by Richard Uhlhorn
Manson Community Council hosted two guest speakers at its September 16 meeting which was held at the Grange Hall instead of the Parks Building.
Tabitha Mires, superintendent at Manson schools and Angela Collins, director at the Lake Chelan Valley Boys and Girls Club were on hand to discuss what was new at both the school district and the new boys and girls club.
Manson Schools:
Mires stated that new programs and a four-day school week is driving Manson’s success. “We have 600 students enrolled,” said Mires. This enrollment includes on-line students, 394 students on a half day schedule, 17 four year olds in early learning and 40 kindergarten students.
The new programs include language instruction so students can acquire dual language skills.
Manson is one of 22 schools that have moved to a four day week. In order to do that, the district has to have less than 1,000 students enrolled. “It allows us to provide professional development and more instructional hours,” said Mires. “It has become remarkably successful.” It also allows more opportunities for families to be involved.
Mires said the district is working hard to give its students the skills to be successful when they graduate. Classes begin at 8 a.m. and are over at 3:45 p.m.
Dom Amor asked if the district has received much feedback from the community with all the changes. Mires replied that they have not received a lot of concern. “We want everyone (in the community) to have a voice,” she said.
Rene Commons asked if the district needed volunteers. Mires replied that they are always seeking volunteers and when the district’s enrichment program is up and running volunteers are an important aspect to the district’s programs.
The District is also working closely with the Boys and Girls Club. “The Boys and Girls Club is open much longer than we are.”
The District will be monitoring its educational models in January.
Lake Chelan Valley Boys and Girls Club:
Angela Collins, the Boys and Girls Club director, was hired one year ago and started the club’s first athletic basketball program for third to sixth grade students. “We had 216 kids sign up and the program was super successful,” said Collins. “It is all about fun.”
The club partnered with the Junior Major League Basketball Association.
They started their Golf Program at the Chelan Golf Course in August for first through eighth grade students and conducted a water safety program.
On July 7, the club open its doors upstairs at the Community Center. Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at a cost of $25 a day, parents can safely drop their children off for the day and know they are in a safe environment. “Parents who work early can drop their kids off.” She also said the club doesn’t have enough customers yet.
The facility is, according to Collins, very techy. “However, we are not letting kids have 12 hours of free time,” said Collins. She said they really need some volunteers.
In other council business:
Don Amor remarked that the final report by the One Voice Coalition’s consultant, Dan Eernissee, is still just a draft. It will be up to the Coalition to decide how to move forward.
(NOTE: There will be an article on the contents of the final consultant’s draft soon).
The Council also has a meeting with the Colville Tribal Government Committee on Septermber 4 in Nespelem. Commons said the group was very welcoming and while the meeting was scheduled for only 30 minutes it went on a lot longer.
“They had a lot of questions for us which is always a good sign,” said Amor. The Colville’s are planning to build a new hotel/casino in Manson in the near future which opens up a number of concerns for the community, mainly transportation issues.
Hwy. 150 and the intersection with Wapato Lake Road and the Old Mill Bay boat launch along with the Colville’s RV Park on the lake have created a major transportation issue and the Community Council would like to see a Roundabout at that busy intersection.
The Council is hoping to make the Manson Grange Hall its permanent meeting place.
Mike Kirk and Dom Amor both attended the Lake Chelan Collaborative meeting on September 10. “It was a very fascinating meeting on Lake Chelan’s water quality and pollution, agriculture and irrigation issues,” said Amor. (Note: An article on that meeting is being prepared.)
Upcoming events:
On September 30, the Chelan County PUD will be at the Manson Fire Hall to discuss the electrical capacity expansion beginning at 5:30 p.m.
On October 21, the Manson Community Council will host a PUD Dark Skies Presentation at the Manson Grange Hall beginning at 6 p.m.
All Things Lake Chelan 