By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Between 400 and 500 people toured the new Dowagiac Middle School Sunday.
Crandall reported citizens arrived well before 2 o'clock.
By 2:30, the front parking lot was full and visitors' vehicles spilled over "almost to our property line at Riverside Drive. They didn't realize we had parking back around the other side of the building."
Some 700 people have availed themselves of the first two opportunities to see Dowagiac's first new school in 3 1/2 decades.
For the last of three tours Aug. 21, Crandall predicts, "We'll have even more."
Former maintenance supervisor Bill Wurzel checked out the new school, as did some retired teachers and a St. Joseph administrator.
Punch list items have been reduced from two three-ring binders to five pages, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Hal Davis said.
What remains at Central will first be offered to other buildings.
The rest will be disposed of at a public sale this fall.
Fire safety officials approved the district Monday for full occupancy of the new school.