Page 11 - Flathead Beacon // 3.25.15

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS MARCH 25, 2015 | 11 Fundraiser Begins for South
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door space on county’s new building after patio was cut from the budget
by MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
A grassroots effort is underway to fi- nance a patio and outdoor seating area for Flathead County’s new South Cam- pus building, which will house the coun- ty’s Agency on Aging program as well as the Kalispell Senior Center.
The patio was one of the items cut by the Flathead County Commission during its Jan. 28 hearing, during which the commission addressed the $7 million cost of the building and cut about $250,000 worth of items for the project.
Removing the patio from the west side of the building saved about $10,000 for the project, though the senior com- munity invested in seeing the new build- ing come to fruition was upset at the prospect of losing their outdoor seating.
In response, a new fundraising cam- paign has started to bring in the money needed to keep the patio. Commissioner Phil Mitchell suggested such a fundrais- ing effort during the Jan. 28 meeting.
Diane Miller, a morning producer at radio station KGEZ, said she decided to start a donation fund when she found out the patio was cut from the project because she knew many people who were upset with the decision.
“People are relaxed on the patio,” Miller said. “It makes it less institution- al and more personal.”
The South Campus Patio Project seeks to bring in $35,500 for “the basic
Linda Benson shows off her trowel at the groundbreaking for the new South Campus building.
Campus Patio Project
Money will pay for out-
Kate Orozco took over as superintendent in 2011
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
Kate Orozco formally announced
her plans to resign as superintendent of Whitefish Public Schools during a meeting with the members of the school board on March 20.
Orozco informed the board that she will resign at the end of the academic
year in June during a special meeting early Friday. She said her decision was influenced by her and her husband’s de- sire to be closer to their family in Idaho.
Orozco took over as superintendent in 2011. Under Orozco, the district suc- cessfully completed a massive renova- tion of Whitefish High School and over- hauled the school’s curriculum. She was named the top superintendent in the state in 2013 by the Montana Associa- tion of School Superintendents.
“She will be sorely missed,” Ruth
Harrison, vice chair of the school board, said. “She has really taught us an awful lot about education delivery and how we can become a 21st century institution.”
The school board will begin develop- ing a plan to find Orozco’s replacement and will review options at its work ses- sion on March 24.
The superintendent position over- sees Whitefish’s high school, indepen- dent high school, middle school and Muldown Elementary.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
items” needed for the patio, Miller said. This includes funding for a covering for the outdoor space to protect from sun and rain, as well as having places to sit and furniture.
“It’s got wonderful backing,” Miller said. “Contributions for the fundraiser are starting to come in.”
All of the money raised will go to- ward a special line account for the proj- ect, and will be deposited with the Flat- head County treasurer. The Agency on Aging will be the recipient for the money and other donations.
Project leaders have set up a P.O. Box for donations: The South Campus Patio Project, P.O. Box 473, Kalispell, 59903. Checks should be made out to the Flathead County Treasurer, and must have “SCPP” or “South Campus Patio Project” in the memo.
Walk-in donations are also accepted
at KGEZ in Kalispell.
All of these donations are tax de-
ductible, Miller said.
Removing the patio from the South
Campus project was a contentious de- cision on the board of commissioners, with Commissioner Gary Krueger op- posed to eliminating the outdoor space for the project.
Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Phil Mitchell voted in favor of the re- moval, saying the patio fell more along the lines of a “want” than a “need” for the seniors.
The South Campus building broke ground on March 11, and will eventu- ally house the AOA, the Kalispell Senior Center, the county’s IT department, space for the Flathead City-County Health Department, and the county’s maintenance department.
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Orozco to Step Down as Whitefish Schools Superintendent
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