Times staff report
The Carbon County District 2 School Board should plow ahead with plans for school construction during its meeting on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
With funds secured from the School Facilities Commission, asbestos abatement can begin at the Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow elementary schools. Board members are to consider issuing a call for bids to perform the work on both schools as well as for the installation of a new heating and boiler system at Saratoga Elementary School.
Board members are scheduled to finalize and vote on a memorandum of understanding between the town of Medicine Bow, the SFC and the District 2 board concerning the exchange of the village square land in Medicine Bow and the town’s current elementary school property.
Superintendent Bob Gates should report on the district’s enrollment and update board members on the upcoming building projects. He is scheduled to announce the bid award for the bleachers for the nearly complete Saratoga Middle and High School track.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Design for new school tops $1 M
By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer
Twisted Sister set the mood at Thursday’s Carbon County District 1 School Board meeting, which was filled with banter, teasing and laughter, among other things.
When “We’re not going to take it” blared from the boom box at the end of the sixth-graders skit, parents, teachers and children alike had smiles on their faces. Rawlins High School freshmen class president Tanner Nicholls and vice president Brittany Gale then took the floor to present the class’s progress.
After the usual report of regular council meetings, fundraisers and event organization, Gale said, “And we don’t particularly like the lunches.” She and Nicholls said pizza twice a week is a bit much. That, and they don’t enjoy having a closed campus for lunch.
Though overshadowed by student presentations, the board still conducted its business. Duane DeWald reported on the first of three surveys being issued to District 1 teachers and administrators, which highlighted concerns about communication between the teachers and administrators.
Curriculum Director Marilyn Vercimak announced the launch of the selection process for the reading literacy series, in which elementary teachers from across the district are given a chance to evaluate each textbook’s ability to meet the district’s standards and benchmarks as well as its needs for ESL and special education students.
Superintendent Peggy Sanders talked about the Feb. 24 legislative forum, when the school board has the chance to visit the state Legislature to “see the impact the school board can have,” she said.
The board also approved on first reading a laundry list of policies and construction agreements, including the agreement between the district and the School Facilities Commission for the design of two new elementary buildings in Highland Hills. The designs of the kindergarten through second-grade building and the school for grades third through fifth should cost $707,490 and $281,290, respectively.
In the executive session, the board approved the employment contracts of the District 1 administrators for the next school year. Additionally, it worked toward the expulsion of one Rawlins middle school student and one RHS pupil. The hearing for another expulsion has been set for Thursday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.
With her hair covered in red hair spray, Rawlins Middle School teacher and co-chair of the Carbon County District 1 Teacher Education Association Denise Ashline substituted her report on the associations progress with an explanation of why she had such a terrible hairdo.
“Some young ladies wanted a picture for the yearbook,” she said.
Ashline consented to letting the girls paint her hair for Valentine’s Day and snap the shot, but on one condition: “They have to maintain a B average for the whole year,” she said. If they don’t, they can’t use the picture in the yearbook and Ashline gets to play hairdresser on them. She said the bet was extended to others in the girls’ class as well.
Times staff writer
Twisted Sister set the mood at Thursday’s Carbon County District 1 School Board meeting, which was filled with banter, teasing and laughter, among other things.
When “We’re not going to take it” blared from the boom box at the end of the sixth-graders skit, parents, teachers and children alike had smiles on their faces. Rawlins High School freshmen class president Tanner Nicholls and vice president Brittany Gale then took the floor to present the class’s progress.
After the usual report of regular council meetings, fundraisers and event organization, Gale said, “And we don’t particularly like the lunches.” She and Nicholls said pizza twice a week is a bit much. That, and they don’t enjoy having a closed campus for lunch.
Though overshadowed by student presentations, the board still conducted its business. Duane DeWald reported on the first of three surveys being issued to District 1 teachers and administrators, which highlighted concerns about communication between the teachers and administrators.
Curriculum Director Marilyn Vercimak announced the launch of the selection process for the reading literacy series, in which elementary teachers from across the district are given a chance to evaluate each textbook’s ability to meet the district’s standards and benchmarks as well as its needs for ESL and special education students.
Superintendent Peggy Sanders talked about the Feb. 24 legislative forum, when the school board has the chance to visit the state Legislature to “see the impact the school board can have,” she said.
The board also approved on first reading a laundry list of policies and construction agreements, including the agreement between the district and the School Facilities Commission for the design of two new elementary buildings in Highland Hills. The designs of the kindergarten through second-grade building and the school for grades third through fifth should cost $707,490 and $281,290, respectively.
In the executive session, the board approved the employment contracts of the District 1 administrators for the next school year. Additionally, it worked toward the expulsion of one Rawlins middle school student and one RHS pupil. The hearing for another expulsion has been set for Thursday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m.
With her hair covered in red hair spray, Rawlins Middle School teacher and co-chair of the Carbon County District 1 Teacher Education Association Denise Ashline substituted her report on the associations progress with an explanation of why she had such a terrible hairdo.
“Some young ladies wanted a picture for the yearbook,” she said.
Ashline consented to letting the girls paint her hair for Valentine’s Day and snap the shot, but on one condition: “They have to maintain a B average for the whole year,” she said. If they don’t, they can’t use the picture in the yearbook and Ashline gets to play hairdresser on them. She said the bet was extended to others in the girls’ class as well.
Nonprofits seek team effort
By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer
With lofty goals being proposed for nonprofits in Carbon County, a group has formed to turn the goals into a reality.
The group met Friday during a roundtable luncheon at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, allowing their thoughts to mix and meld.
Baggs resident Linda Fleming, a member of the Wyoming State Nonprofit Association, sees the “energy corner of the state” as the least active in promoting its nonprofit organizations.
“We need to realize just how powerful we are in our communities,” she said. “Be it in Baggs, Elk Mountain or (Rawlins).”
Stephanie Moles, executive director of The Woman’s Heart organization in Casper and also a member of the state nonprofit association, said nonprofits fit alongside governmental and private enterprises to form cohesive, functioning communities. Moles emphasized the economic benefits provided by nonprofit services.
By fostering support among nonprofits and forming a more unified effort to fulfill southern Wyoming’s community needs, each nonprofit’s function can grow exponentially. Nonprofits applying for grants are also more likely to get the attention of financing organizations, a huge help when groups have to compete for funding.
The group set goals for future progress, including a follow-up meeting in six months. The group hopes to establish a set of workshops to turn area nonprofits into smoothly functioning machines. The workshops may be held at the Carbon County Higher Education Center in the future. The Carbon County Visitor’s Council has a head start with a “how to start a nonprofit” seminar already on its calendar, so nonprofits should have a choice of where to find guidance. Other CCHEC classes could include executive director training, grant writing, volunteer organization and marketing.
The group pushed for the creation of a resource databases to help the groups work more efficiently. Fleming kicked off a networking effort by asking attendees to supply their mailing and e-mail addresses as well as phone numbers. The group also recognized the benefit of a newsletter, keeping everyone aware of the progress and needs of other community nonprofits.
As the luncheon wrapped up, one attendee raised a critical question. “Are we re-inventing the wheel?” she asked. She warned that groups in Carbon County have a tendency of charging forward with ideas that others have already developed. Before expending too much effort trying to build everything from scratch, she said, resources could already be available.
Times staff writer
With lofty goals being proposed for nonprofits in Carbon County, a group has formed to turn the goals into a reality.
The group met Friday during a roundtable luncheon at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, allowing their thoughts to mix and meld.
Baggs resident Linda Fleming, a member of the Wyoming State Nonprofit Association, sees the “energy corner of the state” as the least active in promoting its nonprofit organizations.
“We need to realize just how powerful we are in our communities,” she said. “Be it in Baggs, Elk Mountain or (Rawlins).”
Stephanie Moles, executive director of The Woman’s Heart organization in Casper and also a member of the state nonprofit association, said nonprofits fit alongside governmental and private enterprises to form cohesive, functioning communities. Moles emphasized the economic benefits provided by nonprofit services.
By fostering support among nonprofits and forming a more unified effort to fulfill southern Wyoming’s community needs, each nonprofit’s function can grow exponentially. Nonprofits applying for grants are also more likely to get the attention of financing organizations, a huge help when groups have to compete for funding.
The group set goals for future progress, including a follow-up meeting in six months. The group hopes to establish a set of workshops to turn area nonprofits into smoothly functioning machines. The workshops may be held at the Carbon County Higher Education Center in the future. The Carbon County Visitor’s Council has a head start with a “how to start a nonprofit” seminar already on its calendar, so nonprofits should have a choice of where to find guidance. Other CCHEC classes could include executive director training, grant writing, volunteer organization and marketing.
The group pushed for the creation of a resource databases to help the groups work more efficiently. Fleming kicked off a networking effort by asking attendees to supply their mailing and e-mail addresses as well as phone numbers. The group also recognized the benefit of a newsletter, keeping everyone aware of the progress and needs of other community nonprofits.
As the luncheon wrapped up, one attendee raised a critical question. “Are we re-inventing the wheel?” she asked. She warned that groups in Carbon County have a tendency of charging forward with ideas that others have already developed. Before expending too much effort trying to build everything from scratch, she said, resources could already be available.
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