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The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday,
February 21, 2006 | |
WD Board approves auditorium contracts
by Latisha Sand |
The West Delaware School Board approved two contracts, one with Schuler Shook and another with Lifeline Amplification Systems, for their services for the new auditorium at their Feb. 13 meeting.
Schuler Shook, an auditorium theater consulting company, will be responsible for the stage lighting systems, stage rigging and all the stage curtains and tracks for the 700-seat theater. Their services, according to the contract, will cost $34,000 plus expenses, which includes transportation and travel expenses.
Lifeline Amplification Systems, from Platteville, Wisc., will be responsible for the acoustical, sound and video systems. Their quote was $2,700 for the acoustical systems and $6,000 for the sound and video systems for a total of $8,700.
The West Delaware band teacher, Mark Philgreen, told the board that the fine art instructors and supporters were very happy with both companies and their proposed jobs.
The board also approved the naming rights and recognition levels for the auditorium. A donation of $250,000 or more is needed for naming rights of the auditorium and it decreases to $10,000 to name one of the six practice rooms. The recognition levels range from $500 to $250,001 and more.
Architect Roger Worm was not present at the meeting. Superintendent Rick Hilbert updated some of the board members on the undecided result from the two Manchester City Council and board meetings that recently took place. The city wants on-site inspections, with the holes being filled the day of the drilling. The board did, however, approve to have a test well drilled.
With the talks of geothermal fresh in their minds, the board and the Ron Swartz, Director of Buildings, Grounds and Transportation, discussed the need to replace or fix the middle school air conditioning. For a new air conditioner system, the school would have to spend $275,000, but fixing the pump, chiller and rebuilding the shaft and vacuum would only cost $50,000 to $60,000. The board approved getting additional bids to fix the existing air conditioner, which could last an additional five to six years.
“If we can get five years out of this then at that point we can look at geothermal for the middle school and elementary,” said Swartz.
The board was also updated on the technology agreement between the school and Keystone AEA.
Topics of discussion included Centerpoint and the web-based ‘ticketing’ system. According to Keystone this system, “provides district staff a method for logging technology requests and Keystone a way to track the support work requested in order to assure accountability and improve technical service to end users.”
“We have had over 900 tracker tickets,” said Hilbert. “It’s really rare for me to hear from someone that they are having problems with technology.”
Philgreen was also at the meeting to propose a senior band member trip to St. Louis during the third weekend in April. The cost of the trip will be around $250 per person and the students, with help of fundraisers, will be responsible for all expenses. He also informed the board that between 80 and 85 band students will be able to perform during the 2006 Peach Bowl parade and half time show this December. The cost of this trip will be between $650 and $700 per person, which includes the hotel, transportation and two meals a day. The students would only be responsible for one meal and souvenirs. Philgreen would like to schedule a fundraiser for both events before the trip in April takes place.
The board also heard a presentation from Sue Daker, Director of School Improvement, about this year’s Iowa Test of Basic Skills results.
Overall, according to Daker, the fourth grade reading and math scores were generally up.
“This means more of our students are proficient in those content areas,” said Daker. “The trend for eighth grade reading is flat, meaning that there is not much change in the achievement in our students reading. The trend for eighth grade math is up and the trend for eight grade science is significantly up. The trend for eleventh grade reading, math and science is flat or slightly downward.”
However, the scores also show that there is a gap between the SES students (or students within the free or reduced price lunch group), the IEP students (or special education students) and the overall group of all of the students.
“There appears to be a growing gap between the achievement of our (SES and IEP students) and how all of the students do,” said Daker. “The district is looking at ways that we can close that gap.” |
WD approves proposed 2006-07 price increases
by Latisha Sand |
The West Delaware School Board recently approved a proposed increase of prices for various school related fees.
For the school year of 2006-2007, textbook and instructional manuals for high school, middle school and elementary students will increase by $5. So, for example, for this school year parents paid $60 for high school students’ textbooks. For the next school year, parents will pay $65 for a high school student’s textbooks.
The daily hot lunch fees will also increase but only by five cents. For example, the adult lunch was $2.50 but it will increase to $2.55. The student lunch for grades 5-12 will be $1.60 instead of $1.55 and for grades JK-4 it will be $1.45 instead of $1.40.
The daily breakfast fees for students and adults will remain the same, as well as the mandatory annual milk and juice fees for the junior kindergarten and kindergarten classes.
Another increase includes the instrumental rental, which went up $5, from $55 to $60 for grades 5-12.
Every year since the 2003-2004 school year, textbook fees have increased by $5 with the daily lunch prices increasing by 10 cents.
“Many textbooks now cost $75 or more,” said Ron Goerdt, West Delaware’s Finance Director, “and the only way to stay on top of these increases is to pass part of them along to the end user. The same is true for many of the other instructional materials.”
Parents or legal guardians who meet the income guidelines, provided by the Department of Education, could qualify for a partial or full waiver for the mandatory fees. Students who are on the reduced lunch program pay 40 percent of the lunch prices and students on the free lunch program pay nothing. The exception to that are items like the Memory Book or Activity Passes, which are the full cost for everyone.
According to Iowa Code, school districts and board of directors are authorized to change nine mandatory fee prices including textbooks, summer school programs, school meals and nonresident student tuition. |
Can you dodge a ball?
By Brian Cook |
 “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball” from the movie “Dodge Ball”.
The matches won’t be nearly as high stakes as in the movie, but people in the Manchester area can have just as much fun in the 2006 Adult Co-ed Dodge Ball League, which will play in March and April at the Delaware County Recreation Center.
This is the first year for the league, which Parks and Rec Director Ben Page says is part of a series designed for the non-serious athlete in all of us. A team must have a minimum of six players and have at least four players play.
The matches will be Tuesday and Thursday nights at the Rec Center.
Registration is due by March 10, and there can be an unlimited number of players on a team’s roster. The league will be co-ed, but there will not be any rules about equal participation or an uneven number of males and females.
Page said he has gotten a lot of positive feedback about the league, noting that the Manchester City Hall plans on fielding a team. He said the purpose of the league is to have fun rather than being serious competition Page said he is marketing it to the community as a time to have some social recreation.
The new league is part of a series of new activities based on the games we played on the playground as kids, according to Page. Last summer Manchester had a kick ball league at the Beckman Complex, but Page said it interfered with people’s golf and softball schedule and a lot of kids’ activities.
Page said he is open to ideas from the public for the series, no matter how crazy they may seem. One potential activity in the future may be Frisbee or disk golf.
Dodge ball leagues have been around bigger cities recreation programs for about five years now, according to Page. Towns Manchester’s size are just starting to experiment with these newer programs.
“It’s exciting times for parks and recreation departments our size,” Page commented. “We’re starting to get newer programs, trails and facilities.
“This is one of those programs that can bring people of all ages and athletic ability together.”
2006 Adult Co-ed Dodge Ball
League Rules
Rosters: Roster forms must be completed and submitted to the Manchester Parks and Recreation office by entry deadline of March 10. Men and women age 16 and up are eligible to participate.
Rosters may consist of all men, all women or a combination of both. High school students out for a competitive sport must first get permission from their coach.
Rosters must have a player’s first and last name and current address.
Team rosters are unlimited; however a minimum of six players must be carried throughout the season.
A player may be listed and compete on only one team.
Any player who fails to conform to the eligibility and roster rules will be deemed illegal.
If an opposing manager believes an illegal player is being used he or she should bring their concern immediately to the attention of the supervisor.
Rules:
The playing field will be 60 feet
long and 30 feet wide and divided equally by a line in the middle.
To start the game, each six person team has two dodgeballs with all team members having at least one foot on their back line.
Play starts upon the referees’ signal.
Teams may start and play the game with less than six players.
Matches are a “best of five” with a time limit of eight minutes per game.
If no team is completely eliminated after eight minutes the team with the most players left is the winner.
In the event of a tie after eight minutes, there will be “sudden death” format consisting of the remaining players.
A player hit by a “live fly ball” anywhere on the body after being legally thrown by an active player on the opposing team, results in the hit player being out.
When a player catches a “fly ball” the thrower is out.
Anything caught or thrown from outside of the boundaries of the court does not count.
If a ball hits a referee, the ball is no longer a “live ball”.
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The FFDC forms annual advisory board
By Julie Sunne |
The Foundation for the Future of Delaware County (FFDC) was formed in 2005 to help Delaware County citizens benefit from two programs set up the year before by the Iowa legislature.
The Endow Iowa program allows residents to take a 20 percent tax credit for charitable contributions. Delaware County will also receive a share of 0.5 percent of state gaming revenues. A large portion of these funds is available for charitable grants as well.
The seven members of the FFDC board are responsible for moving this process forward. They will meet throughout the year. The board members are Chair Marilyn Schnittjer, Carl Steffen, Larry Swanson, Jackie Johnson, Jerry Burke, Jill Buschman, and Cindy Vorwald.
One of FFDC’s requirements is to form an Advisory Board. This board meets annually and serves four functions:
Approve some appointments to the grant advisory committee
Provide for the orderly turnover of foundation board members
Create a channel of communication for all communities in the county
Increase the visibility of the foundation throughout the county
A formula was set for obtaining the 34 members of the advisory board. It is as follows:
1 person appointed by each city council (11 total)
1 city clerk from each city, or the clerk’s designee (11 total)
1 person each appointed by the Delaware County Ministerial Association, the Delaware County Farm Bureau, the Delaware County Extension Council, the Delaware County Bar Association, and the Delaware County Bankers’ Association (5 total)
3 persons appointed by the County Board of Supervisors (1 from each supervisor district)
1 township trustee from each quadrant of the county, appointed by the county auditor (4 total)
Any non-profit organizations that provide services in Delaware County and operate in compliance with applicable laws prohibiting discrimination are encouraged to submit proposals for the grant funds. For applications or if you have questions visit the chamber of commerce building or call the FFDC at 563-927-3325. April 1, 2006 is the deadline for applications to be postmarked or hand-delivered.
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