The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1921-02-11
STATUS or PROPOSED
SCHOOL BUILDING
No Offer For Bonds Except at Much
Below Par. The Matter Of Loca-
tion Still Undecided, Ante-Elec-
tion Statement by Trustees. I'm
official Proposition to Take Bonds
at Par if Given Contract.

NO DOUBT there is more or les
speculation among Grenada citizen
as to what, if anything, has beer
done towards the erection of the higl
school building for which bonds were
voted in June, last. In order to ac
quaint the Grenada public with the
status of the matter of erecting the
proposed building, The Sentinel vii
undertake to give a birds eye view
of what has been done.
In the first place after the bonds
were voted, the next step was to sell
them. Almost anybody knows that
for the past eight months there has
been very little demand for bonds
OF any kind. Mayor Doty has been
diligently trying to carry out the
mandate of the people and his cor
respOndence with various bond com
panies and the representatives of
different bond purchasing concerns,
furnishes abundant proof of his ef-
forts but thus far nobody has offered
to buy the bonds at par. In some in
stances, some might term the offer a
par offer, yet there was always a
stipulation OF several thousand dol
lars off for attorneys fees and for
hthographing. In other words, just
another WAY of whipping the devil
around the stump, or buying the
bonds below their face value. This
paper feels warranted in saying thai
the City Council will follow the law
strictly in this regard. Were deal
made to sell the bonds by any sort
Of subterfuge below par, there would
doubtless be some citizens to enjoin
the sale. So much for the bonds.
The question of a location for the
proposed building is yet undecided.
Many representative citizens agree
that tt building as sketched by the
architect will not fit ON the present
school grounds, yet the Board of
Trustees issued a signed statement
just before the election on the bond |
matter last June, at a time when |
fouch opposite. was developing |
against the bonds because it was be- |
ing urged that the Trustees planned |
to buy somebody's lot or lots, and |
the said statement contained the fol. |
lowing paragraph in reference to 10
cation of the proposed building:
while it is not customary for an
official body to PREJUDICE or prostate
its own acts, yet perhaps the present
warrant the trustees in
saying that in the event the bond is
sue is approved, it is not their pur-
pose to purchase any property upon
which to construct the proposed
building, but that it is and has been
heir judgment that it should be
erected on the grounds Of the pres
emit school property" (The black face
type appears just as it did in the
signed statement published June II,
ast, the day before the bond cleo
sion.) But it is urged that the school
building is being erected not for
year but for perhaps half century
,r more, and that it is the duty of
he Trustees, notwithstanding that
,re-election pledge, to place the
where it would look the
vest and where it would not trespass
the present Fairgrounds. How
er, the matter of location is still :
ecided, nevertheless, committee
named by the Trustees to look
the matter, and inasmuch as the
,perty of Mrs. Pearl Lickfold was
'eing urged as the most desirable To- {
alton from every viewpoint, to see
What option could be got on her 6
1t is understood that an {
ption was secured on this property
t $16,5O0.
1t might be urged that the Trus- g
ees ought to have known about the =
ocation when the statement was is =
ued, or else not have gone on rec
I'd as they did, and further, the
ledge having been made, that they 6.
hould have chosen plans for build
ng that would fit the lot instead of i.
iaking the lot fit the proposed build
1g and it might also be thought =.
hat inasmuch as the drawing of plans 9,
!; but a small undertaking for which "
he architect is to be we'll paid, it
rould yet be best to have plans
rawn to fit the lot. =,
No part of the bond issue voted
lst June could be used to buy this =,
r any other lot, but the City Coun- -
il could issue bonds to make the -
provided 20 per cent of the -
.xpayers did not protest. A pro- e.
est Of 20 pr cent of the tax payers a,
ould require an election. lo
This paper feels confident that had T
,e bonds been sold and even the d.
oney in readiness, the Trustees b.
ave saved the City $4,000 by wait Of
g even until now. There has been
great declension in prices of ALL G
aiding material since last June. h,
r. r. A.. Heavener, the architect is di
anxious for the work to h
,oceed. He was in Grenada, last S,
eek and quorum of the Trustees pt
ct to hear what he had to say. He al
ated that there was a TENNESSEE OF
Mr.. Cole, who, if award sc
the contract even on competitive w
d, would take the amount of the sc
,ntract in bonds at par However, in
seems to be understood that con- m
act awarded on that basis would di
IN counter to legal requirements. OF
nyway, at the meeting just above CO
ferred to, it was decided to ask for OF