Since You Asked: Are there plans to tear down Marysville Auditorium?
Q: Are there any plans to tear down the Community Auditorium in Marysville?
A: No, there are no plans to bulldoze the 85-year-old red-brick auditorium, according to the Marysville Joint Unified School District's construction director, Victor Lopez.
It's too old to be taken away. It was built in 1927. It's part of the city's history.
They would rather fix it up to modern building standards, especially earthquake-wise.
But, even that's something of a pipe dream.
"We'd love to renovate it," Lopez explained, "but, quite frankly there's just no funding for it."
A 2006 survey determined that modern renovations could cost the district up to $5 million, according to Appeal-Democrat archives.
So, for the foreseeable future, the auditorium stays.
It is, however, one of several structures that school district officials want to work on, Lopez said.
"We'd like to do the gyms at both (Marysville and Lindhurst high schools), a new classroom building for Covillaud and even the district office," Lopez said.
They'd also like to do something with Building C at Lindhurst High School, the site of the 1992 siege that claimed the lives of three students and a teacher.
"That building really brings back a lot of very painful memories for a lot of people," Lopez noted. "We'd like to take it down, but that's unlikely."
Update on alleged fraud
Q: Whatever happened to the six people arrested by the FBI earlier this year on unemployment fraud?
A: The case is moving through federal court.
Live Oak residents Mohammad Adanan Kahn, Iqila Begum Kahn and Mohammad Nawaz Khan were indicted in May along with Yuba City residents Kewal Singh, Gurdeve Kaur Johl and Mohammad Shahbaz Kahn.
All have posted bail or been released from jail pending trial.
Investigators say all six are linked to a $5 million employment and disability scheme dating back to 1989 which involved hundreds of people and cost the state millions.
Federal prosecutors have said more than 2,000 bogus claims were made.
Their next appearance is set for Jan. 24 in US District Court, according to the US Attorney's Office in Sacramento.
Since You Asked is published on Mondays. Send questions to reporter Rob Parsons at the Appeal-Democrat, 1530 Ellis Lake Drive, Marysville, CA 95901, email him at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or call 749-4785.
