|
March 19, 2009 Front Page |
|
Idaho Power To Start Over On Proposed Transmission Line Routes
Move Idaho Power Group Proposes Alternative
By Debby Schoeningh
Idaho Power has decided to go back to the drawing board when it comes to defining eastern Oregon routes for a 500 kV transmission line. The roposed 298-mile line is planned to start in Boardman, Ore., and will travel through several counties including Baker on its way to the Hemingway substation near Murphy, Idaho.
At the March 10 City Council meeting Mayor Dennis Dorrah said he attended a meeting Monday in Ontario with Idaho Power where the company announced that they are starting over with the routes.
“As of yesterday (March 9) there is no route,” said Dorrah.
Dorrah said Idaho Power wants to reorganize and initiate citizen’s advisory groups in three areas, which would include Ontario and south- western Idaho, Baker and Union county, and Morrow and Grant counties. Dorrah
said the goal is to have the groups made up of citizens from all walks of life.
School Board To Close North Baker School And BMS Central Building
By Eden Taylor
The School Board Meeting March 10 voted to close North Baker School
and the Central Building at Baker Middle School (BMS). They also
voted to place the Kindergarten in the High School, in a self-contained wing of the building. The middle school will all be housed at the Helen M.
Stack Building.
In the work session held prior to the scheduled meeting, Ben Carr, Principal of North Baker, went over the Management Team’s recommendations for school closures. Thirteen criteria were evaluated in making this decision. Those criteria were: safety, ADAcompliance, supervision in and supervision out, gym space, efficiency cost/sq ft., capital improvement, bus loading and traffic, long term plan/versatility, building security, specialized offices/sq. ft., and deferred maintenance. ADA, safety, supervision in and out were double weighted in calculating the scores. The criteria were defined so that all of the Management Team were on the same page. Other considerations were given to the Facilities and Efficiency report and the Zimmerman report.
The Management Team’s recommendations based on a consensus after evaluating all the parameters, were that Brooklyn Elementary would be the
best fit for Grades 1-3 and South Baker would be the best fit for Grades 4-6.
|
