A look at upcoming capital improvement projects slated for 2014 was among the highlights of the regular Waconia School Board meeting held on Monday, March 3. The district is planning to spend approximately $1,526,000 on projected Capital Facilities & Deferred Maintenance Programs in the coming year. The largest chunk of that figure is related to $943,000 in building improvements. Projects are planned for all of the districts buildings, including a number of district-wide facilities. At Bayview, space currently being used by Kids Company will be reconfigured into a classroom. Additional lockers will be installed to help accommodate continued growth and security improvements involving interior door locks will also be part of the work completed at Bayview. A sound system update for the green gym and the dining room is planned for Southview, as are security improvements involving interior door locks. At Clearwater, the district is planning to update the intercom system, install a sidewalk to the physical education fields, replace a floor scrubber and complete some roof repairs. A number of projects will occur at the high school, including sound and light upgrades in the auditorium. The Media Center will be recarpeted and the security system cameras and DVR system will be upgraded. A bottle water fountain will be installed in the main lobby and the wall pads on the main courts will be replaced. The buildings Bobcat Sweeper will also be replaced. In terms of district-wide improvements, the district is looking at the installation of portable bleachers and/or the rental of football field bleachers, athletic field improvements, mechanical and electrical system repairs / replacement, and reconfiguring a storage room at the WEC into a classroom. The district also has costs associated with a city street assessment related to Wildcat Way and a storm water well system (Burandt Lake Project). According to Director of Finance and Operations Todd Swanson, all of the projects are scheduled to be done in the coming school year with most of them scheduled to be completed over the summer. In addition to the building improvements, the district has $583,000 budgeted for equipment expenditures, which include allocations for Project Lead the Way, Curriculum Development, Technology, and expenses related to school equipment and copy and postage machine leases. The district also has $540,000 in lease levy expenses. In other matters: The board approved a motion to dissolve the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative No. 930. The services provided by that co-op are now being supplied by the SouthWest Metro Educational Cooperative. Waconia is one of 10 area districts to take part in the cooperative, which provides a comprehensive array of customized programs and services to complement the educational services offered by the local school districts and surrounding communities. Steve Hullander, an American History teacher at Waconia High School, announced his retirement effective the end of the school year. In a letter to the board, Hullander noted his thanks and appreciation to all the teachers, coaches and administrators that he worked with at Waconia and thanked all the students and athletes that he had the privilege of being just a small part of their lives as they moved into the real world. A donation of $1,000 from James and Kim Manuel in memory of Connie Manuel was acknowledged by the board. The funds will be directed to the high school physical education department. The district received a $5,000 check from Minnesota Valley Electrical Cooperative for its energy efficiency upgrades at Clearwater Middle School. The board continues working with School Exec Connect regarding the superintendent search. A profile of the next superintendent has been created see information at right. Candidates are currently being sought for the position. According to information available on the district website, the board and consultants will meet to review and select candidates to be initially interviewed on April 28. The board will interview five or more recommended candidates on April 30 and May 1. On May 1, the board will narrow the field to two or three finalists. The next round of individual interviews will occur on May 13, 14, and possibly the 15. Community input will be welcome when it comes to selecting the finalist. To learn more about the search, visit the district website at http://www.waconia.new.rschooltoday.com. A recent phone-a-thon resulted in more than $7,000 being raised for scholarships through the School District 110 Foundation. Donations will still be accepted through April 11. To make a contribution, visit http://www.district110foundation.org and click on the Donate Now button. The board is planning a discussion on options for district facilities during a work session that will be held at 7 p.m. at the media center at Clearwater Middle School on Monday, March 24. A week later on Monday, March 31, the board will meet again to talk about gathering community input on the various options. The next regular school board meeting will be held at the ESC at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 21.

Profile Desired of the Next Superintendent

After meeting on March 17, the Waconia School Board has released the desired profile of the next superintendent. This profile is based on an online survey and focus groups that were facilitated by School Exec Connect. The Superintendent should be a person who: Is an excellent communicator with all of the community, families, senior citizens, each of the different communities in the District Is an integral member of the community, and active in both school and community events in each of the communities Can plan for long-range growth in the school district, and create the appropriate long-term solution, in collaboration with the cities. for the facility and athletic field needs, and knows the process for a successful bond and levy Can lead a strong central administrative and Principal team that is a cohesive team, focused on the best educational opportunities to prepare students for the future Can support the curriculum development process which addresses, gifted and talented, rigor and relevance, range of science, language, and math options needed Can oversee the fiscal management process so that there is continued stability of funding, appropriate fund balance and a response to curriculum and activities/athletics that puts student needs first Can review the offerings for students in athletics, arts, music as extra-curricular options and assure balance Is a visionary leader who can utilize a strategic plan to continue moving the district forward Will create common messages with the Board, staff, and community leaders, so that the message on district needs is consistent and able to be supported by each Is able to plan for technology integration. The plan needs to define, the purpose, expected objectives and outcomes, the range of tools, and short and long term investment needed as well as how the plan would be funded now and into the future

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School board examines 2014 projects

About a mile away from a high school in Camarillo, in an industrial park surrounded by businesses, is an unmarked yellow building.

A four-lane road separates it from a large neighborhood of upscale family homes, where children ride scooters and dogs walk the lawns.

The buildings arches, roofing and ironwork invoke Spanish Mediterranean architecture; a water fountain gurgles to the right of the front door.

Its quiet outside, and crops grow in fields to the south and east.

The building is home to one of 14 Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in the state. Inside, doors require key cards, some employees wear guns and cells are monitored by security cameras.

Like a similar facility planned in Santa Maria, the Camarillo ICE office acts as a transfer station for convicted, undocumented immigrants. It consolidated two separate offices that, since the 1990s, were located in a business area on the west side of the city.

Unlike the Santa Maria facility, however, it opened on Cortez Circle in February with no controversy.

ICE Assistant Field Office Director Raymond Kovacic said most of the office work takes place on the second floor of the two-story building a maze of cubicles and break rooms that sport NFL logos showing employees loyalties and white boards listing needed office supplies. The first floor is mostly holding cells.

Its a center for processing merely (bringing people) in and out, said Bob Naranjo, also an assistant field office director.

Protests

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ICE house

REMSEN -- A 52-year-old woman was hospitalized after a two-vehicle collision on Route 365 Tuesday afternoon. Sheriff's deputies said Caroline H. Potter, of Fabius, was northbound at 5:17 p.m. w... [more...]

Published: 3/12/2014

The statements that accused pet-killer Ian M. West made to law enforcers about his wife's dog will be examined in a County Court hearing next month. West, 25, of Annsville, made a brief appeara... [more...]

Published: 3/12/2014

A day after getting a taste of spring with sunny conditions and high-40s temperatures, the area was bracing today for a late-winter storm that was projected to bring a foot or more of snow by Thurs... [more...]

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ROME -- Mrs. Theresa Marie (Middel) Lastowicka, 86, a resident of the Rome Hospital Nursing Home, passed away Saturday, March 8, 2014 at Rome Memorial Hospital. Theresa was born in Utica on Sep... [more...]

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Late baseball signups which had been scheduled for tonight at Staley Upper Elementary School have been postponed because of inclement weather. The late signups will now be held on Monday, March... [more...]

Published: 3/12/2014

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ST. CHARLES A St. Charles city committee Monday gave its support for an east side restaurants proposed outdoor dining area.

The citys Planning and Development committee voted 7-1 in favor of recommending a minor change to the preliminary plan for Main Street Commons to allow a patio area at the Spotted Fox Ale House at 3615 E. Main St. Fourth Ward Alderman Jim Martin voted against the recommendation.

Spotted Fox owner Marwan Taib was at the Monday meeting. He was relieved to hear the committees vote and excited to move forward with construction, pending final approval from the St. Charles City Council.

Were going to build the best patio that this area has ever seen, Taib said after the meeting.

The outdoor dining area will have a capacity of 125 people and be built on the north side of the restaurant, Taib said. The area will be adjacent to and overlook the detention basin between the restaurant and Main Street.

Taib plans to install a water fountain in the basin, TVs on the patio and possibly an outdoor grill for the chef to use.

Since the proposed patio area is partially located over an underground utility easement, city staff recommended in its report that a section of the patio be constructed on a concrete slab with joints to allow for easy removal if necessary.

Taib hopes to have the patio open by the first week of May, weather permitting.

The Spotted Fox Ale House first opened in 2012. Taib said his business had to persevere during its first year and a half without a patio and also in the middle of Route 64 reconstruction.

This is going to be huge for us, Taib said of the patio.

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Committee backs outdoor seating at St. Charles restaurant

Published: Monday, 3/3/2014 - Updated: 3 hours ago

Recently released inspectionreports of Lucas Countyfood-service operations

Violations:

Mi Hacienda, 3302 Glanzman, inspected Feb. 7. Rice in hot holding at 115 degrees. Potentially hazardous foods must hot hold at 135 degrees or higher to prevent bacteria growth. Rice double panned in steam table does not allow product to keep heat sufficiently. Place rice in a single pan, directly in contact with hot water. Rice reheated to 165 degrees, then placed back into hot holding for use. Inspector: Sara Becker.

McDonalds, 3008 Monroe, inspected Feb. 7. Employees with artificial and/or painted nails, and employees with jewelry. Buildup inside of ice machine on stainless shield. Properly clean and sanitize unit regularly to prevent buildup. Sticker residue on clean containers. Containers are not considered clean until sticker residue is removed. Sticker residue harbors bacteria. Broken Cambro container in cooler holding leafy greens. Containers must be free of cracks and damage to limit physical contamination. Inspector: Stacy Seger.

Jimmy Johns, 1470 Ford, Maumee, inspected Feb. 6. Chemicals stored on shelving over condiment packets and next to slicing equipment. Chemicals must be stored separately from equipment and food to protect from chemical contamination. Re-arrange shelving to keep chemicals on bottom shelf only. Keep food products covered and protected in coolers and freezers. Open boxes of bread found in walk-in freezer with a spilled box of cookies inside and on top of frozen bread. Install more shelving if over-stacking of boxes is causing spillage. Inspector: Seger.

The Maritime Training and Education Center, 803 Water, inspected Feb. 11. Buildup present in ice machine. Clean and sanitize according to manufacturers specifications. No wipe cloth bucket set up. During hours of operation, a wipe cloth bucket must be set up to properly sanitize surfaces and to properly store damp/soiled cloths. Corrected. Inspector: Kerry Stanley.

Sunoco Food Mart, 1407 E. Manhattan, inspected Feb. 11. Hand sink and three-bay sink blocked. Keep sinks accessible for intended purposes. Inspector: Stanley.

Mr. Hero, 525 E. Manhattan, inspected Feb. 11. Uncovered employee beverage on table in back prep area. Employee beverages must be covered and stored to protect food and clean items form contamination. Corrected. Inspector: Stanley.

Speedway, 2510 S. Reynolds, inspected Feb. 10. Buildup present inside ice dispensers at fountain beverage center. Clean and sanitize according to manufacturers specifications. Mouse droppings under shelves in back storage area. Licensed pest control on site to handle the issue. Maintain pest-control records for health department review. Inspector: Stanley.

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Restaurant Inspections: 3-3

For most people, the biggest investment theyll ever make is their house. So the thought of experimenting with it might not rest easy.

But Ed Ehinger says hes never stopped experimenting with his and his wife Sues home outside Roanoke.

It started back in the late 1970s, when he designed and built the house a one-story contemporary, on several acres carved from a family property. Even back then, he says, he situated the structure taking into consideration ideas about showcasing views of the outdoors and natural light.

A second big experiment came in the mid-1980s when he decided to have a large pond sculpted into his front yard and built and landscaped a rock-and-boulder-lined stream to flow into it, even in the coldest weather.

His most recent experiment was with epoxy stone flooring that brings a warm, earthy tone and pebbly texture to the kitchen, foyers and basement bar area.

In business with sons Trent, 32, and Erick, 26, as 3E Industries Landscaping and Construction, Ehinger, 57, likes to try out projects at his own place when considering offering similar ones to customers.

What weve liked to do is to have an example to show people, so we dont have to send them to somebody elses house, he says.

But, even though his projects may start out as experiments, Ehinger thinks theyve ended up as home improvements.

Ive changed many things throughout the years but dont think Ive done anything here that I didnt like, he says.

Ehinger says he had an interest in building his own home for as long as he can remember. He started drawing up blueprints when he was only 22 and just out of college, where he majored in business.

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Projects keep flowing

Ann Brenner and Grier Argall, whose joint efforts resulted in a new public drinking fountain at Robson-Harrington Park, will get a Gold Award.

It will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 11 at the San Anselmo Town Council meeting.

The water fountain, to replace one that hadnt functioned in years, originally was Brenners idea. But Argall physically made it happen by donating his time, expertise and supplies.

For four years, the 61-year-old Brenner had been pulling overgrown ivy and weeds in the park, and even hired one of her sons friends to help. Her volunteer efforts, she says, were an outgrowth of her spending a lot of time there with her dogs and loving to watch the many children at play.

To advance the fountain project, she donated money and got some of her friends to do the same. They came up with the lions share of the $1,475 needed to fund the fixture itself. The town paid for the rest.

Says Brenner, a longtime Ross resident, I just love the park, and that the community gardens and fruit trees are there. I think its a lovely setting. I can even remember back 26 years when my husband and I took a class in the library of the house.

Argall, a 48-year-old whos lived in San Anselmo since he was six months old, recruited two assistants (plus his two sons, who helped with digging) to install the fountain, which has a faucet for humans on top and a spigot for dogs on the side.

Their combined two days of work saved San Anselmo about $2,500.

According to Town Manager Debbie Stutsman, the new lower park area fountain has been getting rave reviews.

Shortly before finishing that volunteer job, Argall completed at cost, he notes a park sewer-drain project that required him to install about 250 feet of pipe.

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San Anselmo pair who led park water-fountain drive win award

Thornbury pool consultation for Mundy Playing Fields closes

4:29pm Wednesday 19th February 2014 in News By Emma Sisk, Gazette reporter

Thornbury Town Council Groundsman Paul Le Riche talking with visitors to the Mundy Playing Fields public consultation (4076893)

THORNBURY could be set to benefit from a brand new water park.

Councillors in the town came out in force to consult the public on the future of the paddling pool at Mundy Playing Fields.

They took to the streets last Thursday and Saturday to inform the public of two possible options for the site and it appears a new facility is the one favoured by residents.

The council wanted to hear the opinions of residents and young people in the town on whether they should refurbish the existing paddling pool or install a brand new water park.

The new water park would have a concrete base with a non-slip rubber floor. The water would be pumped from a mains and run-off water stored in a tank and used to water plants. It could be switched on and off by the council and would involve no chemicals. It would also be better able to cater for children with disabilities.

The park would include a water tunnel, a raining horseshoe, water hopscotch and a mini fountain and is believed to cost in the region of 100,000. The cost of renovating the existing pool is thought to be between 60,000-70,000 although exact figures will be confirmed when a contractor has been appointed.

Funding for the future project has already been secured as Thornbury Town Council has made provisions within next years budget for the development.

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Thornbury pool consultation closes

The Chamber of Commerce and Madison Hose Co. #1 have submitted plans to the Inland Wetlands Agency seeking permission to install a new floating fountain in the center of Tuxis Pond. The new fountain would replace the existing one and become one part of a plan to upgrade and beautify the pond and surrounding area.

The Chamber and its Image Committee are asking for a regulated activity permit that would allow for the installation of a memorial illuminated floating fountain to be known as the Eileen Johnson Memorial Fountain at Tuxis Pond. Johnson was an active Chamber member who held several volunteer positions over the years. Most recently she co-chaired the Image Committee and, according to the application, it was her wish that the fountain be replaced. She presented the idea to the Chamber last fall, however, shortly after she became too ill to pursue the project. Her husband, Gunnar, and the Chamber have chosen to move forward with the idea.

There is more to the plan than the fountain. The Chamber envisions a cleanup and renewal of the area around the pond, including the clearing away of small trees and brush. Other plans could include projects to rebuild the walkway or add benches or a floating dock. The Chamber has investigated the possibility of setting up a fund through the Madison Foundation that could collect donations to establish a separate maintenance fund for the fountain and surrounding area.

The Chamber is not the only body in town interested in the health and future of Tuxis Pond. Both the Inland Wetlands Agency and the Conservation Commission have been discussing the state of the pond for some time. The subject of Tuxis Pond is a regular agenda item at their meetings.

The Planning & Zoning Commission's Plan of Conservation and Development recommends the town "seek ways to open up Tuxis Pond as an amenity for Madison Center." More than a decade ago there was considerable discussion of upgrading the pond and the boardwalk to encourage pedestrian traffic from the railroad station and parking areas at Bradley Road into the town business and commercial area.

The pond and surrounding wetlands are located south of Bradley Road, north of the Boston Post Road behind the Hose Company firehouse, to the east of Route 79, and to the west of the parking lot behind the Post Office.

At a Board of Selectmen meeting in August and again at budget workshops last month, the Madison Hose Company has requested the town consider installing a stand pipe in the pond, which sits behind the firehouse, to serve as a water supply when needed to fight fires downtown.

Fire Chief Robert Kyttle told the selectmen, "That pond has saved a lot more of downtown than a hydrant."

In the fire this summer that destroyed the building housing the Madison Wine Shop and Village Pizza, the water pumped from the pond was critical, he said. The hydrants in the town center were not sufficient.

"We also used the pond in 1985 in that fire. This summer was the second time that pond has saved downtown," Kyttle explained.

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Chamber Has a Plan for Tuxis Pond

The 260 residents of Ten Sleep, Wyo., drive at least 26 miles to buy groceries and 112 to catch a plane. Local businesses include the Crazy Woman Caf and Dirty Sallys, a soda fountain and souvenir shop. You wouldnt expect an Internet entrepreneur to launch a startup here. But in 2006, Kent Holiday did just that, opening Eleutian Technology, where local teachers tutor Asian students in English through live online videos. He now employs about 500 teachers around the region.

Holiday was visiting his in-laws when he noticed the local telephone utility laying fiber-optic cable: Ten Sleep was getting high-speed Internet. In 2011, President Obama used Eleutian as an example of the Internets effects on rural economic development: For local businesses, broadband access is helping them grow, prosper and compete in a global economy.

But such access the basic modern infrastructure many city-folk take for granted is far from universal. Of the 19 million Americans who lack broadband access defined as 4 megabits per second (mbps) download speed, 1 mbps upload 14.5 million live in rural areas. Thirty percent of Indians living on reservations also lack access.

Speedy Internet is not a panacea, but it can provide a much-needed boost. For rural residents, writes Sharon Strover, a communications professor at the University of Texas-Austin, having broadband is simply treading water or keeping up. Not having it means sinking. Now, projects to wire the Navajo Nation and other rural areas could help close the Wests connectivity gap. Will they be the economic boon everyone hopes?

The more densely populated a place is, the more likely it is to have fast, affordable Internet. When people live far apart, service providers dont profit enough to cover the costs of building and maintaining the physical infrastructure. If they do provide access, its often at higher prices and slower speeds than in urban areas. In the rural West, where 2 million people lack broadband access, topography is also a barrier. Mountains and narrow valleys can block signals from wireless towers and satellites and make it difficult to install fiber-optic cables. Silverton, for instance population 637, at an elevation of 9,300 feet in a remote and rugged alpine area is the only county seat in Colorado not plugged into fiber-optic cables.

As the Internet becomes a more integral part of daily life, people with shoddy connections are at an economic disadvantage. Fast Internet is necessary to take video-based online classes and to sign up for health care. (Imagine the horror of trying to navigate Healthcare.gov with dial-up.) Rural hospitals use it to video-conference with urban medical specialists, and schoolteachers increasingly record lectures that students can watch at home.

But Lawrence Wood, associate professor of media arts and studies at Ohio University, says the most significant drawbacks are cultural. The main reason people use broadband these days is for entertainment, he says. Having a smartphone or a fast Internet connection is really a matter of being a part of contemporary life in the United States.

Expecting the private sector alone to fill the broadband availability gap is unrealistic. So a number of rural areas have turned to community-owned networks. Powell, Wyo., built its own fiber-optic network, which a local Internet provider pays to use, and many of Washington states public utility districts are doing the same, some with help from the 2009 stimulus. On the Navajo Nation, where fewer than 4 percent of residents have broadband access, the tribal utility recently received a $32 million federal grant to bring wireless service to the entire reservation. And in southeastern Colorado, a rural electrical co-op provides broadband in places like Two Buttes, population 43 doing for Internet what it did for electricity in the 1930s.

But simply having access isnt enough; people have to actually use it. Broadband adoption rates are 13 percent lower in rural America than in cities, Strover found, with non-users citing high cost and the belief that they dont need to be online. But when rural residents use broadband, there are economic benefits. In a 2013 study, Strover found that rural counties where over 60 percent of people used broadband had more rapid income growth and slower unemployment growth than similar counties with fewer people online.

Broadband cannot, however, reverse long-term economic trends like rural-to-urban migration, or change proximity to a highway or the quality or size of the local labor force. Most economic decisions depend on a multitude of factors, writes Shane Greenstein, who studies information technology and economics at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management, and broadband is but one of many.

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High Country News: Rural Americans have inferior Internet access