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GoogleThe main issues leading to the need for a new school, Crawford said, include overcrowding and schools that are simply too old and in too poor a state of repair.
Mentioning several attempts in the past decade to pass a bond issue, Crawford said, "We are about two decades behind what we should be building," adding that Marshall's remaining elementary schools will need to remain open for the next 10 years while this debt service levy, should the bond issue pass, is paid off, before more improvements can be made to Marshall's schools.
"We've bypassed this issue for some time," he said. "Someday, we will have to pass a school bond."
The fact that Marshall currently has no debt service levy shows that the school district has been stagnant, said Crawford.
He also mentioned the $144 million in interest-free bonds available to Missouri school districts to build new schools, so long as a bond issue is passed during 2009. Marshall will receive, he said, no less than $6 million of that money.
Debbie Wallace, treasurer for SCIAC, mentioned that some groups involved in the council are not paid up on dues, which are $12 annually.
SCIAC cannot update brochures without a complete list of members, added Deana Boerckel.
Holiday Project
The 2009 Holiday Project will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 8-10, in the Martin Community Center. Gifts will be distributed Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Parents as Teachers will provide daycare, said Wallace.
She added that organizers expect this year to have one of the largest turnouts in the history of the Holiday Project.
The project has several upcoming fundraisers, she said.
Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Bank of America Community Room, a "Gold Canyon Party" of candle sales will be held, with 40 percent of the funds raised going to the Holiday Project.
Another fundraiser, a pancake breakfast served by volunteers, will be held at Applebee's Saturday, Oct. 31, from 7 to 9 a.m. The cost for the breakfast is $5 per person; $3 of each ticket will go to the Holiday Project.
The Holiday Project Intersection Collection is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 6, at the intersections of Yerby Street and Odell Avenue and of Miami Avenue and Arrow Street from 7 to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
Volunteers are still needed for both the intersection collection and the pancake breakfast.
Applebee's will also hold a "dine and donate" fundraiser, Monday, Nov. 9, when 10 percent of the store's profits for the day go to the Holiday Project. Certificates can be obtained at The Lighthouse Shelter.
Wallace herself gave a presentation to the Christian Women's Fellowship, for which the group donated $183 to the 2009 Holiday Project.
Anyone who needs to sign up for the Holiday Project can do so at the Family Support Division at 1239 Santa Fe Trail, Suite 100 in Marshall.
Lorel Box added that she is still in need of lumber for building blocks to put in the bags she has fashioned from toddler's overalls.
The next meeting of Holiday Project organizers is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 at The Lighthouse Shelter office at 555 W. Arrow St.
Missouri Valley Community Action Agency
Missouri Valley Community Action Agency will hold a haunted house at 126 W. Russell St. from 6 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 29-31.
Entry to the haunted house will cost $5, a new toy, or five packages of nonperishable food.
The agency is looking for a volunteer to serve as public relations manager.
Marshall-Saline Development Corporation
The Show Me "E" Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative Regional Entrepreneurs' Showcase scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, will be rescheduled for some time in February or March 2010, said MSDC AmeriCorps VISTA Josh King.
Saline County Prosperity Team
The Saline County Prosperity Team is working to form a community foundation, which would fund nonprofit organizations and scholarships, among other things, said King, asking that anyone interested in serving on the foundation's board of directors contact him at 660-886-6889.
Red Cross
The Red Cross program Holiday Mail for Heroes will run for the first two weeks of November. For more information, visit www.redcross-midmo.org.
Saline County Circles
Saline County Circles Organizer Cherry Merchant spoke of an effort to get Governor Jay Nixon to create a task force that would examine at poverty in Missouri, reporting that 5,000 signatures would be needed to move forward with the effort.
Job Point
Tammy Thomas of Job Point, who works at the Career Center, spoke briefly about misconceptions regarding mental illnesses, saying they are often not seen as disabilities that affect employment.
Thomas is involved in BRIDGES, a program that provides job training and placement services for persons with disability from east- to west-central Missouri.
Experience Works
Connie Luchterhandt of Experience Works reported the need for workers and employers interested in participating in the program.
The Experience Works program finds part-time employment for persons over 55 who wish to re-enter the workforce. Although limits are placed on a prospective participant's income, there are no limits on the individual's assets, such as a house or farm.
Power Up
Saline County Sheriff's Department will host a self-defense tactics course for women called Power Up, taught by Sonny Lynch and sponsored by Wood & Huston Bank and KMMO, reported Sarah Fuehring. Although all available positions in two of the sessions have already been filled, another set of sessions will be held Tuesday and Thursday, Dec. 1 and 3. Each session lasts four hours and participants must be able to attend both sessions. Each participant will receive a t-shirt and pepper spray. Supper will be provided.
The cost for the class is $25.
Fuehring said that an anonymous donor is sponsoring 10 scholarships for the classes.
For more information, contact Fuehring at powerupwomen@hotmail.com.
The Lighthouse Shelter
The Lighthouse Shelter is selling a book of coupons redeemable at Stage, Goody's or Peebles stores. The book costs $5 and is available at The Lighthouse Shelter office at 555 W. Arrow St.
The next meeting of SCIAC will be held Tuesday, Nov. 24, at the University of Missouri extension office.
Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please
I have a question that I would like to put to the Experience Works team.
Why is there an income limit on participants in the program?
I believe I recall that a good chunk of stimulus money was directed to Experience Works.
I know that those income limits prevent many 55 and over from participating at all because we already have some small source of income.
The last time I checked we were not allowed to have any other job, why is that? I already have a part-time job and need full time work, you know two part time jobs would fill a great need for a lot of us who in great financial difficulty because of the recession.
Although she could not tell me what that limit is, she said different sources of income are looked at differently. For example, only 75 percent of social security income is counted toward the limit, and if a prospective participant is on disability, that income is not counted until the individual is 65.
Participants are paid minimum wage for 18 hours weekly, and are expected to be actively looking for work, Luchterhandt added.
Anyone interested in participating, either as an employee or employer, can contact Luchterhandt at 660-429-1777 for more information.