. ACTUALLY
Sustaining Hope
"For me beauty of Zgierz school is hidden underneath, in almost 2 meter high and wide media access corridors, going under buildings" says dr Aleksander Panek from Warsaw University of Technology and the godfather of the whole modernization project. "They can and will be easily used for low pressure natural ventilation and heating system, which not only reduces the energy needs and eliminates air pollution but also improves quality of indoor environment". Now Zgierz's school pays environment fines equal to ten percent of the cost of coal they burn. After modernization a lot of space will be added after removal of three old coal fired boilers and opening of huge cellars used for coal storage.
This has been already known, but the modernization project is not finished yet. Norwegians have doubts about ventilation chimneys that are to be added to one school wing (they may block too much light, therefore calculations are in progress) and professor Budzynski is open for further changes in the project, but one thing is known for sure: the cost of the whole project. It will be close to 15m PLN (over E3,5m). And however the Zgierz authorities will have to contribute only from 5 to 15 per cent of it, the city have avoided to say whether they can afford it. "We are engaged in number of other projects: the sewage and waste cleaning system, central square renovation, repairs of a tram line to Lodz, information society project" lists Lukasz Magin, young, energetic, English speaking magistrate official responsible for acquisition of EU funds. It is obvious that for him modernization of one local school for 500 kids is not a top priority. "Tram to Lodz?" grumbles a teacher listening to his explanations. "There are two bus lines going there and they serve us quite well. Central square renovation? It is only to improve the view from the president's window".
At the Zgierz's magistrate it seems, though, that they look a bit further. Maybe because deputy mayor Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, however only in his early 30s, had an interesting career. He was an assistant to Poland's former prime minister, Jerzy Buzek, now European MP in Brussels. Mr. Kwiatkowski was born in Zgierz and attended the school which is going to be modernized. He is obviously pleased with foreign journalist interest in the project and uses the occasion to get more details about it. His source of information is dr Panek, the most persistent proponent of the modernization idea. Why did he chose this school in Zgierz? "Three years ago we were coming back from Lodz, where we could not find a suitable school" recalls Warsaw's scientist "when we stopped at Zgierz and found this school almost by accident". And then he explains to Mr. Kwiatkowski what other funds that may be milked for this project, for instance national thermomodernisation fund. Finally he describes the brochures about new energy-saving projects, which will be distributed nationwide. "I may place there Zgierz's school modernization project as the leading example" he promises.
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