC. We happen to be one of the luckiest school districts in the State of New Jersey, if not the luckiest to receive this level of support.”
“It was also great to ride by the school during the construction and see all the trailers from Arthur J. Ogren, Inc., one of Vineland’s very own, doing the work,” he said.
Said Mayor Perry Barse, “Memorial School has a great deal of meaning to many of us. Many of us went to school here, played ball here, and attended many activities here. It is an integral part of the activities that go on regularly in the city of Vineland.”
“I want to congratulate my colleagues on the Board of Education, school administration and Art Ogren, my classmate and dear friend all through school and his outstanding company, Arthur J. Ogren, Inc.,” he said. “This is a local operation that does a great job on any job they do. It is so heartwarming to see them here doing a great project.
“It is also a pleasure when I am able to share the podium with Jerry Murphy,” said Barse. “I remember him from SCC, now it is School Development Authority. The highest praise I can give anyone in government is that they know how to cut through red tape and problems and just do a great job at helping dreams come true.”
“Jerry, you have done that on many occasions,” said Barse. “You are a great guy who has his heart in his work. The city of Vineland has benefited your heart and your intellect.”
Echoing Barse’s praise for the school board, administration and Murphy’s department were Sen. Nicholas Asselta, and Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew and Nelson Albano.
“When the School Construction Redevelopment Corporation was created and founded legislatively, there was a great deal of apprehension because of the huge amount of money going to be dedicated to this particular corporation,” said Asselta. “Around the state, it has had problems, but not in the first legislative district. In the city of Vineland, it has done a wonderful job under the leadership of Jerry Murphy. I want to personally thank you again, Jerry. Vineland, Millville, Ocean City, Middle Township and Lower Township – all of these school districts have benefited from this money. So it is well spent because we know that the educational environment is a key to good learning.
“This Board of Education needs to be recognized also for its diligence,” he said. “Early in the program, many districts fell way behind and didn’t get what Vineland got. That is because of the leadership of Frank Giordano and everyone else here. Being a former board member, being a former student in this building way back in the early 60’s, I can tell you this is one beautiful building. It was always well-kept. Now it is going to last forever. I am proud to be a part of it. I am proud to be a neighbor; I am proud to be a Vinelander.”
“So often, when we hear about government officials, we only hear about negative aspects,” said Van Drew. “But there are some things that are working, and there are some things that are making a difference. In South Jersey, so much has been delivered here over the last five years, particularly to the schools of the first legislative district. We are all on the legislative team extremely proud of that because it does make a difference.”
“What a beautiful building,” said Albano. “This gives the people here in our town and in our county the chance to see our tax dollars coming back. They are able to see the investment in the education of our students, our children. We are all very proud of the education we have in the city of Vineland. I think we have one of the very best in the state right here. We will continue to do that. Now we have a refinished building, a brand new addition. Good luck and God bless every student that walks in this door.”
“I am proud to be back here in Vineland,” said Murphy. “When I say ‘back here’, you have heard there has been a number of projects that started in Vineland and have been completed in Vineland. These are two sets of accomplishments --- the completion and not just the start of a project. It is nice to get the accolades, and I would like to take the credit for it. But it is really not me.”
“These projects don’t occur unless the district has a strong, long-range facilities plan,” he said. “That is how these projects move forward. The school board, the superintendent, and his staff move that plan forward from the Department of Education to us, so that we can build these projects.”
“I am one of many of a team at the School Development Authority who has done a great job despite some of the negative publicity we have gotten and some of the things that have gone wrong,” he said. “I am certainly not going to say things did not go wrong --- they did. I think we have corrected them, and we have the new agency, which is more than just a name change. There are more controls in place now that make the agency much more efficient.”
Murphy praised Mayor Barse, as not only a business associate but “a friend” who has been “great to work with” on the community school demonstration project downtown.
“We also have a great staff,” he said. “I am more of a problem solver – so when I come here, it is really to interject myself (into a situation)”. Because of our great staff, I don’t have to interject myself a whole lot. We have a lot of great contractors, too,” he said. “In this case, we have had a local contractor, Arthur J. Ogren, which we always like to see. In this year alone, we have about 48 percent local contractors doing work. This is really a testament about what the Governor directs what the legislators direct --- to not only to build projects, but to keep economic development going in these cities. That is what we are trying to do here. I would like to thank them for their continued support.”
Also addressing the audience was Mrs. Jacqueline Gavigan, Board of Education Vice President.
“This event would not be complete without our board acknowledging the veterans groups in Vineland,” she said. “It was about eight years ago we were approached by the veterans groups to have the school rededicated Veterans Memorial School. We did so, and now, throughout the year, the veterans come and maintain the flag area outside the building. We want to acknowledge them. We are very proud to have this school named in honor of our veterans groups in Vineland.”
Mrs. Gavigan also mentioned a mural of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima which was painted on one wall of the school’s new foyer area. “The mural was painted compliments of our architects, Manders and Merighi,” she said.
The project began in 2005 with construction of a $3 million 20,000 square foot addition that included a new cafeteria, music room, small group instruction rooms and some office space. At the same time, $12 million in health and safety work began, including new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and the installation of high performance windows.
The school also received new windows, similar to the high performance energy efficient ones installed at Vineland High School South.
The laundry list of other work included:
• new doors, inside and out;
• a new hardwood gymnasium floor;
• painting of classrooms and replacement of wood trim, which had deteriorated from age;
• new student lockers;
• a new fire alarm system;
• renovation of all the administrative offices - carpeting, flooring, and drop ceilings;
• extensive replacement of the block veneer on the front of the building.
While the renovation work was underway, the school’s fifth grade population was accommodated in 10 temporary classroom units installed outside the building by NJSCC at a cost of more than $1 million.
“I want to commend Mr. (Rusty) Phillips and (Assistant Principal Ms. Sandra) Meyers for their patience and that of the parents and students over the last year while students and staff were displaced,” said Ottinger. “We heard very few, if any complaints from anyone during this time. They handled it beautifully. Everyone did a wonderful job.”
Last November, the new addition went on-line and the students were able to begin using the new cafeteria, and the music room.
Seven students from the school led the flag salute that started the ceremony. The group included Sarah Jannarone, Matthew Wolfe, Paige Kasper, Aaron Smith, George Hernandez, Gerald Bush and John Miletta. Music teacher Eileen Eller sang the National Anthem.