Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
MAKING TRACKS. Project 56 presented the Ritzville School District with a symbolic check Tuesday for $130,000. The funds represent the grassroots organization’s contribution to the reconstruction of the district’s track. The project will result in the installation of an all weather track surface. Voters recently passed a two-year capital levy to provide the necessary additional support to accomplish the major facility upgrade. The check presentation occurred during the halftime of the LRS Broncos boys’ basketball game. Project 56 President Lori Olson (right) presented the check to school board member Layne Iltz (center) and Superintendent Rob Roettger (left). Olson was joined by the Project 56 Committee and the Undeberg family, which provided a major contribution to anchor the fundraising effort in memory of Harold Undeberg.
Project 56 committee members met on Wednesday, Jan. 16, to discuss plans for the upcoming year. The group had not reconvened since before the capital levy was approved, and the members discussed the future of the track project at Lind-Ritzville High School.
During the meeting, the committee decided to present a $130,000 check to the Ritzville School District at halftime of the LRS boys’ basketball game on Tuesday. The Project 56 committee agreed to donate the funds to the project with the approval of the capital levy.
The money from Project 56 will be put into the capital projects fund at the school district, and the district will first begin using the money to hire an architect for the project. The donation allows the school district to begin moving forward with the project by hiring an architect and going to bid for a variety of resources.
The estimated total of the project for completion in 2015 is estimated at $520,000. The two-year capital levy collects around $390,000 from taxpayers during the next two tax collections.
Superintendent Rob Roettger discussed the possibility of a limited general obligation bond to help speed up the process of construction on the new track. The LGO bond allows the school district to take out a bond in the estimated amount of the project, and pay off the accumulated debt with money collected for the capital levy.
Those present shared the desire to have the project completed sooner rather than later, but agreed construction this summer was too rushed and did not allow the appropriate amount of time to hire an architect and go out to bid for the project.
Roettger plans to discuss the LGO bond with the Ritzville School Board during the regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Jan. 28, in Lind. If the decision were made to have a LGO bond, the bond would probably begin after the first tax collection to reduce the total amount of the bond and interest that would have to be paid off.
The school district is also applying for an economic development grant through Adams County, while the Project 56 committee is applying for the Paul Lauzier Foundation and the Charlotte Martin grants. The group plans to contact Davenport High School for advice on writing the Paul Lauzier Foundation grant, as Davenport was a past recipient of the grant funding.
Athletic director, Greg Whitmore, stressed there is a continuous need for funds in the variety of athletic programs offered at the high school. The program is always expanding, he said, and with a new track comes more updates, such as a new pole vault pit, hurdles and grandstands.
The committee agreed to continue selling meters for the track at $100 each, and donor’s names are still being added to the board inside of Gilson Gymnasium. The group also plans to continue the barbeque fundraiser at the annual car show and the community yard sale table during Memorial Day weekend.
The next meeting for Project 56 has not yet been determined and will be announced at a later date.
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