Earthquake Damages Eastwood Gym
by Jason Darte
May 07, 2008
The scene outside Eastwood elementary gym is a reminder of the second largest recorded earthquake in Illinois history. The earthquake occurred on Friday April 18th, 2008 and measured 5.2 on the Richter scale, after which several tremors followed.The largest earthquake in Illinois history occurred in 1968 which measured 5.3.
The gym has been closed since April 21st, until further notice, with yellow caution tape placed over the locked doors. Orange fencing has been placed around the gym, as no one is allowed within 25 feet of the gym. There are several cracks in the walls of the gym some of which go from the ceiling to the floor. At this time structural engineers are determining what needs to be done to fix the gym. The district would like to have the gym reopened by the start of school in the fall, but it could be January of 2009 before the gym is ready. KSDK Channel 5 news did a story on the gym and below is a link to watch the video.
