(October 27, 2003) — On Thursday, Oct. 23, the two weeks’ worth of construction to find and replace the damaged pipe causing a gas leak at Clark came to an end. GUSD carpenter Rick Romero and air conditioner technician Tony Gervasi said that the grill in the Panther Pit was turned back on the same day and was ready to use by lunch on Friday. After testing the gas line for two days with the new pipes, GUSD maintenance workers filled the hole with 12 inches of sand rather than filling it back up with soil containing rocks and roots. Pipe welder Pierre Guerrero said that prior to this repair, pipes had been connected by threads that could easily come loose due to weather conditions and rocks and roots in the soil. On Oct. 21, welders replaced this damaged pipe with a new 15-foot one and added welded fittings to connect them. According to Clark’s head custodian Ramona Rodriguez, the leak was first suspected by retired Glendale High biology teacher Dave Daniels, who spent about a month working in the Education Technology & Information Services room. He told assistant principal Joan Shoff that he suspected a gas leak. Shoff informed Rodriguez and Rodriguez put in a work order to maintenance supervisor Kent Andrews, who sent a team of workers to investigate the northeastern corner of the school next to the 6000 building. GUSD maintenance personnel inspected the possible gas leak, but detected nothing out of the ordinary. However, the complaints continued. As a result, Rodriguez asked the Gas Company to investigate. Rodriguez said that its readings showed that “it was way over a big gas leak.” To begin the repairs, the gas line feeding the 4000, part of the 5000, and the 6000 buildings was shut off after the Gas Company verified the gas leak to eliminate any potential danger. As a result of the leak, the grill providing lunch at the Panther Pit was moved next to the snack and lunch lines. Chemistry labs that required gas came to a halt. However, according to chemistry teacher Loussik Kassahkian, the gas leak was “not that big of a deal.” She changed her lesson plans and put the experiments off for the time being. According to GUSD plumber Ian Abramovitch, the surrounding roots of the liquid amber tree that stands outside of room 6000, photography teacher Bill Saul’s classroom and lab, had damaged the gas pipe, thus was causing the gas leak. Principal Doug Dall said that the pipes are 30 years old and “old pipes tend to break.”