In today’s column:
- Rural Broadband Association Posts 2017 Grant Opportunities
- Toledo School District Facilities Advisory Committee Report
- TSD Thanks Sponsors Of Hands-On High School Sawmill Clinic
- Health Corner - Yellowjackets & Wasps
Image courtesy Native Soil Farm
“Such a treat when the chives are blossoming so made two different kinds of infused blossom vinegar. This way I can enjoy their delicious flavor throughout the summer. There are lots of recipes online.”
Native Soil Farm shares this link to Lewis County Farmers Markets, including Toledo Thursday Market.
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Adult Page Turners meets 1:30 p.m. today at Toledo Community Library to discuss “A Great Reckoning: by Louise Penny, and choose next month's selection. New members welcome.
Toledo Community Library open Wednesdays until 7 p.m., Thursdays and Saturdays until 5 p.m.
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Toledo Thursday Market planning meeting 6:30 p.m. tonight at Camp Singing Wind. Vendors, organizers & patrons invited! Opens June 15 at boat launch parking lot adjacent to Chimi’s Family Mexican Restaurant.
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Toledo Food Bank open 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. second and fourth Fridays monthly behind City Hall.
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Vision:Toledo links The Rural Broadband Association’s grant opportunity from Foundation For Rural Service. Read how one small school put their grant toward 30 new classroom computers, and more. Deadline September 15, 2017.
*Yesterday’s post from v:T included a photo of high school ag science/FFA veggie plants available at Toledo Hardware. Missing was the photo credit belonging to Vision:Toledo. TOT apologizes for this oversight.
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“Such a treat when the chives are blossoming so made two different kinds of infused blossom vinegar. This way I can enjoy their delicious flavor throughout the summer. There are lots of recipes online.”
Native Soil Farm shares this link to Lewis County Farmers Markets, including Toledo Thursday Market.
***
Adult Page Turners meets 1:30 p.m. today at Toledo Community Library to discuss “A Great Reckoning: by Louise Penny, and choose next month's selection. New members welcome.
Toledo Community Library open Wednesdays until 7 p.m., Thursdays and Saturdays until 5 p.m.
***
Toledo Thursday Market planning meeting 6:30 p.m. tonight at Camp Singing Wind. Vendors, organizers & patrons invited! Opens June 15 at boat launch parking lot adjacent to Chimi’s Family Mexican Restaurant.
***
Toledo Food Bank open 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. second and fourth Fridays monthly behind City Hall.
***
Vision:Toledo links The Rural Broadband Association’s grant opportunity from Foundation For Rural Service. Read how one small school put their grant toward 30 new classroom computers, and more. Deadline September 15, 2017.
*Yesterday’s post from v:T included a photo of high school ag science/FFA veggie plants available at Toledo Hardware. Missing was the photo credit belonging to Vision:Toledo. TOT apologizes for this oversight.
***
Press Release
Sawmill Clinic at Toledo High School
Sawmill Clinic at Toledo High School
TOLEDO May 19, 2017— Students at Toledo High School participated in a sawmill clinic hosted by retired Toledo superintendent Tom Lahmann on Friday at Toledo High School. Students received training in running and sharpening a chainsaw as well as techniques for felling trees. With a focus on safety and accuracy, students learned proper techniques for milling lumber from raw logs and how to dry the wood properly. The students are part of John Ball’s Construction class at THS.
Major sponsors for the event included Service Saw Workwear who donated hats and safety glasses. Fromm Packaging Systems provided gloves, safety vests, solar flashlights, ear protection pens and banding instruction. Paul Oberg from Paul’s Tree Service who provided chainsaw instruction. Wood Mizer Sawmills (Brett Lotmann) provided hats, rain ponchos and pens.
“Our community has a rich tradition of making a living from the wood that is so abundant here”, said Lahmann. “I wanted students to have the experience of creating a project from trees that they had milled themselves.” The lumber will be used in the THS wood shop in the coming year. Logs were donated by Paul’s Tree Service and Eric’s Tree Service. The students milled ash, cedar, fir, walnut and poplar to learn about the characteristics and properties of each species. The clinic continued on Saturday until all of the donated logs were milled and stacked for drying.
“This isn’t the kind of equipment that a school district can have on hand, so we’re grateful that Tom put this together for our students” said Chris Rust, superintendent. “We’re also thankful for the sponsors who donated eye and ear protection, gloves, hats, vests and logs. These types of partnerships extend the kinds of experiences we can offer our students.”
Major sponsors for the event included Service Saw Workwear who donated hats and safety glasses. Fromm Packaging Systems provided gloves, safety vests, solar flashlights, ear protection pens and banding instruction. Paul Oberg from Paul’s Tree Service who provided chainsaw instruction. Wood Mizer Sawmills (Brett Lotmann) provided hats, rain ponchos and pens.
“Our community has a rich tradition of making a living from the wood that is so abundant here”, said Lahmann. “I wanted students to have the experience of creating a project from trees that they had milled themselves.” The lumber will be used in the THS wood shop in the coming year. Logs were donated by Paul’s Tree Service and Eric’s Tree Service. The students milled ash, cedar, fir, walnut and poplar to learn about the characteristics and properties of each species. The clinic continued on Saturday until all of the donated logs were milled and stacked for drying.
“This isn’t the kind of equipment that a school district can have on hand, so we’re grateful that Tom put this together for our students” said Chris Rust, superintendent. “We’re also thankful for the sponsors who donated eye and ear protection, gloves, hats, vests and logs. These types of partnerships extend the kinds of experiences we can offer our students.”
About the Toledo School District
Located in Southwest Washington, the Toledo School District serves nearly 750 K-12 students. To learn more, visit www.toledoschools.us.
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Toledo School District says: “Thank you Farmers Insurance!” This YouTube link posts all the Teacher of The Month winners for the school year 2016-2017. Congrats to every one of these educators who make a difference each day.
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TSD asks: What’s the difference between a levy and a bond? Facilities Advisory Committee met (Tuesday) night to review options for addressing the district's facility needs. The group decided against pursuing new construction at the high school based on an estimated $20 million price tag. The committee will meet again on June 6 at 6 p.m. in the THS library to work on a recommendation to the board. If you attend only one meeting of the FAC, this would be the one to attend.
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Located in Southwest Washington, the Toledo School District serves nearly 750 K-12 students. To learn more, visit www.toledoschools.us.
***
Toledo School District says: “Thank you Farmers Insurance!” This YouTube link posts all the Teacher of The Month winners for the school year 2016-2017. Congrats to every one of these educators who make a difference each day.
***
TSD asks: What’s the difference between a levy and a bond? Facilities Advisory Committee met (Tuesday) night to review options for addressing the district's facility needs. The group decided against pursuing new construction at the high school based on an estimated $20 million price tag. The committee will meet again on June 6 at 6 p.m. in the THS library to work on a recommendation to the board. If you attend only one meeting of the FAC, this would be the one to attend.
***
Press Release
Facilities Advisory Committee Nearing a Recommendation in Toledo
Facilities Advisory Committee Nearing a Recommendation in Toledo
TOLEDO May 23, 2017— The Facility Advisory Committee is expected to decide on a recommendation to the school district board of directors in their next meeting. Community members have been meeting every two weeks since March to create plans for responding to facility needs in Toledo School District. The committee has examined options ranging from consolidation of schools and districts to building a new facility to reprioritizing projects and choosing projects to maximize state matching funds. The committee has been looking for ways to address the needs of the facilities in the district while decreasing the amount of funds requested from taxpayers. “The general consensus is that tax rates for the maintenance and operations levy plus any bond would need to stay under $5.00 per thousand.”, said Chris Rust, superintendent. “Some have the perception that the district is always asking for more money. I don’t want the district to be perceived that way. I’d like folks to be able to trust that the district asks only when there is a need and spends resources frugally.”
The district is attempting to meet the goals of its facilities master plan following the failure of two prior bond measures. The most recent measure garnered just 56% of the vote in favor.
At its next meeting, the committee will consider a total of ten different options and will work to arrive at consensus on one proposal to recommend to the board. At the May 9 meeting, the committee determined that a bond would be necessary to accomplish whatever solution was proposed. They further concluded that a bond should focus solely on the high school.
Committee member Stephan Dillon said, “We should use levy dollars to accomplish the projects at the elementary and middle school and focus the bond on the high school.” Some committee members expressed concern that relying on the levy for capital projects would be difficult. Parts for the boilers at the elementary school are no longer being made and less than a dozen remain in the U.S. Brad Dykstra, Board President, asked the committee for feedback on how the projects at the elementary and middle school would be accomplished. “My main concern is the boiler at the elementary school. If it fails, it will take 90 days to replace it. If that happens in the middle of winter, our kids will have nowhere to go.” Other members observed that there are no guarantees that the community will continue to support a maintenance and operations levy.
The next meeting of the Facilities Advisory Committee will be on Tuesday, June 6 at 6 p.m. in the Toledo High School Library. The community is invited to attend and participate in the process of crafting a recommendation to the board.
The district is attempting to meet the goals of its facilities master plan following the failure of two prior bond measures. The most recent measure garnered just 56% of the vote in favor.
At its next meeting, the committee will consider a total of ten different options and will work to arrive at consensus on one proposal to recommend to the board. At the May 9 meeting, the committee determined that a bond would be necessary to accomplish whatever solution was proposed. They further concluded that a bond should focus solely on the high school.
Committee member Stephan Dillon said, “We should use levy dollars to accomplish the projects at the elementary and middle school and focus the bond on the high school.” Some committee members expressed concern that relying on the levy for capital projects would be difficult. Parts for the boilers at the elementary school are no longer being made and less than a dozen remain in the U.S. Brad Dykstra, Board President, asked the committee for feedback on how the projects at the elementary and middle school would be accomplished. “My main concern is the boiler at the elementary school. If it fails, it will take 90 days to replace it. If that happens in the middle of winter, our kids will have nowhere to go.” Other members observed that there are no guarantees that the community will continue to support a maintenance and operations levy.
The next meeting of the Facilities Advisory Committee will be on Tuesday, June 6 at 6 p.m. in the Toledo High School Library. The community is invited to attend and participate in the process of crafting a recommendation to the board.
About the Toledo School District
Located in Southwest Washington, the Toledo School District serves nearly 750 K-12 students. To learn more, visit www.toledoschools.us.
***
Health Corner: Wasps & Yellowjackets
Last year the yellowjackets and wasps kept me trapped in my truck* most of the day. Various commercial & home remedies were almost universally ignored by these wicked drones, their legendary aggression increasing as the season goes on. Honeybees and bumblebees generally prefer to avoid mammals. Not so, the yellowjackets. Evidence suggested an itinerant skunk made a few passes and cleaned out a nest or two in the field last year, but The Girls...you know.
While I collected lots of stories about what doesn’t work, saving me the time and trouble, most recommendations fell back on the usual collection of insecticidal sprays and solutions which were also lethal to beneficial pollinators and dangerous to pets and people.
This experiment, designed to avoid a second summer trapped indoors, comes from Mother Earth News, and a writer who reported her economical and greener solution.
Stay tuned...I’ll report back.
Meanwhile, should you suffer an encounter with one of these determined critters, let me remind you that a paste of granulated meat tenderizer with a little water stops the intensely painful burn instantly! Leave it on for 15 minutes; no longer, because it IS, after all, meat tenderizer, and you’re putting it on your flesh. Find it in the spice aisle, and toss a few into your first aid kits and bathroom medicine cabinets, car glove boxes and lunchboxes, garages, shops and junk drawers, diaper bags and strollers.
*My condition is noticeably affected in the house, so I spend little time indoors there.
***
I(heart)Logan has frequent updates on Facebook. Read his story and find out how to get involved.
***
Photos from TOT archives unless otherwise noted.
Everyday Heroes: Envisioned as a local September 11 observation recognizing lesser-known acts of kindness and heroism. Send your nominations to toledo.columnist@gmail.com.
Email your news, reviews and events to: toledo.columnist@gmail.com
Located in Southwest Washington, the Toledo School District serves nearly 750 K-12 students. To learn more, visit www.toledoschools.us.
***
Health Corner: Wasps & Yellowjackets
Last year the yellowjackets and wasps kept me trapped in my truck* most of the day. Various commercial & home remedies were almost universally ignored by these wicked drones, their legendary aggression increasing as the season goes on. Honeybees and bumblebees generally prefer to avoid mammals. Not so, the yellowjackets. Evidence suggested an itinerant skunk made a few passes and cleaned out a nest or two in the field last year, but The Girls...you know.
While I collected lots of stories about what doesn’t work, saving me the time and trouble, most recommendations fell back on the usual collection of insecticidal sprays and solutions which were also lethal to beneficial pollinators and dangerous to pets and people.
This experiment, designed to avoid a second summer trapped indoors, comes from Mother Earth News, and a writer who reported her economical and greener solution.
Stay tuned...I’ll report back.
Meanwhile, should you suffer an encounter with one of these determined critters, let me remind you that a paste of granulated meat tenderizer with a little water stops the intensely painful burn instantly! Leave it on for 15 minutes; no longer, because it IS, after all, meat tenderizer, and you’re putting it on your flesh. Find it in the spice aisle, and toss a few into your first aid kits and bathroom medicine cabinets, car glove boxes and lunchboxes, garages, shops and junk drawers, diaper bags and strollers.
*My condition is noticeably affected in the house, so I spend little time indoors there.
***
I(heart)Logan has frequent updates on Facebook. Read his story and find out how to get involved.
***
Photos from TOT archives unless otherwise noted.
Everyday Heroes: Envisioned as a local September 11 observation recognizing lesser-known acts of kindness and heroism. Send your nominations to toledo.columnist@gmail.com.
Email your news, reviews and events to: toledo.columnist@gmail.com
