The Hillsboro Signal has compiled voter’s guides for the May 16 Hillsboro School Board elections. Remember to turn your ballot in on time! Position 1: Jennifer Brandse, April Davis, Erika Lopez Position 2: Glenn Miller, Mark Watson Position 3: Monte Akers, Martin Granum Position 6: Kevin Currin-Smith, Alexander Flores, Brian Lyles, Jaci Spross Related Links: Washington County Voters’ Pamphlet
Hillsboro may spend $9 million upgrading city streetlights to LEDs, a move officials say will save over $500,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs while cutting lighting energy usage by 70 per cent. The LED installation will be accompanied by a networked node on every utility pole, capable of alerting city employees when a light needs maintenance and which parts are needed. “We wouldn’t have to wait for a citizen to notify us,” city project manager Tegan Enloe said during a May 2 City Council work session. Currently lights are only fixed when someone calls to report it’s broken. The vast majority of Hillsboro’s 7,300 street lights are maintained by Portland General Electric (PGE), who sometimes take a while[…]
The weekend is over, but it seems like the good weather is going to hold…at least, until Wednesday night. Here are some things to do this week, rain or shine. On Wednesday there’s the South Hillsboro Parks Master Plan Open House, which will outline the plans for parks in the massive upcoming development south of TV Highway. If you live nearby this is your chance to find out what those parks will look like, and to offer input. The meeting starts at 6pm in Rosedale Elementary. If you’d rather actually visit a park, check out the Sunset Sit, Moonrise Smile at Rood Bridge Park, thirty minutes before sunset. You can watch the sunset, and learn from a Parks and Rec[…]
Issue Flores Lyles Spross Funding Supports the bond; would like to see how the the school district can be run more efficiently. Would have preferred a higher bond; sees a future operating levy as essential. Supports the bond and a future levy; working with Janeen Sollman on additional funding from the state Technology in Schools Balance technology and teaching Use technology to increase teacher capacity Provide access to prepare students for college & career Contraceptives at school-based health clinics Undecided; wants more community input Undecided; wants more community input Supports providing contraceptives in school-based health clinics Increasing the Graduation Rate Student Mentors Academic Coaching for student athletes; focus on attendance Extracurricular activities; AVID; parental engagement A fourth candidate,[…]
The Farmers Market is back, if you hadn’t noticed! Head downtown on Saturday, between 8:30am and 1:30pm. If that’s not your style, check out Orenco Station Sunday, between 10:00am and 2:00pm. After that, stop by at the Friends of the Library Book Sale at the Brookwood Library, between 10am and 6pm Saturday and Sunday. This massive fundraiser helps keep the library running. Stop by the library to browse and buy the 60,000 items on sale. There are books, of course, but also CDs, records, and DVDs. Read more at the friends of the library website, or check our listing for more information. You can watch The Secret Garden at HART Theater on Saturday or Sunday night. It’s presented by Stages[…]
Voter’s Guide: Hillsboro School Board Position 2 Issue Miller Watson School Funding Supports the bond, lobbying the State, potential future levy Supports the bond, lobbying the state, potential future levy Climate Change Not an ‘ideologue’, address both sides Science, not ‘hokum’ Contraceptives in school-based health clinics Voted No Supports contraceptives with parental notification If revisited, would vote yes On School Funding Mark Watson supports the proposed facilities bond. For the operating budget, he said, “securing more stable funding in Salem is key.” Says if a levy were proposed, it should be in addition to stable funding from the state, “to make us more competitive with our neighbors.” He wants to see poll numbers before deciding whether or not it[…]
Issue Brandse Davis Lopez Funding Supports proposed bond Would support an operating levy Supports proposed bond Hopes to avoid an operating levy Supports proposed bond Planning to ask for operating levy Contraceptives at school-based health clinics Would revisit, vote yes Would have voted no Supports contraceptives with parental notification Would revisit, vote yes Strategies for Increasing the Graduation Rate Respond to needs of individual students Focus on parental involvement and at-risk students Dual Credit & Internship Programs Replicate the success of CHICAs program On School Funding Jennifer Brandse thinks the community needs more education around the funding needs of our school district. As a member of the school board, she said she would also “explain to people in Salem[…]
Hillsboro City Council passed a resolution re-designating the Hillsboro Enterprise Zone this week, but not without some dissent. Councilor Kyle Allen proposed that council delay voting on the zone for two weeks, due to concerns about the minimum wage provisions in the new proposal. “We give up property taxes for a number of benefits, one of which is employers pay 150 per cent of minimum wage to their employees,” said Allen, noting that the proposed deal for the next ten years brings this down to 105 per cent. While noting that the reason for the drop reflects a desire to attract smaller businesses to the District, Allen stated the policy should be reviewed, possibly having different sets of rules for[…]
Hillsboro Signal is a volunteer digital media organization exclusively dedicated to the city of Hillsboro, Oregon. Currently we offer coverage of the Hillsboro City Council and the Hillsboro School Board, in realtime on Twitter and with more depth on our website. We also offer a community calendar outlining what’s going on in the city on any given day. All of this happens without advertising, subscriptions, or revenue of any kind. But we want to do more, and we need you to do it. We’re looking for volunteers to help build a media brand in this city, and hopefully also build a community of journalists and activists dedicated to making Hillsboro a better place. If you think you can help, please[…]
Quick Guide: Hillsboro School Board Position 3 Issue Monte Akers Martin Granum Budget & Funding Supports pursuing additional funding through the proposed bond, future levy, and lobbying the state. Thinks the school district budget could be more efficient Supports pursuing additional funding through the proposed bond, future levy, and lobbying the state. Thinks the school district budget is very efficient. Contraceptives at school-based health clinics Voted No Supports contraceptives with parental notification Would revisit, vote yes Supports equitable access to healthcare for male and female students. Strategies for increasing graduation rate Accountability: Goal of increasing the graduation rate by 1% each year is tied to the Superintendent’s evaluation and the district’s Strategic plan. Emphasis on the Quality Education Model, particularly[…]