Harriman architects of Auburn produced this image of the entrance to the proposed Connors Elementary School to be built this year in Lewiston.
LEWISTON — Bid requests for construction companies to build Connors Elementary School have been sent, and the groundbreaking is planned for late May, School Committee Chairwoman Linda Scott said.
Images of what the entrance of the school will look like with its name have been delivered by Harriman architects.
Harriman has also offered images of an interior hall and the entrance of the school library, which will be named for the late state Sen. Georgette Berube.
Berube wrote a book about her experience as a Maine state lawmaker, “Thank you, Georgette: My 26 years in the Legislature.”
When the new school opens in 2019, her book will be showcased, Scott said. “We feel it’s important to recognize the contribution that Georgette made to our community.” Berube was a longtime Democrat representing Lewiston at the State House in Augusta. She died in 2005.
Before planners announced April 10 that the new school will be called Connors Elementary, “two names came up the most, Robert B. Connors and Georgette Berube,” Scott said.
A quote that Connors was known to say repeatedly, “Yes We Can,” will be showcased in the hall, Scott said.
“It’s a pretty famous statement from Connors,” Scott said of the former Lewiston school superintendent and school board member who died in 2013.
Those who worked with Connors heard him say, “‘We can do it,” or “Yes we can,” Scott said. “Everybody liked that about him. When you talk to people who knew him, he had a positive attitude. It was his way of living.”
Scott said she worked next to Connors when he was on the School Committee. “Bob made a big impression on me, mentoring me to keep asking questions, to do what I can. I admired him.”
Approved by voters in June, the $49.7 million school will be built on the Lewiston High School campus. The new school will take students from Martel and Longley elementary schools, which are aging and overcrowded.
The school will be built for 880 students. It will be paid for by the state.
The date and time of the groundbreaking ceremony is expected to be announced in the coming days, after the bids come in, Scott said.
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.