Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2014)
THE C L A C K A M A S P R IN T | N O V. 5, 2 0 1 4 | V O L . 4 8 ISSUE 4 by Tim Young lackamas County voters passed a $90 million bond measure to maintain, update and build onto the Clacka mas Com m unity College’s presence in the community. C “If I were texting, I would ‘OMG,”’ said Joanne Truesdell, the college president. Founded in 1966, the college’s m any facilities are out of date, run down and costing more m oney than they need to due to inefficiencies. The bond will build a new comm unity center and new classrooms for in-dem and fields such as engineering, nursing, manufacturing, welding, apprenticeship programs and skilled trades. CCC Board o f Education chairperson Greg Chaimov said the passage of the bond measure will result in “a whole lot better facilities for training students to get high wage jobs.” The bond measure actually raises $ 111 million because of state matching grants and private donations. "If I were texting, I would 'OMG.'" Campus spokesperson, Janet Paulson, left, President Joanne Truesdell, and campaign consultant Marcia Latta, await results at The Bomber in Milwaukie on Tuesday night. The college last passed a bond in 2000 for $47 million, which paid for work on about a half dozen buildings on campus. In 2011, voters rejected a $130 million m ea sure. Ever since, the college has been trying to figure out how to pass a measure. This campaign has been visible o f all over the county: billboards, ads on buses, buttons on teachers, flyers all over school and an organized web presence. W hen asked what was different about this campaign, Shelly Parini, dean o f college advancement, said, “We really knew we needed to go out and have some deep, m ean ingful conversations with the community” At press time the measure was passing with 52 percent of the votes in favor, and 48 percent opposed. Clack amas County residents are not expected to see an in crease in taxes, as it replaces an expiring bond. For a hom e owner with a property value of $250,000, paying for the bond would am ount to approximately $47.50 yearly.
