Letters 4/7/11

FFA Ag Day

The 5th grade classes at JES would like to congratulate the Colfax FFA for presenting another successful Ag Day. These are some of the 5th graders thoughts about making cheese, butter and ice cream and learning about baby farm animals:

“One of my favorite things was making butter because we didn’t use food coloring or sugar, did you know that butter is actually white!”

“In the cheese section we actually got to make cheese, it was stinky.”

“But the best part of Ag Day was that we were allowed to eat our magnificent ice cream creation! It tasted so good that I wanted more!

“Then we got to see all sorts of animals that included a horse, a few goats and a family of sheep. We had an incredible time at Agriculture Day! We learned all about the dairy today.”

Each year the Colfax FFA puts on an Ag Day for our elementary students. They demonstrate various aspects of agriculture. This was a great learning experience for our students. FFA had many outstanding hands-on activities that will be remembered by our 5th graders.

Shala Vorderbrueggen

Judy Moore,

Fifth grade teachers

Great accomplishment

We would like to congratulate the five young men from Rosalia who recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. This is a great accomplishment for Casey Brown, Flash Hodges, Tom Carrothers, Jared Hereford and Nathaniel Richards, and they are worthy of our respect for their determination and hard work.

Their Scoutmaster, Brad Hodges, other scout leaders, and their parents also deserve recognition for their reaching this milestone. The time, energy, and encouragement from these caring adults helped to keep their sons focused on achieving this goal. Very few scouts reach the rank of Eagle, and this is a distinction that will be with them for the rest of their lives. Recognition should also be given to the Rosalia Methodist Church, for their faithful sponsorship of the local Boy Scouts for over 40 years.

Although we have not met all of these recipients, we have a personal interest in them. It has been many years since this troop has had an Eagle Court of Honor—in fact, it was in the 1970s when my brothers, Don, Tim, and Larry and a few other scouts earned this rank.

It is obvious that teamwork also applies to athletic competition. We recently learned that the RHS Spartans excelled in the State Basketball Tournament in Spokane! Congratulations on your success and for representing your school and community in such a positive manner.

May God bless you as you look ahead to graduation in a few months and a very bright future!

Cathy Sheahan Healow,

Sacramento

Fiscally responsible

Since receiving the information that the directors of Oakesdale School District are asking the voters to approve a bond issue in the amount of $4.2 million, I have literally been sick to my stomach.

Right now approximately 28% of our tax bill in the Oakesdale School District is going to the school. If the bond issue passes, that figure will more than double. Yes, the taxes you pay to the school district will double.

To figure the amount of taxes that you will pay in addition to what you are paying now, you just need to do some simple math. Take your tax statement. Find the assessed value. Add any together if you have more than one parcel Take your total and divide by 1000. Multiply that figure by $3.89 (the amount per thousand being asked for in the bond issue). This is how much extra you will pay each year for the next 25 years.

The total amount of your tax bill that then will go to Oakesdale School District will be 57%.

And, let’s not forget the $ 4.7 million coming from the state. Many talk like that’s free money! Guess who’s paying for that? See the line on your tax statement that says “state levy? It’s equal to about 14% of the bill.

Remember also, that as soon as the bond issue is over, the levy will be up for approval. Don’t for a minute think this bond issue is the levy issue and vote for it because you are confused. I find the timing of the vote on the bond issue before the levy a very sneaky way to garner some “yes” votes.

Please, be fiscally responsible. Less than 150 students does not warrant an $8.9 million expenditure. It doesn’t even warrant half of that.

Vote no on the Oakesdale School District bond issue.

Susan Heise, Farmington

Former Oakesdale School Board Director,

11 years

Time to renew

Fifty plus years ago the Oakesdale School District opened their brand new Elementary School.

The school district has always been a responsible steward of our tax dollars, utilizing the yearly levy, maintenance and operations funds to keep our school operating the best it can.

They have educated 50 years worth of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, but now it’s time to renew our commitment to the next generation of students by approving the Oakesdale school bond.

Let us give the next generation a school that will again last for years educating our kids by giving them a safe, functional, and efficient facility to achieve success through their education.

Please support the Oakesdale School Bond, “great communities deserve great schools.”

Todd and Shelly Lobdell,

Farmington

Best interest

Great communities are known for the schools they keep. Families with children are attracted to communities with great schools, thus keeping our communities vibrant.

In the early 1950’s my parents and other concerned citizens of the Oakesdale Community recognized the importance of providing a quality, modern facility for the educational needs of their children and voted to build a new grade school which was completed in 1955, the year I was in second grade.

In addition to this new building the school campus also consisted of the gymnasium built in 1948 and the high school in 1933.

My two daughters attended classes there and now my grandson attends 7th grade in those same buildings which have not received a major upgrade since being built.

Although the facilities have been well maintained they have long outlived their design life.

Plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems are worn and unreliable.

Energy efficiency is an issue and there are no provisions for handicap access.

The facilities do not meet the needs of modern technology and instructional techniques.

Increasing maintenance costs and emergency upgrades to keep the facilities operational must be paid 100 percent by local taxpayers.

We now have an opportunity to take advantage of substantial state matching funds, low construction costs and low interest rates to renovate our school campus and provide a modern facility for students of this generation and well into the future. I urge the citizens of the Oakesdale/Farmington Communities to once again consider what is in the best interest of our youth and communities and vote yes for the Oakesdale School Renovation Bonds.

Gail W. Parsons,

Oakesdale