Mt. Morris trustees say no to owning DLR
Mt. Morris Times / ShawLocal.com • Friday, Jun 17, 2022
MT. MORRIS BEAT
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Village board members urge Oregon School District to hold onto building for two to three years as ‘safety net’ By ALEXA ZOELLNER
azoellner@shawmedia.com Mt. Morris Village Board trustees declined the Oregon School District Board’s offer to take ownership of the David L. Rahn Junior High School building. “We strongly recommend that the Oregon School Board reconsider pursuing any disposition of the DLR building for a period of two to three years,” Village President Phil Labash read from a prepared statement at the village board’s June 14 meeting. “This includes the potential transfer of DLR to the Village of Mt. Morris.” Oregon School District Superintendent
David L. Rahn Junior High School is located on Brayton Road in Mt. Morris. Tom Mahoney went before the Mt. Morris Village Board on May 24 at the behest of school board members to ask if village officials were interested in the property. Discussion or consideration of the transfer was not on the agenda for that village board meeting, so trustees were unable to talk about, or take action on, the matter at that time. On Tuesday, village trustees unanimously voted to decline the offer of ownership following a closed session. The closed
LETTER
session lasted less than 10 minutes. School board members on Feb. 22 voted 4-2 to close DLR at the end of the 2021-22 school year, despite pleas from Mt. Morris officials and residents to keep the school open. Seventh grade and eighth grade students will attend Oregon High School, which is 5 miles to the east in Oregon. DLR was the last remaining school in Mt. Morris. The Mt. Morris School District merged with the Oregon School District in 1994 because of financial reasons. Mahoney first proposed closing DLR in May 2021, citing decreasing enrollment throughout the district and increasing maintenance costs at DLR as reasons to do so. “We continue to believe this decision is wrong, shortsighted and not in the best interest of students, staff and district families,” Labash said. “Immediate disposition of the building through sale, transfer or demolition will eliminate a critical safety net, should serious issues arise as a result of this decision.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Police chief reminds residents of ordinances To the Editor, The Mt. Morris Police Department wishes to remind residents of a few ordinances which sometimes are overlooked. Residents should keep their property in a condition as to not diminish the value of neighboring properties. This includes keeping your property free of trash, garbage, rubbish, building material, car parts or anything obnoxious or offensive in nature. Vehicles parked on your property outside in public view must be in running condition, licensed, insured and moved on a weekly basis. Vehicles cannot park across a sidewalk or upon the village terrace. Vehicles parked upon a street in a legal parking zone should be parked with the flow of traffic with the right tire not less than 12 inches from the curb. Vegetation and weeds should be maintained and grass should be kept to a length less than 8 inches. At no time should your law clippings be discharged onto the street. All swimming and wading pools capable of holding over 24 inches of water must be approved by permit and be surrounded by gated fencing at least 4 feet, 6 inches in height. Open burning is prohibited, other than an overseen recreational fire contained within a fire pit or ring no greater than 30 inches in diameter and extinguished by midnight. Garbage, recycling and landscape waste receptacles shall not be placed curbside prior to 6 p.m. the night before garbage pick up days, and shall be removed from the curb by 6 p.m. on the day in which they were emptied. The village strives to maintain a clean and wholesome community in which to raise our families. This starts with each resident doing their part to police their own property, as it reflects on the community as a whole. Best wishes and have a great summer. Police Chief Michael Cicchetti
Earleen Hinton/Shaw Media
Lorna Snapp (center) celebrated her 90th birthday at the Mt. Morris Senior Center on June 8, one day before her official birth date. Seated with Lorna are her children Marilyn Myers and Sharon Saponari and standing, Linda Moore and Kelly Snapp. Lorna attributes her long life to staying active and exercising at the center three times a week. “Don’t stop doing stuff,” she said. “If you stop moving you are old.”
