|
|
|
Opinions November 1, 2007 |
|
|
Letters to The Editor
The Times They Are A Changing
To The Record-Courier:
The ballots are coming in on Measure 49 and one side will win and all will be well. No more lawsuits, no more conflict. I jest of course. If the no side wins Thousand Friends will continue their fight to make 37 claims not transferable and if they “fix” Measure 37 another initiative to loosen the urban grip on rural Oregon will surely be on the ballot sometime. It’s time for some changes. It’s time that our urban elite understand that Harney County isn’t Multnomah County. The county level is where land use decisions should reside, close to home.
Another change that has to happen is the cliché must be abolished in favor of reality. I know we are a nation of immigrants and diversity is good, but we are about the most diverse nation in the world as it is and that era should be coming to a close. A lot of people benefit from an open invasion, but that invasion grows the population.
Once again, all attempts to mitigate people problems will not ever be addressed until we deal with the fact that we can’t grow forever and immigration is the prime mover for growth. A national policy of constant, rapid and unrelenting population growth translates at the state and local level as more restrictions on lifestyle and freedoms. Whether it be fights over irrigation at Klamath, water spills over dams for salmon, lights on windmills, crowded freeways, dirty air, wildfires and urban interface areas and a host of other problems will always be there and get worse, until we decide that immigration has to end. We invited the tired and hungry and downtrodden for a couple of centuries now, but we are full. It’s time to end the free-for-all on the border, get serious and close it.
And little details about being able to register to vote in Oregon with a copy of a utility bill or get a driver’s license without showing proof of citizenship has to end. Those issues will be addressed on the next round of initiatives. You will want to vote yes on them and no on 49.
The Times they are a changing, or should be.
Steve Culley
Baker City
Letter to the Residents of Baker School District 5J
To The Record-Courier:
My name is Nick Eddy. I served as Interim Superintendent of Schools in Baker City during the 2001-2002 school year. I have many friends and relatives in this area and my roots go back many years since my mother graduated from Baker City High School in about 1916.
As I continually hear the many comments and see the printed statements that are being made about the proposed middle school building project, I am motivated to write this letter in hopes of helping to clear up some of the confusion as you prepare to cast your vote.
I am not a resident of the Baker School District. I have nothing to gain or lose based upon the outcome of the election. But I do have a great deal of concern about the welfare of children and because my roots and loyalty to Baker City go back many years, I do have a great deal of interest in what happens in Baker City.
The first issue is the question of exactly what you will be voting for or against. If you vote yes, you will be approving the funding necessary for the school district to build a new school. That’s all. A no vote will leave the district with the existing middle school buildings as they are.
There is nothing in the ballot measure about whether or not to remodel the existing middle school. The district currently has no plan on proposal in effect to remodel the existing buildings and there is no money available to do any kind of remodeling, whatever the cost estimates might be.
I remind you that School Boards are made up of trusted friends and neighbors from all walks of life. They may be farmers, ranchers, doctors, dentists, attorneys, accountants and many other businessmen and women. They may be white collar workers, blue collar workers and housewives. They are elected by you, the voters of the school district.
They are real people who volunteer many hours, without pay, to serve your best interests and the best interests of the present and future students in the schools.
Those board members have names like the current board members: John Boyer, Rusty Munn, Ginger Savage, Deon Strommer and Damien Yervasi. They have been elected by you and they represent the voters of the Baker 5J School District.
Before making any kind of a major decision such as building a new school, they must consider the advice and recommendations from technical experts, as well as from many local committees. Those local committees are made up of moms and dads, grandparents and non-parents. They are senior citizens and paid staff members. They all volunteer to work on committees to help make the best decisions about spending your tax dollars and about the welfare and future of the children.
They spend many hours considering all kinds of information. They research facts, standards, laws and conditions in the community. They study the curriculum needs and state and national requirements. They become very familiar with all the safety and security issues and the laws dealing with air quality and handicapped access, etc.
When they are finished with their study, they make recommendations. Their recommendations are based upon all of that research.
Those people are not unknowns, without names, who come into the community and make decisions simply to build empires and eat up tax dollars.
The school board’s members and the members of all those committees are all real people, just like you. They have names and they live among you. Their primary interest is the welfare, safety and future of children and of the community in which they live. They must always consider all the information available before making decisions or recommendations. That is the procedure they followed as this bond issue was put together.
As you get ready to mark the ballot you received in the mail, I urge you to remember how many trusted, highly respected people have spent countless hours studying, planning and preparing this proposed building project based upon the best information that is available from people like you and from respected, highly trained, experienced, licensed architects and engineers who have been retained to provide the technical data.
Then, I urge you to vote yes for kids and for the positive future of the community.
Nick J. Eddy
Vale, Ore.
Hats Off To District 5J
To The Record-Courier:
Hats off to District 5J School Board and the 25-30 member Task Force, representing all facets of our community, who have wrestled with Restoration versus New, Middle School for more than three years.
I take seriously the input of six qualified architectural firms. Five openly gave the same recommendation-to build a new, one level, safer, fully handicapped accessible building, meeting all modern-day structural and educational requirements. One voiced no opinion, but the six restoration options presented ranged from $4 to $11 million more than the $21 million new plan. The cheapest restoration plan was to restore only Central building, constructing a new gym on the south side that, even if stretched to the Court Street curb, would still have been 10 feet shy of regulation size. Think of the savings to be realized from maintenance, energy costs, and mandated infrastructure of a one level building versus two buildings requiring astronomical restoration, and double heating, electrical, plumbing and elevator systems.
The new school will house grades 6, 7, and 8, freeing up room in elementary schools for full day kindergarten. Access will be via an extension of College St., estimated cost of which was based on early-on talks with Baker City Staff, and is included in the proposed plan. Present bussing system picks up BHS and BMS students at all elementary schools, so transportation should not have to be substantially altered.
$400,000 is included to acquire land. Churchill school has been sold, a firm offer made for Helen M. Stack building, to be restored to another use, and a sealed bid received for the Central building. All proceeds will be held in reserve for unanticipated costs, a rainy day fund, and/or updates on elementary buildings.
BMS and BHS, separated by the Sports Complex and tennis courts, will be in close enough proximity to share in these facilities, and allow more efficient sharing of staff.
A new Middle School will add to community credence in attracting businesses, employers, employees and families.
I vote YES on Measure 34 supporting a new Middle School.
Dorthy Wooters
Baker City
Attention Voters — Vote ‘NO’ 34
To The Record-Courier
We need time to consider the best possible options regarding building a new middle school, or using the older historic school building in the education of our children.
Option #1: Enlarge the existing Helen M. Stack Building only. This addition would provide space needed for all middle school learning and school activities in a premier, safe, efficient, up to date learning environment. It is a crime to the tax payers, to sell our property to anyone for $250,000 as presently planned!
I propose the purchase of The Salvation Army building, Valley Metal and Heating, along with the three houses allowing the school ground enlargement West to Seventh Streets. This expansion would allow the students to remain safely in the most convenient central site, with room for all sports and school functions.
Option #2: One visionary idea for the old High School building, now called Central, could be a vocational trade school and learning center. The beautiful grand old building would be saved, providing a service badly needed for this side of the State. The old school and grounds could also be used as Baker County’s headquarters for Blue Mtn. and EOU facilities in one building. Students could seek college credits using computers in their educational quest, this is being done now, but a headquarters location in conjunction with vocational training would provide expanded choice of educational disciplines.
A home base school is less costly in teaching students in the various educational pursuits to continue into higher education and equipping students for modern needs of today’s job markets.
Donald Christy
Baker City
Imagine The Future
To The Record-Courier:
Imagine walking into the hospital and receiving the care you would have in the 1940’s or ‘50’s. Most people demand the latest and greatest in medicine and healthcare advancements. Do you?
Imagine sending our troops to war with equipment and supplies from the 1950’s or 1960’s. Most people know this would be ludicrous. Do you?
Imagine our children trying to be educated in buildings that haven’t been updated for years because the majority in Baker City has NEVER passed a maintenance bond to keep those buildings updated. Trust me, it’s not about “the way the light flows through the large windows.” Like a famous politician says, “When we as a society pretend that our children will fulfill their potential in dilapidated, unsafe schools with outdated equipment, we are perpetuating a lie on these children, and on ourselves. We are betraying our values.”
Imagine the future. The past can be preserved, but shouldn’t be through education or healthcare. Most people know advancement and change is positive. Do you?
Imagine a vote for the kids and city of Baker. Then do it.
Karen Harlow
Baker City
No More ‘Good Ole Boy’
To The Record-Courier:
I am writing this letter to the editor to clarify my position. When I ran for Baker City Council, I perceived the good ole boy as the way that city government was running. Being one who does not believe in those tactics I submitted my name to the voters and was elected. I believe we need to move ahead in a positive way together, which is not the good ole boy way just the common sense way.
I do not believe in censoring the public about city business. I do believe it would be nice to have a positive way about reporting the news. I believe we can deal with negative issues in a positive way, like the last editorial about our city manager doing the right thing with the building department issue. I am available to talk to anyone about where we are headed as a city, and I hope that those of you reading this will get on board and see our community move ahead in a positive way. I believe Steve Brocato is doing what we commissioned him to do when we hired him.
Terry Schumacher
Baker City
Make A Change, Vote Yes On Measure 34
To The Record-Courier:
Baker City’s voters have a serious choice to make about our children’s future. Here are some reasons the teachers of Baker Education Association support Measure 34, the Baker Middle School bond measure.
The Central and Helen Stack buildings have faithfully served our students for several generations, but are worn out. They are not fit for students in their present state. They are divided by city streets; they have multiple stories, poor ventilation and lack handicap accessibility. These facilities are completely inadequate. Even being remodeled can’t save them or fully rectify the problem. Remodeling would cost more than new construction and would be extremely disruptive for staff and students during the process.
New construction will allow all students grades 6-8 to have a one story building with 21st century design and safe, healthy facilities. It costs less than a remodel and allows greater flexibility in serving students. Our students’ education would not be disrupted due to construction and BMS students would have greater access to BHS classes and facilities. Building now rather than waiting saves millions of dollars in construction costs and allows our students to use a healthy building sooner.
The time to make a change is now. Vote Yes for Baker City’s students. Vote YES on Measure 34.
Judy Trohkimoinen, President
Baker Education Association
It’s Time To End This Madness!
Vote Yes On Measure 34
To The Record-Courier:
I think it’s time to share some facts.
In 2005 the Zimmerman Architects report recommended that we build new. Mr. Burgess discredited their report saying that that architectural firm was not qualified to make judgments about remodeling. He asked the school board to talk to the very experienced Boise based Hummel Firm. The school board complied and asked the Hummel Architects to come to Baker.
In 2006 the Hummel Report recommended that the school district build new. Mr. Burgess again discredited this report saying that their investigation was not long enough to make a good decision. He suggested that the school board hire a qualified architect with a background in historical renovations for an in depth, “apples to apples” comparison between the proposed new building and remodeling. The school board complied and hired the Modus Firm for $50,000 to do the apples to apples investigation.
In August of 2007, Mr. Poe from the Modus Firm reported that it would cost the district $29 million to bring the two historical buildings up to the same codes, site standards, and energy efficiencies of the proposed new building.
The school board has extended every courtesy to Mr. Burgess. They have answered his every wish and whim. How has he repaid them? He’s repaid them by not supporting any of the studies that he personally requested. It’s time to end this madness!
Here is the bottom line. If you want a sound educational program in the middle of town, in remodeled historic buildings be ready to pay. The estimated cost is $29 million. The same program in a new building is $21 million. The school board’s decision is researched based and deserves our support. Vote yes on Measure 34.
Marsha Smith
Baker City
Vote No On School Bond
To The Record-Courier:
Currently, there are 450 students in the three middle school grades according to Superintendent Ulrey. State projections show the County's middle school age population will decline 20% by 2015, to around 360 students, yet the school board is proposing a bond to build a school for 625 students. It makes no financial sense to borrow, build, operate and maintain a building so much larger than we need - now or in the future-at a total cost to taxpayers of $40 Million dollars.
The school board required Poe Architects to estimate the cost of remodeling the current middle school complex for 550-625 students — far above the actual or projected student population. This distortion drove the remodel estimates up significantly as did the excessive campus amenities the board required be included.
Poe testified that his analysis would be far different for a student population of 450 or less. Stripping away these excesses leaves the remodel of the existing Middle School buildings far and away the lowest cost option for improving the Middle School. Not only is it the least cost option, the remodeled buildings would be MORE energy efficient, built of higher quality materials, and centrally located than the proposed new school and just as safe for all students.
The bond is not budgeted for extraordinary site costs, including extending streets, or for the huge costs involved in building in a FEMA flood plain, as all proposed sites do. Why, in as dry a county as Baker County, would we even consider building in a flood plain? The bond drastically under funds the furniture, fixtures and equipment that a new school will require. There are also serious health and safety issues identified at each elementary school that remain unfunded. This money has to come from somewhere. Will it be higher class sizes and fewer teachers?
Teacher pay freezes? Will it be a smaller, lesser quality school than the bond proponents have promised? It is important to note the language of the bond measure, itself, makes NO commitment on what the voters will get for this $21 Million bond levy.
It is further concerning that the Baker School Board and Administration would enter into a binding sales agreement for 4 1/2 acres of open commercial property in the center of town AND a 35,000 sq. ft. building for $250,000 after advertising the property for only a 10-day period as they have done with the Helen M. Stack building and adjacent fields. No one with even the most basic knowledge of real estate would expect to achieve the fair market value of their real estate after a single 10 day newspaper ad and I seriously doubt any of these officials would do the same with their own property. A NO vote on this bond levy stops this terrible waste of public assets — since the sale is contingent on the passage of this bond measure.
Declining enrollment is the real crisis facing the school system. The board needs a pragmatic plan to deal with declining enrollment and district wide facilities needs. We should not compound these problems by making a huge financial mistake in passing this bond measure. I urge a no vote.
Pamela Van Duyn
Baker City
|
|
|
