Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Ralls County Herald-Enterprise
7A
COMMUNITY NEWS
Information for the April 8 Bond Issue County Library News for a Centralized Elementary School
The new school will be built on the campus of Mark Twain Junior-Senior High School and will accommodate preschool through fifth grade. Architechnics, Inc. has developed floor plans for the building based on input from parents, community members, teachers, administrators, and board members. The centralized elementary school will include: • Nineteen classrooms – one for preschool and three per grade level for kindergarten through fifth grade • Two computer labs • Library • Classrooms for art, music, Title 1, special education, and speech • Cafeteria – seats up to 150 students per shift, dual uses as small assembly room • Kitchen – sized to serve up to 450 meals in three shifts • Gymnasium • Office space for principals, secretary, counselor, nurse, and special education director • Single point controlled entry for security • Separate bus and passenger pick-up areas to enhance safety • Educational Advantages of a Centralized Elementary School • Greater flexibility to match learning styles of individual students to teaching abilities of individual teachers • Increased opportunities for sharing ideas and teaching techniques among teachers • Equal access to facilities and resources for all elementary students and eliminate redundancy in educational materials • Possibility for additional after school activities and learning activities with junior high and high school students • Separate wings for lower and upper elementary students • Modern heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to provide for a comfortable classroom temperature throughout the year • Increased electrical capabilities to allow for technology advancements
• Tax Information The question on the ballot is as follows: Shall the Ralls County R-II School District issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $7,500,000 for the purpose of constructing, furnishing and equipping a centralized elementary school for preschool through fifth grade to be located on the Mark Twain campus? Taxes from the debt service fund will be used to meet the interest and principal payments on the outstanding bonds issued. Over the first five years of the repayment schedule, the district will use approximately $750,000 of fund balances to assist in making debt service payments. The district has worked with George K. Baum & Co. since 1998 for financing bond issues and sought financial advice from them regarding possible tax increase for this bond issue. The district has been advised that no tax increase is necessary, and the tax levy would remain the same. The advice is based on the district’s assessed valuation, expected interest rates, and increases of 1.5% per year in assessed valuation. In the past ten years, the district has had an average annual increase of 4.39 percent in assessed valuation. The Ralls County R-II School District currently has a tax levy of $3.46, which has remained the same since the 1994-1995 school year. $.71 of that tax levy goes into the debt service fund. The 2013-2014 tax levies of area schools with an enrollment of 1250 or fewer students are as follows: Clopton 5.0943 Community R-VI 4.5500 Marion County 4.3200 Monroe City 4.2464 Palmyra 4.0280 Van-Far 4.0000 Wellsville 3.9203 Paris 3.9062 Canton 3.8457 Louisiana 3.8323 South Shelby 3.7500 Ralls County 3.4600 Lewis County 3.4554
Local Meetings to be held to oppose Mega-Transmission Line Grassroots Effort is Igniting a Fire Across the Prairie
The meetings noted will be provided at no cost and are open to the general public. The goal is to inform landowners about the group’s concerns and to empower landowners to help block Grain Belt Express from getting Eminent Domain authority.
GBE is proposed to pass through Missouri starting south of St. Joseph to near Hannibal or Bowling Green, through 14 Missouri counties: Buchanan, Clinton, Caldwell, Livingston, Carroll, Chariton, Macon, Randolph, Monroe, Audrain, Shelby, Mar-
ion, Ralls and Pike. Meeting Times and Locations: Lion’s Club in New London, at 11 a.m., on March 8. Suzy Q’s Restaurant, 116 S Main, Marceline, at 3 p.m., on March 8 Moberly Area Com-
munity College at 11am on March 15. Floral Hall in Macon County Park, Macon, at 3 p.m., on March 15. Interested parties can contact the group via their webpage http://blockgbemo.com/ or email notowershere@gmail.com
Middle School and Ralls County schools this year. Students from Eugene Field School provided the artwork gifts for 34 members of the United Way Leadership Giving Circle of supporters. Todd Dornberger from Northeast Missouri Electrical Power Cooperative is the winner of this years trip incentive drawing. The lucky winner will have a choice of a trip to Disneyworld, a cruise, or a cash equivalent. The incentive is made possible by dedicated corporate donations and does not impact the agency allocations. Board President Ryan Rapp welcomed Maria Mundle (HPS), Rhonda Leake (HNB), Justin Gibson (BFS), Donna Heiser (F&M), Dana Harvey (Shelby/Monroe County), Connie Branstetter (Clarence), Jessica Spurgeon (HC-Post), and Joel Dant (HPS) to the board of directors. Rapp also recognized retiring board members Steve Viorel (HNB), Frank DiTillo, Wendy Brumbaugh (Shelby County), Linda Wallace (Shelby
County),Carol Ragar (Lewis Co.) and Soneeta Grogan for six years of valued service. Looking forward to the fall and Campaign 2014 incoming Chairman Gary Broughton (Century 21 – Broughton Team) introduced Andy Dorian (Hannibal Parks & Rec. Director) as his Assistant Chairman and thanked McFarlane for a tremendous campaign and the continued success of the United Way organization. In closing President Rapp announced Lou Lemen, Ex. Director for the past twenty-two years will be retiring in early May. The process to fill the position began early in 2013 utilizing United Way Worldwide guidelines. Over 50 resumes were reviewed, twenty interviews conducted. The United Way of the Mark Twain Area is pleased to announce Mr. Frank DiTillo has been selected to guide the organization and to the next level of community activism and impact through our mission of “Increasing the capacity for people to help one another.”
United Way Over the Top - Monroe/Ralls New Executive Director Announced
The United Way of the Mark Twain Area celebrated its 62nd Annual Meeting and awards banquet with exciting news. The annual drive exceeded the $577,000 goal raising a total of $580,000 bringing needed funds to thirty-five human service agencies in Northeast Missouri. Mike McFarlane (BASF) served as chairman of the drive and was elated with the results
and grateful for the generosity of the donor public. Volunteers and donors embraced the campaign slogan (Grow a Better Tomorrow.. the United Way) and rallied their support. The slogan was chosen following an area wide contest promoted by local and social media with a $100 gift card going to the winners from Canton. Milestones and initiatives were celebrated with emphasis on the free tax program, VITA that successfully filed 517 federal tax returns and bringing over $600,000 back into our economy. Also noted was the Stephen Covey Leadership Program that expanded to Veterans, Oakwood, Hannibal
New London Forget-Me-Not Senior Citizens
Calendars and maps of Ralls and Marion County are still available. Tax forms are still not available, but can be downloaded and printed from the computer. Library is open until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, weather permitting. New books available: Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Divergent is soon to be released in theaters. Books on CD: The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson Hidden by Sandra Brown Worthy Brown’s Daughter by Phillip Margolin Book Review Doctor Sleep by Stephen King Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals. On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RV’s. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-yearold Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook
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PCA Archery Team Competes The Perry Christian Academy Archery students competed at the South Shelby Middle School tournament on Saturday, February 22. Medals were given to the top t archers in each grade for each school. PCA winners included: 4th Grade – Dawson Talbott - 1st place, Zachary Duncan - 2nd place, Elizabeth Northcutt - 3rd place; 6th Grade – Gregg Duncan 1st place, Makalyn Phillips - 2nd place, Morgan Wittland - 3rd place; 7th Grade-Elishah Prior - 1st place, Alexa Swon 2nd place, Tim Duncan - 3rd place; 8th Grade Elizabeth Yancey - 1st place, Lincoln Talbott - 2nd place, Emily Unglesbee - 3rd place; 9th & 10th GradeJonathan Mickels -
Vandalia Firestone Appliance & Furniture Shop where the price is right!
Friday, March 7
Pork loin, dressing, potatoes and gravy, carry in dishes and desserts, coffee and tea Carry outs are available Donations are accepted in the canisters on the tables! Everyone, regardless of age, is welcome to eat at Senior Citizens.
Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.” Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon of the King canon. Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller as well as the Best Hardcover Novel award from the International Thriller Writers. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.
Downtown Vandalia Since 1946 Don & Donna Hoover, Owners
(573) 594-6624
1st place, Sadie Luckey - 2nd place, Kara Phillips - 3rd place. Tournament overall high score shooters were PCA students Jonathan Mickels in 1st place with a score of 281 and Elishah Prior in 2nd place with a score of 262. Perry Christian Academy also brought home a trophy for the 1stplace team. PCA archery students will spend the month of March preparing to compete in the State Archery Tournament on March 29.
Cole Chiropractic CENTER,
LLC
Dr. Michael Cole (573) 594-2663