Page 14
The INDEPENDENT, May 7, 2009
Vernonia Head Start gets to go fishing Andersen 2nd in spelling
Vernonia Head Start cele-
brated
Male
Involvement
Week, April 19-25, because
children do best in life when
they grow up with the active,
positive involvement of both a
mother and father. Whatever
the measure — physical and
emotional health, educational
achievement, behavior — chil-
dren are more likely to lead
healthy, productive lives when
both their mother and father are
actively involved in their lives in
positive ways. Because of the
importance of fathers to the
healthy development of their
children Head Start is commit-
ted to supporting male involve-
ment in the program.
On April 24, Vernonia Head
Start celebrated their first “Fish-
ing With Fathers” field trip to
Vernonia Lake. It was a beauti-
ful day and the fish were biting.
Sixteen of the eighteen en-
rolled children and families at-
tended. There was a great turn-
out with not just fathers attend-
ing but also grandfathers,
great-grandfathers, mothers,
grandmothers, aunts, brothers
and sisters — all there to cele-
brate Male Involvement Week.
Head Start families celebrated Male Involvement Week with a
“Fishing With Father” day. Photo courtesy of Kathy Kelly.
E-Cycle program now ready to go
The Oregon E-Cycles pro-
gram provides free recycling of
computers, monitors and tele-
visions has now started. The
program is financed by elec-
tronics manufacturers and
jointly implemented with the
Oregon Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality (DEQ).
What items are covered un-
der the program? Desktop and
Easy Storage with
Quick-Fold Handles
portable computers (laptops),
monitors and televisions are all
covered electronic devices in
the program.
What is not covered? Fax
machines, cell phones, printers
and other peripherals are not
covered under the program.
Who can recycle their elec-
tronics via the Oregon E-cycles
See E-Cyle on page 15
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Bagging and Mulching
Kathy Kelly of Vernonia
Head Start said, “Thanks to the
many dedicated volunteers and
families who helped the chil-
dren with their poles and
worms, because of you, most
of the children were able to feel
the thrill and excitement of
catching a fish.”
From page 7
The National Senior Spelling
Bee, sponsored by AARP, is
open to anyone over 50 who
likes to spell. This year it will be
held in Cheyenne, Wyoming,
on June 20. Visit the website
www.seniorspellingbee.com
for details. Next year’s Oregon
Senior Spelling Bee will be held
in Aurora on April 10. Contact
Roberta Hutton at tansy
acres28_@hotmail.com
for
registration and information.
School Board okays 2009-10 schedules
From page 12
members of the large crowd
spoke passionately about pro-
tecting specific programs such
as music and band, in support
of cutting school days and/or
salary freezes, going back to a
pay-to-play sports system, and
eliminating programs to main-
tain the sports budget. Many
people expressed concern
about increasing class sizes.
The administrative team ex-
plained that they didn’t want to
reduce anything that was pro-
posed, but that reducing the
budget is required.
Levear and Ott explained
that cutting the number of
school days and/or freezing
staff salary and benefits are ne-
gotiated contracts items. The
administrative team will begin
meeting with union representa-
tives later in May. Since 80% of
the budget is salaries and ben-
efits it’s no surprise that the
most significant cuts were in
staffing at all levels, in all de-
partments across the district.
Administrators have already of-
fered a $25,000 reduction by
accepting contracts without a
pay increase.
The budget committee is
composed of five community
members appointed by the
board (Tom Duyck, Stephen
Kiss, Mike Lyda, Pete Edison
and newly appointed Norie
Dimeo-Ediger) plus the board
of directors (Chairman Duann
Lundsten, Angi Duyck, Kathy
Edison, Will Moore and Doug
Nordholm).
In other business, the board:
• Received no public input
regarding an interim superin-
tendent;
• approved next year’s
school calendar with August 31
as the first day of school and
noted that the calendar is post-
ed on the district web site;
• approved the beginning
fund raising for next year’s
spring vacation trip to Costa
Rica;
• approved a boundary
change.
Council must find new funding for paths
From page 13
nelius, Forest Grove, Hillsboro
and North Plains. Last year, the
council accepted an offer by
the City of Hillsboro to conduct
the five-city EOA. Each of the
cities foresees the need for co-
operative efforts related to
transportation, land use and
economic development. Addi-
tionally, economic development
is a goal of Governor Kulongos-
ki by promoting trade sector in-
dustry clusters, especially solar
and green industries, so joint
planning efforts among the five
cities will support the Gover-
nor’s goal by encouraging the
location and expansion of such
industries and businesses. The
cooperative efforts will also
promote a consistent voice to
support a partnership with the
Metro regional government as
Metro prepares the 2009 Urban
Growth Report. We can “pros-
per together or wither solely,”
Kinsky said. The resolution was
approved.
Council also adopted a reso-
lution amending the 2008-2009
operating budget to include the
appropriation and expenditure
of an unanticipated PCN small
cities operating grant from the
Metropolitan Area Communica-
tion Commission.
Council adopted, revised,
and updated the fee schedule
for Log Cabin Park, plus a spe-
cial use permit policy for the
park and a Park Management
Agreement.
Early last year, council ac-
cepted an ODOT Transporta-
tion Growth management
(TGM) and authorized ODOT
to contract with CH2M Hill to
produce a Banks Transporta-
tion System Plan (TSP). Al-
though it was originally sched-
uled for completion by June 30,
ODOT requested an extension
to August 31, 2009. At the ad-
vice of City Planner K.J. Wong,
council agreed to the exten-
sion.
In the absence of City Man-
ager Jim Hough, City Recorder
Jolynn Becker reported on ac-
tivity in April, noting that the
second
of
three
joint
Council/Planning Commission
work sessions for the UGB ex-
pansion has been rescheduled
with a date to be announced.
Funding for hike-bike paths
and sidewalk enhancements
that the city was hoping to ob-
tain through TIF funds, will
have to be developed from oth-
er sources. TIF funds are for
vehicular enhancement on col-
lector streets and larger bicycle
paths and sidewalks which
might be a part of a street en-
hancement project, but cannot
be the sole reason for construc-
tion.
Deputy Tran reported that
there were 30 calls for service
in April, resulting in two arrests;
35 traffic stops were made and
13 citations written. Tran also
told council that he has given
two cub scout presentations
and scheduled a presentation
on meth at Banks High School.
Tran introduced the newly
sworn-in Banks officer Deputy
Brian Wood, saying that Wood
is “fresh, new, and excited
about his job...he is really, real-
ly proactive.” Wood told council
that he has “met some of the
citizens of Banks and is looking
forward to serving in Banks on
Saturdays.”
The next city council meet-
ing will be on May 12, at 7:30
p.m.