Other Headlines

Montesano school budget passes
Negative $10,000 starting fund
projected; calculations questioned
MONTESANO — The Montesano School Board unanimously passed a nearly $11 million 2009-2010 budget last week designed to dig the district out of debt. The budget is nearly $601,000 less than this year’s budget, reflecting heavy reductions in state funding. Compared to the current budget, the approved budget includes a 5.47 percent revenue decrease and a 7.53 percent spending cut. The reduced spending is designed to leave the district with $116,121 at the end of the 2009-2010 school year. The district expects to begin next school year with a negative fund balance of about $10,000 after all of this year’s expenses and revenue are calculated. That’s down significantly from the $319,000 the district would have ended up at had projections made at the time the district adopted a 2008-2009 budget revision in February held up.

A spreadsheet of various beginning fund balance scenarios that were discussed is here:
Download and read one-page document.

The Montesano Education Association voted no confidence in Superintendent Marti Harruff. Their survey results:
Download and read 47-page document.

Mark Reed raise
ELMA — At their meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23, at the Elma City Council chambers, Mark Reed commissioners will consider a salary raise and, according to a resolution they will consider, a possible title change for Renée Dunham, chief executive officer of McCleary’s Mark Reed Hospital and Grays Harbor County Public Hospital and Health Care District 1. If the resolution passes, however, there will be “no change in duties, no change in position” for Dunham, said the commission’s vice chairman, Drew Hooper. “This definitely is not a change in what she’s doing,” Hooper said.

$6K for info leading to girl’s return
McCLEARY — There was nothing new in the investigation into the 11-year-old missing McCleary girl, Lindsey Baum, as of The Vidette’s press time Wednesday, according to Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott. But investigators are hoping a $6,000 reward might change that.

Three seek council seat
McCLEARY — Three candidates for McCleary City Council Position 4 will appear on the Aug. 18 primary election ballot.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. Primary ballots will be mailed July 29, according to Julie Murphy, Grays Harbor County elections administrator. They are: Brent Schiller: Randall Tremain, and Richard Vatne:

Former city council members challenge current incumbent
ELMA — Three candidates for Elma City Council Position 1 will appear on the Aug. 18 primary election ballot. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 3 general election. Primary ballots will be mailed July 29, according to Julie Murphy, Grays Harbor County elections administrator. They are: Charles Butterfield, Ron Mullins, and Jim Taylor.


More Sports

Crockett stripped of Memorial sweep
ELMA — Following back-to-back nights of Sprint car supremacy, Roger Crockett of Medford, Ore., looked to be on his way to a sweep of the two-day Annual Fred Brownfield Memorial and an American Sprint Car Series Speedweek title at Grays Harbor Raceway on Saturday, July 18.

E. County LL squads ousted from districts
TENINO — Running into the eventual champions and championship runner-ups early in the District II Little League All-Star Tournament sent both Montesano and East Grays Harbor (Elma) into the consolation bracket where they faded off into elimination last week at Tenino.