It's like something

out of a bad science fiction movie. A quiet, little town goes about its

daily routine while, unknown to its citizens, a dangerous and potentially

lethal "thing" slowly grows in the shadowy recesses of a local

park facility.

This may sound

a little far-fetched, but the black mold discovered in one of Fairburn's

Duncan Park's recreational facilities was serious enough to have samples

collected for analysis.

City officials

learned of the problem during Monday afternoon's budget retreat.

Black mold,

which can cause respiratory problems and can even be deadly, must be handled

very carefully using protective gear, said city officials.

The building

containing the mold has been closed off and the results from the sample

analysis are expected in the next couple of weeks. Efforts to rip up old

carpet inside the building were stopped. It was explained that thousands

of black mold spores could be sent into the air and spread.

City Administrator

Jim Williams said the cleanup "could cost a small fortune."

He cited the Honolulu Hilton's encounter with the black mold in the recent

past.

"They

had to close the hotel and spent $50 million cleaning it up."

The mold has

to be disposed of by burying it deep in the ground like nuclear waste.

Duncan Park

was padlocked for some time and has only recently been reopened. The pool,

which the city is trying to find sponsors for, sits empty this summer,

as it has for several summers past, but is still salvageable.

"The community

needs a pool," Williams said emphasizing the need for young kids

in the area to take swimming lessons.

The park has

suffered from years of neglect and without money in the budget to rectify

the situation, it may be a while before something gets done, he added.