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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2016)
Polk County Education/News 18A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 28, 2016 Prepare your mind for emergencies By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer First graders at Lyle Elementary School eat lunch on Monday. Dallas has made cost-saving measures in its lunch program. DSD aims for savings on food service By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — The food serv- ice program in Dallas School District is supposed to run independently of its partner of two years, Central School District — eventually. After a review of the 2015- 16 year that showed a need for cost savings and more ef- ficiency, the district is taking a step in the that direction sooner than expected. “We did need to have a re- ally hard look at (if we could) shift some responsibility to our district staff, who are re- ally competent, and see a re- duction there,” said Tami Montague, the district’s business manager. She presented last year’s review and this year’s plan during the Dallas School Board’s Sept. 12 meeting. During 2015-16, the dis- trict budgeted $990,000 for the program and expected to spend $975,000, leaving a $15,000 carryover. Montague said they weren’t far off target, ending the year JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Students can select from vegetables at the salad bar. with $12,690, but by spring, program managers knew the cost of the program would be increasing more than the dis- trict could pay in the future. She said the management services contract, which in- cludes half the salary of Cen- tral’s Food Services Manager Mike Vetter, was one of the biggest concerns. “We knew that at point that we were going to have to have the conversation with Central about not being able to afford the entire half of Mike’s salary,” Montague said. The estimated cost of management service for this year was $117,900, including half of Vetter’s salary and that of the in-district manager. Montague said she talked to Vetter about reducing that and he said the in-district manager, with some train- ing, could take on the bulk of the responsibility. The dis- trict would pay him as a consultant for 10 hours per month. The move significantly re- duced the contract cost. “We are really pretty excit- ed about this — and mostly because we are going to save about $51,000,” Montague said. “That’s a big cushion. We are pretty thrilled with that plan.” Overall, the district has seen growth in the program, with a 15 percent increase in breakfast and 4 percent in lunch sales. That is during a time when the district saw a 1 percent decrease in stu- dent enrollment. Montague said the ele- mentary schools are per- forming especially well. LaCreole Middle School and Dallas High School could stand to improve, though. She said the student popula- tion at the middle school fell slightly and the high school has always struggled to serve students in the allotted time, both of which affect sales. “What we do recognize from this information is that we really need to focus on what our older students need from the program and try to meet those needs,” Montague said. Other areas of focus will be restructuring the food service program in Luckia- mute Valley Charter School to make it self-sustaining and using commodities in a more efficient manner. SALEM — You’re dumb during a disaster. It’s not your fault. It’s your brain going into “survival mode” and shutting off higher function. That’s according to Steven Eberlein, with the American Red Cross Cascades Region Foundation Partnership. Eber- lein was the main speaker for the Red Cross’ disaster pre- paredness presentation “Pre- pare Out Loud,” in Salem on Thursday. His presentation thoroughly covered the subject of the ex- pected Cascadia subduction zone earthquake, from the ge- ology that creates the mega quakes to preparedness tips. He also discussed how peo- ple behave during an earth- quake. He showed video clips of people in earthquake-aware Japan doing things that didn’t seem logical. Instead using “drop, cover and hold” to pro- tect themselves, people were putting themselves in more danger by trying to hold up grocery store shelves or run- ning from buildings. Eberlein said the culprit is the brain’s “fight or flight” response and our tendency to follow what other people are doing in times of high stress. The only way to overcome those sometimes detrimental instincts is to practice what you should do, he said. In other words, earthquake drills. He acknowledges how silly that seems when Oregon doesn’t have that many earth- quakes and “The Big One” may not happen for decades. Eberlein stresses doing it any- way. “Eye roll your way through it,” Eberlein said. He said practice still works even if you don’t take it as seri- ously as you should. “We are not trying to make you smarter,” he said. “We are trying make your instincts bet- ter.” Eberlein added another thing will help your state of mind in a disaster: preparing beforehand and remember items that will make a disaster situation seem normal — as much as possible, anyway. “Comfort items — you need deodorant. You still are going to have to brush your teeth, even after Cascadia,” Eberlein said. “This is where you start to take control again and resume you’re your sense of normalcy, so don’t forget to put shampoo in your kit.” For emergency kit weeks 15 through 18, go to www.polkio.com. SCHOOL NOTES Constitutional Essay contest open POLK COUNTY — The 2016 Polk County Women for Agricul- ture Constitutional Essay contest is now open. Students in grades 9-12 from Polk, Marion or Benton Coun- ties may enter. Contestants are asked to answer the question, “If the 1787 Constitution were presented today, would it be ratified? Why or why not?” Each entry will receive a pocket copy of the Constitution. Each winner receives two books on the Constitution by Oregon author Mary Webster. Prizes will be awarded to first place ($300), second place ($200) and third place ($100). Essays must be 500 words or less. Submissions will be submitted electronically and must be re- ceived by Dec. 31. For full contest rules, visit www.owaonline.- org/chapters/polk/. Email entries to Arlene Kovash, kovasha@gmail.com. For more information: Kovash, 503-838-3512; or Carol Marx, 503-362, 6225.
