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GAZETTE-TRIBUNE WWW.GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013 | 75 CENTS NEWSSTAND PRICE
Officials gather for informal discussion
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ...
TSD’s Stangland arranges wide-ranging round-table BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
TONASKET - A panoply of elected officials and representatives of a number of other government agencies gathered for an informal “round table” discussion in the Tonasket School District board room on Monday, Dec. 16. Called together at the behest of Tonasket School Board member Catherine Stangland, the officials discussed the concerns that their various entities deal with and ways to communicate with representatives in Olympia. Participants included State Representative Joel Kretz; newly-elected State Senator Brian Dansel; Okanogan County Commissioner Jim DeTro; Tonasket Mayor Patrick Plumb; Tonasket Schools Superintendent Paul Turner; USFS Tonasket District Ranger Dale Olson; three members of the Tonasket City Council; the North Valley District Board of Commissioners; the Tonasket School Board; and elected representatives from three area fire district boards. While a portion of the gathering was devoted to a presentation on the Tonasket School District’s twin ballot proposals - one for the renewal of the expiring maintenance and operations levy, another for a new bond proposal (also replacing an expiring debt) for expanding and enhancing the district’s facilities - the bulk of the discussion revolved around
A number of classes at the Tonasket Elementary School performed a holiday singa-long for their families on Thursday, including (above) an appropriately sung “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth”; Right, North Valley Hospital staff delivered 1,000 pounds of food to both the Tonasket and Oroville Food Banks after a department competition (Dietary Dept. edged out the Fiscal team for top honors); Below, right, Oroville Kindergarten and first graders sing “10 Little Elves” under the direction of Jeff Gee at the K-3 Christmas Concert; Below, the concert peaked at least one listeners interest, or was it just his hair.
larger and, in many instances, common areas the different officials face. “What happens in each of our areas affects all of us,” Stangland said. “If we’re going to be strong in our own area, we need a strong community.” In addition to the ideal increasing communication and cooperation, the discussion centered around the need for strong schools and health care as a key to health communities, as well as the need to take care of infrastructure needs before the needs become emergent. “I spent many hours and many miles around the county trying to recruit doctors in the last 30 years,” said Stangland, whose husband is a local physician. “I’m really aware of how impactful what we do is on how it affects the other. “When doctors come and look at Tonasket, they want to know what the schools are like, obviously. Do we have a good library” What kind of services do we have here? When teachers are looking what they want to know are: what kind of medical services do you have? You don’t get any of those without the county providing good roads to get students to school, or for or emergency services.” NVH Board Chairperson Helen Casey said her experience had been similar. “The first thing people ask about is was schools and health care,” she said. “We are really, really blessed to have what we have. But we have to work together to maintain
SEE ROUND TABLE | PG A2
Oroville budget is $8.28 million Apple bin storage lot causing concerns again
Brent Baker &
BY GARY A. DEVON
Gary DeVon/staff
MANAGING EDITOR
photos
OROVILLE – Oroville approved a 2014 budget of $8,279,700 at their Tuesday, Dec. 17 council meeting. The budget includes carryover from water and street projects, as well as the city’s share of a new ambulance that is on order. “We have carryover of the North End Reservoir tank installation and the Central and Cherry Street STP and TIB funded street overlay and water main replacement funds,” said city clerk Kathy
Jones. “There will be no layoffs and no water and sewer rate increases and the city will continue to provide fire and ambulance services to the local rural districts and continue to host the Building Official/ Permit Administrator program, sharing time with Tonasket and Okanogan,” Jones said. Other included programs include the U.S. Homeland Security Department Stonegarden Grant toward the purchase of a new patrol car for the police department and the child passenger seat safety grant. Employees will be getting a $90 per month wage increase. Councilman Jon Neal made the motion
SEE BUDGET | PG A2
Oroville School Board appoints chairman Leaking gas lines to be replaced THE GAZETTE-TRIBUNE
OROVILLE – The Oroville School Board called for nominations and Rocky DeVon was reelected to serve as chairman for 2014 at the boards Monday, Dec. 16 meeting. Travis Loudon was nominated and elected as the vicechairman of the school board. Under Good News and Announcements, Superintendent Steve Quick said the gas leak in the chemistry lab that led to the evacuation of both buildings the previous Friday will be fixed over winter break. The other good news was that the K-12 Alert
System worked well with only a few “minor glitches.” The school district will be replacing all the lines to the chemistry lab, according to Quick. Elementary Principal Joan Hoehn reported that the Grades 4-6 music concert the previous Thursday evening was well attended and that the PTO had helped with decorations and clean up. She also said that she and Quick had attended a Growth Goals Training Session and that four teachers were testing a Crayola Dream Makers program. The one-month free trial provides supplemental curriculum. The teachers will report back to the Rural School Alliance on their findings. High School Principal Kristin Sarmiento said that teachers
were working on the stateTPEP (Teacher Principal Evaluation Project. She also said that the lockdown drill on Thursday had gone well. Quick reviewed school board goals, something he has been doing at each meeting. Under maintenance he said it had been a busy month where the elementary building had heat in the rooms, but not in the hallways. He also reported that the two awnings on the east side of the south end of the elementary building had been finished. The board approved adding Lisa Scott and Sally Patterson to the substitute teacher list and Renee Hilstad as a food service substitute. Kayla McKinney was hired as Assistant High School Softball Coach (pending student participation).
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Volume 109 No. 52
Gary DeVon/staff photo
Two new awnings have been completed over the east side entrances on the south end of the Oroville Elementary School Building. They were finished just in time for the first snow that has stuck around for awhile in the north Okanogan.
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