A prominent unfinished building in downtown Indy hits the market again
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 17, 2023

The Independence structure known officially as Station 203 on the corner of Second and Monmouth streets – sometimes called “Stonehenge” by locals due to its incomplete appearance – has been listed for sale by Salem-based Tradition Real Estate Partners.

Nearly two decades have passed since the building’s inception, when concrete footings were first poured for a planned commercial-residential complex. The “as-is” listing, at a price of about $2.9 million, indicates an appraised value of $9.64 million from an evaluation conducted last October.

"We are currently assisting in putting together a development agreement with a national firm for completion,” said Aaron Young, who co-owns the property with his wife, Amy. “To help aid in those negotiations, a decision was made to market the property publicly to help determine a baseline value," he added. Three years ago, the Youngs unveiled plans to transform the multi-level building into a mixed-use development of offices and condominiums.

A mock-up, which portrays the project as it’s envisioned, remains attached to the fencing around the site. Some residents have continued to refer to the cement-and-metal structure as “Stonehenge.” The original 57,000-foot plans included state-of-the-art environmental technology, including sustainable features such as solar power and water recycling. The property has now changed hands several times, with the Youngs as the most recent owners. “We hope to have an announcement coming in the next several months,” Young
 
 
 
Local burglaries prompt concern by merchants over brazen crimes
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023

Are the same kind of brazen burglaries that are driving stores from major Oregon cities beginning to impact retail businesses in Independence? That's one interpretation of several incidents over the past few months that occurred along the city's Main Street. Recently, smash-and-grab crimes occurred at two locations.

Burglars broke into two locked establishments, Glass Roots and A1 Market, after hours and confidently packed up merchandise. Though unrelated to an Umpqua Bank robber this past summer, in the 300 block of Main Street, some merchants see the robbery there as the seeming signal of the start of a new kind of criminal conduct, in which the fear of getting caught isn’t apparent. In one recently recounted shoplifting incident, stock was removed from shelves and the visitor simply exited. Eyewitnesses to these events said the way they’re being committed -- described as being undertaken almost casually -- is worrisome. For example, the bank-robbery suspect, who left with an undisclosed amount of money, was observed “loping” away from the scene by a worker in the area, according to an interview at the time.

In the two recent break-ins, the owner of A1 Market, Mohinder Kumar, watched a pair of robbers calmly check for passing traffic on security-camera footage, then methodically pound the door with a hammer. Koryn Lambert, the owner of Glass Roots, which was hit a few blocks away, was reported as saying the two men entered her store with the same technique and were “literally staring" into the camera when she viewed the video.

Attempts to collect further information on these from the Independence Police Department, including police reports, was denied by the IPD, which cited Oregon statute that states public records are “conditionally exempt” from disclosure during ongoing investigations. ▪
 

City property taxes increase, Independence has highest tax rate in Polk County

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023

When Independence resident Andy Duncan made a special trip to the Polk County courthouse to determine the taxes on his home this year, the shock was nearly immediate. He got a tax hike of more than 8.5%. compared with last year’s. “How can it be this much?” Duncan said he asked himself, before carefully reviewing his bill. The answer: a Polk County public safety bond passed, and school bond payments were higher than he anticipated, and the list of tax obligations was longer than he expected.

Duncan said he expected some increases, due to increases in the value of assessed property by the county, which is how home-property taxes are determined. But the payments for the school bond are higher, too. Duncan correctly spotted an increase -- of about $1.30, confirmed Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District 13J.

That uptick was due to building improvements at Ash Creek Elementary School and adding the sixth-grade wing at Talmadge Middle School, she explained.

“Each year, the Central School District’s volunteer budget committee, made up of local citizens, has to approve the payment of debt service on bonds as one of its actions,” Mentzer explained. This year, when the committee approved the bond payments, they chose to pay off some of the debt from the bonds that built the improvements, which increased the levy amount on property taxpayers in the district for the 2023-2024 year.

Additionally, the Independence tax rate, 19.1332, is the highest in Polk County – it exceeds that of Monmouth’s 18.2184; the figures represent a number that reflects the amount of taxing districts. Independence has one more of those than Monmouth does, confirmed Valerie Patoine, Polk County’ tax assessor.

Independence also has the highest “ad valorem” tax of any city in Polk County, excluding the West Salem area. The ad valorem tax rate, 4.5897, was set years ago and is the permanent rate for Independence’s taxing district; due to the tax’s annual passage, the percentage of dollars needed for individual tax payments ticks up with time. Monmouth's ad valorem is 3.6107. Dallas' ad valorem is 4.1954.

Duncan said he doesn’t consider himself a tax sleuth for uncovering the reason behind the tax bill that gave him sticker shock. “It is hard to miss how much it increased,” he said. “I think it may surprise people.” ▪
 

Independence city councilors hike development fees over objections from builders

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023

In approving a substantial fee hike that the city will charge developers to build houses – now exceeding $32,000 per single-family home – one city councilor characterized her yes vote as the only choice for “the pickle that we are in.”

During a discussion on raising the system development charges for developers, which now have ticked up by more than $3,000, City Councilor Dawn Roden said that any of the other alternatives for meeting the current infrastructure demand would place a financial burden on residents.

“And we have to be able to look out for the people in our community,” she said.

At issue is the subdivision Brandy Meadows, in the southwest part of Independence, where scores of houses have been built. However, 720 units are scheduled for the site by the time the last phase is finished, according to Harvey Cummings, a construction specialist who was involved with the start-up of the residential development.

The increase in the SDCs will hit Dalke Construction hard, putting the remaining neighborhoods planned for the area at risk, Cummings said.

Two councilors, Kate Schwarzler and Sarah Jobe, expressed concern that Independence could be seen in a negative light with developers. Acknowledging that “we are in a tough spot,” Councilor Schwarzler suggested that such actions can be discouraging to the kind of development that’s good for the city.
 
“I do have a growing concern, though, about being perceived as a community less friendly to development or developers,” she said.
 
Jobe cast the only dissenting vote on the adoption of the new SDCs, with the rest of the city council affirming the action. Councilor Marilyn Morton was absent.
 
Roden said she felt forced into making the decision she did, which in effect mandates that the main builder, Dalke Construction, assume financial responsibility for paying for a new traffic light at 7th and Monmouth streets.
 
The Independence Planning Commission approved Dalke’s share of expense as only six percent of the cost. Through a series of reimbursements in the years to come, Dalke is to be repaid for all but the six percent, according to Gerald Fisher, the city’s public works director.
 
With added traffic due to the addition of population in the area, that intersection at 7thStreet along Monmouth Street is “failing,” he pointed out.
 
“As part of the development, the developer has to build the signal,” Fisher said. However, eventually “he is made whole,” he stressed.
 
Roden observed that two options for routing traffic out of the growing subdivision – Mt. Fir Avenue and Chestnut Street – haven’t been constructed. “You would think that we would have planned for egress from that location well before we developed that entire section,” she said.
 
Fisher said the two potential thoroughfares were in the plans in the early stages and remain there. Barriers to both have been identified: Mt. Fir Avenue would require a railroad crossing to be completed, and Chestnut Street would need a bridge built over Ash Creek, according to previous council sessions in which the Brandy Meadows development was discussed.
 
Larry Dalke, president of Dalke Construction, told councilors during public testimony that the SDC increase means he will have difficulty forging ahead. Chet Graham, the real estate broker that has handled many of the sales in the area, said such costs are making new homes in Independence far less competitive compared with cities like Dallas, where SDCs are much lower.
 
Earlier this year, Independence’s strained fiscal circumstances resulted in cutbacks that closed the library on Saturdays and eliminated the position of the city’s engagement coordinator, a bilingual staff member who was considered key among several residents in the Independence Hispanic community.
 
The changes were implemented after the budget session, which drew attendees who spoke in protest of the cuts.
 
Recently, the Independence City Council adopted a new Capital Improvement Plan, which includes a new water system, including a treatment facility that is estimated to cost $25 million, as well street renovations with a price tag of several million dollars; other high-priority projects are listed as requiring millions more.
 
Observing that the sum apparently represents years of deferred upgrades, one civil engineer who works frequently in the Willamette Valley explained that it can be tough for city officials to face such needs – they often get public recognition for downtown attractions and holiday events but far less recognition for efforts to maintain infrastructure. “There are no ribbon-cuttings for making sure streets are in good shape,” he said. ▪

IN ACTUALITY
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Oct. 20, 2023

An editorial column to assist public knowledge and discourse on recent events.
WHO: A member of the development team at Brandy Meadows reported that he dropped off invitations for city councilors to a community lunch planned at the subdivision – and was told they were never delivered.

WHAT: The invitations, which were from real estate broker Chet Graham, had been identified as an outreach effort to a potentially relationship-building event.

WHERE: Brandy Meadows, the city’s newest subdivision in the southwest areas of the city, where a picnic-style outdoor taco party drew neighbors and others.

WHEN: At the last city council meeting, the lack of delivery of the invitations was confirmed.

WHY: No reason was given for why the invitations weren’t distributed, prompting Graham to tell staff and city councilors at the meeting, “That hurts.”

HOW: Public discussions by the city about raising fees to developers have ensued over the past weeks -- and those at Brandy Meadows, which has a 720-unit project, are currently likely to be the most deeply impacted.
In following up, Trammart News sought to answer why the invitations apparently never made it to the mailboxes of city councilors and whether there is a process in place to keep such correspondence from slipping through the cracks.

The anticipated explanation was that the invitations might have been seen as creating a way for undesirable “ex parte” contact to occur, which is oral or written communication to potential decision-makers outside of a hearing process. However, that reason was never given. One resident pointed out that, earlier this year, the city had accepted other engagements, such as a visit to a business prior to a hearing on its expansion.
Though that visit could have been called “fact-finding,” Oregon law also allows interaction for economic-development purposes, a category that could include a socializing lunch with developers.

There was no response from the city’s communications coordinator about the procedure used to process letters, invitations or correspondence received by the city. A public records request by Trammart News, in which the city recorder provided the only apparently related documentation, didn’t describe the ways that such received communication is carried out.

Communications coordinator Emmanuel Goicochea has indicated, by previous email to Trammart News, that he can make his own determinations on whether to answer questions from the media. In this case, no answer has been obtained. ▪

By Anne Scheck

In his last official report to the city council, now-departed Independence City Manager Tom Pessemier announced promotions for two staff members he hired during his three years with the city, including the placement of the current library director into a new role that also supervises the city’s Parks and Recreation and the Heritage Museum.
           
The director of the library, Patrick Bodily, has the “bandwidth” to take on more responsibility, Pessemier explained to the city councilors.

Under the title of “community services director,” Bodily will be responsible for oversight of the Parks and Recreation Board, which is tasked with guidance for city parks, such as Riverview and Henry Hill, as well as other recreational facilities. Bodily also will serve as administrator for the Heritage Museum.

Attempts to reach Bodily were unsuccessful; An automatic email reply from his office stated: “I will be away from the library until Tuesday, November 30 and will reply to emails as quickly as I can once I return.”

Historically, director duties for the library have been combined with those for the Heritage Museum, but Parks and Recreation remained separate. In recent years, Shawn Irvine, the city’s economic development director, was listed as the staff contact under “Parks & Rec” on the city website.

Also receiving a title change was City Planner Fred Evander, who was named planning manager.
​
This week, Independence Police Chief Robert Mason officially became the interim city manager while a search for Pessemier’s replacement is underway. 

by Anne Scheck

School Board Meeting 1/4  
PARENTS PLEAD FOR SCHOOL REOPENING
Citing mental health concerns for youth across the school district, several parents  asked the school board last week to reopen schools as soon as possible. “My plea is that now that metrics are not mandatory that we do all we can to get students back in the classroom,” stated Janica Duncan, a mother of five who formed an advocacy group this fall calling for a return to in-person learning. 
 
Distance learning has led to serious learning losses in some, she said, noting that she’s a certified substitute teacher in the district. Certain students appear to be battling depressive symptoms, Duncan added – one girl said the situation made her feel like “giving up.”
 
Duncan was joined by several other parents who told board members that they feel the same way, citing problems that range from a lack of internet access for some kids to difficulty being able to learn remotely, even for those who have full connectivity. “It is like we are trading one generation for another,” said one mother, an apparent reference to the fact that most serious illness caused by COVID-19 is occurring in elderly populations. 
 
Board Chair Steve Love thanked the parents for their comments, observing that “it was all well said” and assuring them “I think we were listening intently.” 

SUPERINTENDENT REPORT BOARD CHAIR’S RESPONSE 
The road ahead for a return to school will take a “phased in” approach that starts small – perhaps with only a few hours – and then expands as time goes on, Superintendent Jennifer Kubista EdD said at the board meeting of School District 13J last week. Any resumption of in-person schooling will involve meetings with  the community, staff, teachers and public health, she acknowledged. 
 
“We are educators. I am thankful for having the public health department,” she said. “They help to guide us, but they don’t tell (us) what to do,” she pointed out. The superintendent suggested January 19 as an evening in which a “professional learning community” meeting could be held, so that further board discussion can  take place. 
 
Summing up, Board Chair Steve Love said: “We are going to have to figure this out.” He said he believed that “having a hybrid model probably has to be part of the solution.” Board member Donn Wahl concurred, but added that now that other districts seem to be resuming in-person instruction, at least partially, the possibility of a safe return seems more likely “from a black box perspective.”  

COVID UPDATE
Polk County reported a 10.1% positivity rate today, according to Jacqui Umstead RN, public health administrator for the county. She shared the new data at the Polk County Board of Commissioners, which met this morning. 
 
For the week of Dec 27th – the period with the latest available data with breakdowns by zip code – Independence has 13 more cases and Monmouth recorded 22 – so the numbers are continuing to rise in both communities, according to state tracking. 
 
However, outbreaks generally are occurring in long-term care facilities and group homes, Umstead said. Teachers who were in the top tier of priority for vaccination now have been placed at level 1b instead of 1a, she reported.

By Anne Scheck

STUMBLING BLOCKS TO K-12 REOPENING?
The much-anticipated possibility that the governor will relax COVID-19  metrics – allowing schools to resume at least partial in-person attendance – was dealt a blow today. Oregon’s coronavirus cases crept up to 373 new cases and the death toll reached 646, according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). The OHA figures were released at a time when Gov. Kate Brown reportedly is considering revising indicators for K-12 public education.  

The steady climb in cases also captured the attention of the Polk County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, prompting Commission Chair Mike Ainsworth to observe that, within the county, “we had a real spike this week.” Over the past few months, the commissioners have expressed hope that schools can be re-opened, even under limited circumstances.

“Are we ever going to be able to open up the schools?” asked Commissioner Ainsworth. Under the current distance-learning system, “how do you even get a kindergartner learning on a computer with mom and dad working?”

“It’s a big concern and I totally agree,” said Jacqui Umstead RN, the county’s public health administrator, during her weekly report to the commissioners. 

In early September, the OHA’s Dean Sidelinger MD sounded a note of caution about schools in a period of rising covid. If closure again became necessary after a re-opening, “that disruption is often very difficult for families and students,” he pointed out during a webinar on this issue.   

At Central High School, students in athletics and in theater arts are allowed some in-person attendance – by conducting practices outdoors. In a protocol announced at the last school board meeting, theatrical rehearsals are expected to be allowed inside and onstage once inclement weather sets in, by doubling the usual social distance between participants.

PRICE OF K12 PLATFORM NOW IN ‘RENEOGIATIONS’
Now that it's been discontinued at Central High School (CHS), the $1.4 million cost of “FuelK12,” now known simply as K12, has become a matter of “contract renegotiations” between Central District 13J and the online service provider. CHS currently is opting instead for more reliance on google classroom. 
 
Though CHS is “moving away from K12,” the students and staff for kindergarten through eighth grade will continue to use the K12 learning platform, according to a statement from the district. When such contracts are renegotiated, they often involve a redoubling of effort to fix problems, and sometimes an offer of extra services or some form of refund, according to a county authority who was asked about possible outcomes.

DISTRICT REPORT CARD
A set of data points often referred to as “state report cards for schools” has been issued, but it contains very little information compared to past years – the result of the sudden switch to distance learning. For Central District 13J, what little news is available is mostly good: CHS, with an 81% graduation rate within four years, beat the state average of 80%. Also, with one notable exception, average teacher retention rate is above 90%, excluding Independence Elementary School (IES). At IES, the average teacher-retention rate is 78% compared with 91% at both Ash Creek and Monmouth elementary schools.

ECOLOGY PRESENTATION from the LUCKIAMUTE WATERSHED COUNCIL
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6:30 - 8pm, by Zoom (link provided after registration) George Kral, forester & project developer for Ash Creek Forest Management and co-founder of Scholl's Valley Native Nursery, will describe how native plant nurseries provide the raw materials for large-scale restoration and forestry. More details and registration link at  https://www.luckiamutelwc.org/sips-and-science-plant-nurseries.html

By Anne Scheck

School News From Summer

TALMADGE TEACHERS GET ASH CREEK GRANT
Thanks to a trio of Talmadge Middle School teachers, residents of Central School District may know a whole lot more this time next year about the cities’ signature stream, Ash Creek. The three received $500 grants from the Ash Creek Water Control District (ACWCD) to chronicle the waterway near the school – ranging from use of drone surveyance to creation of artistic renderings.
 
“We wanted a new generation to get to know the creek,” said Andrea Melendy, a board member of the ACWCD. “It’s alive with plant life, with animal life and it feeds so much in the area.” Using special cameras, Dave Beatley, who teaches 6th grade science, is set to take photos; Dawn Watson, who teaches 7th grade science, will use drones to view the creek in ways that haven’t been done before; Michele Haney, who teaches art, is planning to capture the creek’s natural beauty in an art show next year. 
 
At the middle school, this is the “creek in their back yard,” noted Dan Farnworth, chair of the ACWCD. The research efforts hopefully will lead to more of the same, perhaps at Central High School, he said. Students will be involved in all the projects, according to the ACWCD. 
 
Ash Creek, which eventually passes under Main Street in Independence, travels east through Polk County to join the Willamette River. The ACWCD was formed nearly seven decades ago to improve and preserve the channel. 

DORIE VICKERY NAMED NEW SHERIDAN SUPERINTENDENT
Dorie Vickery EdD, the director of teaching and learning last year for Central School District 13J, will start this school year as the new superintendent of the Sheridan School District. 
 
Dr. Vickery had been with the Central School District for more than 10 years, and previously served as principal at Monmouth Elementary. She left recently to briefly work for her former boss, Buzz Brazeau, in his final year as interim superintendent at the Philomath School District. (Mr. Brazeau preceded Jennifer Kubista EdD as superintendent of Central School District 13J.) After moving to Philomath, Dr. Vickery was chosen as the incoming superintendent at Sheridan. 
 
Central School District didn’t provide a comment on Dr. Vickery’s departure after being asked about it this past week. However, Betty Plude, a former board member of the Central District School Board, observed that Dr. Vickery was well known and highly regarded. “Dorie will really be missed,” she said. 

RURAL INTERNET ACCESS COMING FROM CARES $
A county-wide expansion that aims to put internet coverage into underserved areas – with financing from nearly a million dollars of CARES Act money – won’t use technology from MINET, the municipal broadband co-owned by Independence and Monmouth. Some residents have expressed disappointment that the contract went entirely to Philomath-based Alyrica Networks.  
 
Asked whether he was aware of some of this public reaction, MINET’s general manager, Don Patten, said that “MINET sees no value in making comment as to how 'the county' made this decision.” However, he said he’s “pleased to hear that a handful of rural 'digital have not's' are at long last being promised some level of broadband service."
 
The move was initiated by Polk County commissioners that, as a board, have voiced concern over children and youth who are without convenient internet access for education this year. Both Commission Chair Mike Ainsworth and Commissioner Craig Pope noted this summer that school districts are providing mobile units – “hot spot” stations – but they observed that traveling to such locations is a barrier for some students.   

LET’s GET READING BOOK GIVE-AWAY
Trammart News, publisher of The Linking Loop, is pleased to announce that this month, every Monday, a children’s book will be featured in a short video on the Trammart News Facebook page. Tune in to see what book is featured – they all will have the same theme: hope. Ten free books are available upon request.
Begins on Labor Day! -end-

By Anne Scheck

DISTRICT LAYS PLANS FOR LEARNING HYBRID  
As Central District 13J prepares for a different kind of school this fall – one that merges in-person and distance-learning – the soon-to-be summer session is likely to be the “beta test” for the next academic year.
 
“This could be a good opportunity for us to be building some really good protocols,” observed Jennifer Kubista EdD, superintendent of the district. At the school board meeting earlier this month, she predicted the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) was close to announcing the plan for re-opening schools; Several days later, ODE released guidelines for a “hybrid” approach that allows a return to school buildings that will include social-distancing and doubling down on hygienic measures.
 
The summer session will provide an effective guide, Dr. Kubista suggested. It will be five-to-six weeks in length, four days a week. Graduating seniors who may be short on credits are a priority group for the summer term, as are students who may have been hampered by lack of internet access or who are emerging bilingual learners, she said.
 
Academics, such as reading and math, will be offered along with social and emotional skill-building and learning, Dr. Kubista noted.
 
Students will spend no more than one or two days a week in classrooms – and groups there will be limited to 10 or fewer. “We want to be able to bring students back into school safely,” Dr. Kubista explained.
 
The district will be following guidance from ODE, but the main "contact point" for  coronavirus-preventing measures in the schools is the Polk County Health Department, according to Kristty Polanco, health administrator for the county. [a district-wide news release can be found below, following the news briefs]
SURVEY RESULTS:
A family survey with about 150 respondents shows a majority of families felt “welcomed” and supported during the change this past spring, but there was nearly an even split between those that adapted well to distance-learning and those that didn’t, according to the early results tallied in late May.
 
More than half of the families indicated the students weren’t enjoying the new learning environment. “This didn’t surprise me at all,” said Dr. Kubista. “It’s clear that a lot of our families and students do prefer to have them in our buildings – and we do, as well,” she said.
 
However, student reactions – mostly collected from grades 4-12 – showed more than half felt connected to their teachers. A majority indicated they were engaged and comfortable in the new learning platform. And about 60% characterized their instruction as “differentiated,” meaning teaching was tailored at least some of the time to their specific needs.
 
District personnel are hoping to collect more data. Additional responses can be submitted at this link:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemF6kNW84oRZurXAEQgjdtH9UwbewQ5OC-SZm0vHAIRD2_eg/viewform
 
UPDATE: 
Most of the families who need internet service were connected to it by the end of the school year, but about seven percent remained without it. Now the aim is to put the mobile hotspot devices – which have been providing students with wireless connection to the internet at schools and around town -- at locations that will reach even more families. Thanks to survey results, the district determined earlier this month that most of the families who need help with connectivity are within city limits – just a few reside in an outlying area. More than 80% of households confirmed they were receiving internet service; Internet need hasn’t been established for about 10% of them yet.
                                        -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Central School District 13J families,
 
The guidance for the 2020-21 school year has arrived!
 
We are reviewing the guidance from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority now for Ready Schools, Safe Learners.
 
We will build teams and include community partners to create a system of teaching and learning at Central School District that will merge in-person and distance-learning approaches, while optimizing safety for students, staff, and the community as a whole.
 
As we move forward, here are the eight key points to keep our schools safe for learners and educators, including:
 
· Public Health Protocols -- updating our communicable disease management plan to specifically address the prevention of the spread of Covid-19
 
· Facilities and School Operations -- cleaning, disinfecting and ventilating buildings, classrooms and learning spaces
 
· Response to Outbreak -- prevention and planning
 
· Equity -- decision making that centers in equity
 
· Instruction -- including instructional model options (on-site, hybrid or Comprehensive Distance Learning), and recommendations on curriculum and instruction, assessment, as well as instructional activities with a higher risk for disease spread such as Labs, CTE, Performing Arts, Physical Education
 
· Family and Community Engagement -- partnership in planning and maintaining clear communication
 
· Mental, Social and Emotional Health -- resources and strategies
 
· Staffing and Personnel -- public health training, supports and professional learning
 
Throughout the summer, the district will keep families and the community informed, so please watch for consistent voice messages and emails. We are required by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to have our plan reviewed by the Central School District Board of Directors and submitted to ODE no later than August 15th. We will continue to post all updates on the district website that can be located at www.central.k12.or.us.
 
The Oregon Department of Education has made it clear to school districts that this is a “living” document. Changes to the guidelines could take place over the summer months, and we will continue to modify and adjust as we receive new guidance. Continue to give grace and patience with yourselves, with us and each other, and continue to stay safe and healthy over the summer.

by Anne Scheck

LACK of INTERNET ACCESS FOR SOME STUDENTS: MINET’s ROLE
As local students collect district-issued Chromebooks for distance learning, elected officials and school administrators agree that it’s time to provide internet access to every child who lacks it. The coronavirus pandemic has brought this need into stark relief, according to concerns expressed Monday at the meeting of the Central District 13J School Board.
 
As the district makes sure the technology is available for new options after the loss of classroom teaching, “we want to be able to be sure to engage children,” said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista EdD. Facebook postings and school websites are helping to get messages out quickly, noted Steve Love, who chairs the school board. However, that requires internet access.
 
Out of luck are families that depend on the Independence Library to sign on to WIFI – it’s now closed with no opening date in sight; And, on the rural outskirts of town, those who once seized spotty connections now seem shortchanged in the shift to online learning. The issue also was raised at a town forum held last night by Rep. Paul Evans, whose district includes Independence. 
 
Mr. Evans said he's aware of the pressing need, and explained that this was one reason MINET was built by the cities of Independence and Monmouth more than a decade ago. One answer may be “cellular-on-wheels” technology, he said, which are mobile cell stations transported on trucks to outlying areas. Ruth Miles, director of the corporation division for the Oregon Secretary of State, suggested 5G might be one rescue strategy – it’s the latest generation of wireless technology. 
 
However, MINET – in partnership with Central School District and the cities of Independence and Monmouth – has “authorized, engaged and is driving professional engineering studies” to answer this need, according to Don Patten, MINET’s general manager.  “These fast-tracked studies will determine realistic and effective proposals, based upon MINET’s suite of technologies, to aid the school district with their described needs to reach many of the unfortunate ‘data have-nots’ among its student body,” he said.  
 
At a news conference this past week, the lack of internet access to some student populations was cited as a significant problem by both Gov. Kate Brown and Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education. There are “wide swaths” of the state without the technology, Mr. Gill said. The need is expected to be addressed at a future legislative session, according to Gov. Brown. 

CHS SENIORS TO GET SPECIAL ATTENTION 
Even before the director of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) announced this week that struggling seniors “not on track” for graduation should be a focal point for local educators during school closure, Central School District 13J was gearing up to make these students a priority.   
 
At a news conference where the governor confirmed that schools would not reopen this spring, ODE Director Colt Gill called for “circling around every student who’s failing one of the required courses” needed to clinch a diploma. In fact, those students already were a point of discussion at the last school board meeting – a concern emphasized in a follow-up news release. “For those who do not have a passing grade as of mid-March, the district will focus its efforts to get these seniors any extra attention they need to get them across the finish line,” said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista EdD in the prepared statement.  
 
The counseling team at Central High School (CHS) is planning to call seniors and their families to talk to them “after we have had an opportunity to review transcripts under the new guidance from ODE,” which was recently released, added CHS Principal Donna Servignat. 
 
“Teachers want to connect with their students in order to help them with all of the uncertainty and further their learning as best as we can,” said Adrienne Gault, president of the Central Education Association and a teacher at Talmadge Middle School. 
 
At the school board meeting Monday, Dr. Kubista noted that seniors will miss springtime milestones important to every CHS graduate, but none more so than the walk across a stage in a cap and gown. She wants to try to make that happen, she said, perhaps in a “virtual” way that would share the event via computer technology or by prolonging the date far enough into the future to allow a traditional ceremony. Meanwhile, CHS stadium lights are scheduled to be turned on nightly to honor the 2020 senior class.
 
“I hope the plan to graduate our seniors, and our continued commitment to learning, removes some of the stress of uncertainty for our students and our families,” said Gov. Kate Brown, in a joint address this week with ODE.

A FINAL NOTE
Polk County Fire District No. 1 and the Independence Police Department are partnering to provide programs aimed at stay-at-home students missing their usual school routine. Children celebrating birthdays can sign up to have a "flashing light" visit from a fire truck and police car on their special day, by logging on to the fire district's website and registering. A "Funtastic" mini-parade is held every Friday, in which a trailer with favorite story characters winds through neighborhoods – today it was Elsa and Olaf from "Frozen." In addition, the fire district is posting weekly videos that deliver a variety of safety messages for kids.