By Christy Solo – Editor
As the Upper Rogue Independent continues to kick off our 50th year of publication, and because this – our last printed issue (for the foreseeable future) – is a special Collector’s Edition – we thought we’d take a stroll down memory lane with a few articles from Issue #2 of the URI.
Why not Issue #1 from Dec. 1976? Because it isn’t in the archival box with the rest of the first year’s editions. We suppose it’s in a frame, so stored in a different box – so Issue #2 it is!
We’ll also note that there is no byline credit given the writer(s) of these stories – but hat’s off to them whoever the reporters were (possibly all penned by the URI’s founder and first owner Mark Flint).
Now we present, three area news stories from the week of Jan. 12 – 18, 1977.
New White City school under way
Federally funded construction of a mid-elementary school-community center in White Cit became a reality at 6 a.m. last Thursday morning as the Eagle Point district 9 board of directors met to authorize acceptance of a federal grant of $1,768,459.
The funds are targeted to cover costs of the school and playground area – which will also be available as a community center.
Official acts of the board relative to acceptance of the grant were:
- Selection of Peter Tarzian as project coordinator. Project coordinator’s duties are basically, liaison between federal agencies, the district and contractors.
- Approve the selection of Marques & Associates for engineering and architectural services.
- Authorize Brian Mullen to provide legal services.
- Authorize the Board Chairman, District Clerk and Deputy Clerk to sign signature cards for payment of vouchers as letter of credit.
- Authorize the District Clerk, attorney, engineer, architect and project coordinator to implement all phases of the project in accordance with the conditions and terms of the grant.
Construction on the school will begin within 90 days and, depending on weather and construction unknowns, the school should be completed in 11 – 12 months.
Any costs above the amount of the grant would have to be paid by the district, but provisions have been built into the plan to prevent this, according to Marques & Associates.
By building deductive alternatives in at the bidding level, they assured the board costs can be controlled; and, they added, there is $80,000 built into the grant to cover cost overrides.
New library progresses
Area book lovers will soon have more pleasant and spacious surroundings, as the new library in Eagle Point nears completion.
Rose Draper, librarian, told the Independent she expects to be moved into the new building sometime around the end of February.
“I’ve been promised that our furniture will be here, and the county is making the shelving,” Mrs. Draper explained. “So as soon as the contractors are through, we can start moving.”
Mrs. Draper added that the variables involved in construction prohibit giving an exact date of opening, “but we’ll announce a grand opening as soon as we know.”
The library will have 3000 square feet of floor space, compared to approximately 900 feet in the present library.
Features of the interior will include a reading area for children as well as an adult reading area, window seats, lunge chairs, and space for exhibits by local artists and craftsmen.
Special features Mrs. Draper noted, will be a carved wood door and a carved wall plaque.
The Eagle Point library has a newly-formed auxiliary, the Friends of the Library, whose activities include fund-raisers for the library. The group is actively seeking members and interested persons may contact Mrs. Roger Smith at 826-4621.
Funding for the library was primarily by the county, although the city of Eagle Point donated the land, as well as some labor and materials.
Hours at the new library will be the same as the present one until the new county budget, at which time, Mrs. Draper noted hopefully, the hours may be expanded.
Committee calls for new teacher
The Citizens Advisory Committee recommended at its January 6 meeting that the school district hire an additional teacher for Shady Cove, releasing the librarian from teaching duties.
The librarian had been transferred to teaching from the library as a part of the economic belt-tightening done to reopen the schools.
The committee recommended funding the teacher from the $12,000 contingency fund which had been included in the reopening budget.
Committee member Lynn Fritchman made a report on the use of administration vehicles, which range in age from a 1964 sedan to a 1973 van. Among the recommendations the committee will consider are keeping all vehicles in the motor pool at night, painting identification on the vehicles, disposing of three of the vehicles and improving security at the motor pool.
The committee will make a decision on the recommendations at the next meeting.
The task force was present at the meeting and, after much discussion, adjourned to a separate room to organize into pairs to cover the seven schools. The task force will be looking specifically into curriculum and discipline. The group is due back with a report on Feb. 15.
Persons wanting information or wishing to make suggestions may call committee members or write: Citizens Advisory Committee, Box 548, Eagle Point.
