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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2010)
The INDEPENDENT, August 19, 2010 Page 11 Vernonia School Board hears no camping allowed next Jamboree At the Vernonia School Board of Directors August 12 meeting, the board was told that new schools Project Man- ager Steve Effros has found an Oregon Dept. of Transportation grant opportunity which, if ap- proved would pay for the need- ed road improvements. In other new schools infor- mation, Superintendent Ken Cox reported on the public meeting held August 10 with Missouri Avenue residents. Cox said he heard no complaints from the residents at the meet- ing, and the district will contin- ue to work with St. Mary’s Church on mutual use of avail- able parking spaces. Texas Av- enue will be the main access during the work on Missouri Av- enue, scheduled to start next spring at the earliest. Texas Av- enue may need resurfacing af- ter work on Missouri Avenue is completed. Cox reported minor vandal- ism on school grounds during this year’s Jamboree. He noted that the ballplayers did not comply with their contracts not to consume alcohol on school premises. Cox is sending a let- ter to the event organizer noti- fying them that, due to the problems with alcohol compli- ance, there will be no camping allowed on school property next year. The district applied for and was accepted for up to $13 mil- lion in Qualified School Con- struction Bonds (QSCB) with a maximum term of up to 20 years. Cox recommended us- ing $5 million of the fund, ex- pected to be sold at no or low interest. The board approved resolution 10-08 for the $5 mil- lion QSCB bond. In other business, the board: • Heard that all schools in Columbia County had lower en- rollment numbers in 2009-10; • was told that the next Town Hall meeting is scheduled for September 28; • heard that parents paying for lunches and other fees on- line will now pay the full 4.9% processing fee. Last year, the Chalk Talk Chalk Talk is a column of information about Vernonia schools. This column was provided by Superintendent Ken Cox. School is nearly here! Only a few weeks of summer vacation left, which means that many of you are beginning to shop for school clothes and supplies. If your son or daughter will be in junior or senior high school please make sure that their school clothes are in compliance with each building’s dress code. Some examples are: no spaghetti strap tops for girls (even in elementary grades), no short shorts (they need to come to mid-thigh), and no flip-flops. For more details, please contact each building office as they are now open: Washington Grade School 429-7941, Vernonia Middle School 429-0478, Vernonia High School 429-3521. As school begins we need the help of students and parents with a new federal requirement that we are dealing with this year. Each child must register and answer two simple questions identi- fying their race and ethnicity. It is critical that we get this informa- tion in order to meet federal requirements and, ultimately, receive federal funding. Please make sure that you complete the form when you register your child. As you register, you should receive a student handbook, which, while similar to last year, does have some changes in it. We encourage you to review it with your child when you get a copy, particularly if they are in grades 6-12. We are looking forward to another great year and want to re- mind you of the following: • the first day of school will be Tuesday, September 7th for all students in grades 1-12, with Kindergarten students starting the following Monday. • WGS class lists will be available on August 24th. • New elementary and middle school students can register at any time by calling the appropriate school office. • School supply lists are available at the district office. • Athletic participation forms are available at the high school or middle school office, respectively. first year of online payment, the district paid 3% of the 4.9%, but can no longer afford to do so. • was told that staff will un- dergo background checks every three years. This is al- ready standard practice at most districts. • approved the final Naming Recognition policy, with minor changes from the one previ- ously reviewed by the board. • ratified the OSEA contract for 2010-2013. • authorized the Evaluation Committee to provide “notice of intent to award” the contract for the new schools project. Cox told the board that it appears only one bidder is in the ‘com- petitive range’. • agreed with board member Tim Bamburg’s suggestion to leave the playshed lights on un- til 10:00 p.m. instead of 9:00 p.m. The next board meeting will be held September 9, at the district office, starting at 6:00 p.m. Many take 4-H County Fair awards Following are partial results from 4-H competition at the Co- lumbia County Fair. Due to space limitations, only results within The Independent’s circu- lation area are included. Phase 2 Crocheting - Wearable: Champion – Crys- tal-Ann Carreon. Individual Demonstration, Sr: Champion – Crystal-Ann Carreon. Poultry, Broiler/Fryer, pen of 3, 4-6 lbs live wt: Champi- on – Levi Carreon. Reserve Champion – Bradley Ely. Pygmy Goat Showman- ship, Jr.: Champion – Levi Carreon. Sr. Weather, 1-3 years: Champion – Levi Carreon. Crossbred Meat, Yearling Ewe: Champion – Megan Ely. Crossbred Meat, Spring Ewe Lamb: Reserve Champi- on – Megan Ely. See 4-H on page 20