Cloverdale Reveille from Cloverdale, California • 1

Library i Cm Science Fair See Page 7 in Ceremonies f-1 vfcJ tjftra See Below ft )Jf lli years of serving the community Art Show SeePageS March 9, 1994 35 cents VoLCXIV, Issue 10 Goverdale, Sonoma County, CA D3SS ew freeway by pen in one aire South bound lanes should open by month's li -As--- i The grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony for the Cloverdale Bypass was a Joyous occasion. V. I f.m. -X Vx i Lyv KH I UI 1 "hi lass size controversy stalls teacher contract 1994 Cloverdale Citrus Fair Queen Kara Lane and Col. BUI Lucius, form er member of the regional transit agency who secured a lot of the funding for Highway 101, took part In the grand opening parade.

By Roberta Lyons The Teachers Association of Cloverdale (TAC) and the Cloverdale Unified School District remain atimpasse over contract negotiations for 1993-94. The main sticking point is the issue of class size, although TAC representatives Anne Boone and Connie Mclntyre report that teachers aren't completely satisfied with other areas of the contract either. Boone pointed out that one Physical Education class at Cloverdale High School, a co-ed class, has over 60 students and at Washington School 4th and 5th grade classes are from 50 -65. "How can they justify this?" she asked. "We can't believe that people in the community want to see class sizes the way they are.

It is absurd." Each contract year, both the teachers and district are allowed three "reopeners" in their contract negotiations issues that can be discussed on a yearly basis in the framework of the three year contract. These "reopeners" are in addi end Support of Measure by the voters will be a long term investment in the future of our community, Newton declared. The proposed Fire District will be governed by a Board of Directors and will be financed through a benefit assessment on parcels within its boundaries. "The benefit assessment is the best approach for providing financing without interference from outside political jurisdictions, providing ownership by those living in the Fire Protection District" Newton believes. "The estimated cost is a better investment than a reduction in fire and emergency services and the higher fire insurance rates that will ultimately accompany the current process," Newton warned.

Registered voters who will not be available to go the the polls April 12 can request an absentee ballot by sending a letter to the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters, P.O. Box 11485, Santa Rosa, Ca 95406. They will accept requests received by April 5. By Robin Kramer At least the grand opening of the Cloverdale Bypass on Tuesday, March 2, wasn't out of character with the project's 45 year history of starts and stalls. State dignitaries, city officials, project supervisors and workers, and a crowd of several hundred, all gathered to celebrate the open-, ing that was supposed to take place later in the day, but didn't.

The northbound lanes were opened the day after the ceremony at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 3. According to CalTrans Resident Engineer, Dale LeGallee, there is still a lot of work to be done on the southbound lanes, and they won't be open for another two weeks, weather permitting. "They've got to finish up the grading work, and the sound walls. There is some drainage work on the shoulders, plus they don'thavethe striping and markers done," DeGallee reports.

CalTrans met with the California Highway Patrol on February 28 to discuss the scheduled opening of the bypass. LeGallee reports that CHP officials were concerned that a north bound merge lane at Preston wasn't wide enough to accommodate oversize loads. "We widened the lane to 14 feet and moved the rail on Wednesday morning. All safety features had to be in before its opening," LeGallee said. At the grand opening on March 2, Caltrans District Director Joe Browne told the crowd that the northbound lanes would open at 3 p.m.

that day if CHP felt it was safe. The go ahead wasn't given until the next day. The central interchange that will provide access from the freeway to the downtown area is also scheduled for completion at the end of the month. Contractors still have to finish work on sound walls, paving on the west ramps, sidewalks, and put in signals at the interesection. The Ceremony None of the state politicians could make it to the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Governor Pete Wilson was busy holding a press conference to discuss the various versions of the "3-Strikes You're Out" Legislation. Senator Mike Thompson, Assemblyman Dan Hauser, and Congressman Dan Hamburg also couldn't make it but sent representatives in their stead. Heidi Gillen of Dan Hauser's office presented the City of Clo- Please turn to back page Register early for Black Bart trade exposition Early Bird registration forms are now being accepted by the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce for the 2nd annual Black Bart Business Trade Show to be held Saturday, May 14 in the Exhibit Hall attheCloverdaleCitrusFair. Interested business owners are encouraged to register now to reserve the best available space, and to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount which is being offered only through Tuesday, March 15, Executive Director Linda Brown, said. Call the Chamber for more information at 894-4470.

i li Dean Rasmussen of CA Rasmussen, the main contractor, told the crowd his company was proud to have finished the project a year ahead of schedule. tion to automatic negotiation on salaries and benefits. The district announced in the summer of 1993 that one of its reopeners would be the issue of class in part, to delete music and P.E. classes from the standard class size maximums and payment for class overages. Presently, if classes exceed 32 students, an "overage" of $2 per student must be paid.

In the case of the PE classes with 60 plus students, Boone points out the district is paying $60 a day and up in overages per teacher. "You could almost hire another teacher for the total amount the district is having to pay in overages," she noted. She also pointed out that overage pay is designed as a penalty to the district. She said that most teachers would gladly give up the extra pay in exchange for average sized classes. The two parties declared impasse on Nov.

17, 1993 and called for the intervention of a State mediator. An all-day discussion with the mediator took place on seniors in walking distance of their dining room than at the Senior Center. Naiman said she wasn't informed by the COA that they were considering consolidating the two programs until a decision to close the Kings Valley dining facility had already been made. According to Naiman, Kings Valley made concessions to help alleviate cost of the dining program, "We said we'd waive the $110 monthly utility bill the Council on Aging pays-there is no cost to them here. The Council on Aging is always getting money from the city to sponsor the senior center down there.

We ask for nothing." She is afraid that the cost of city bus fare to and from the center may pose a problem for some of her residents. "In order for them to get back and forth, its 50 cents each way and an extra dollar they might not feel they have." She reports her average daily attendance at the Feb. 7 and he presented both sides with his proposal, Boone reports. His recommendation included judgments on reopeners from the district and the teachers including: a salary increase of 1.50 percent; leaving the cap on benefits at $410; a change in the personal necessity leave days to institute one "no-tell" day; implementation ofbinding arbitration; and increasing class size limits to 42 for physical education with no limits for performance music classes. Although the teachers would prefer a bigger raise, noting that the proposed 1.50 percent increase does not keep pace with inflation, Boone said they decided to take a stand on the class size issue.

At the Feb. 11 meeting of TAC, 80 percent of the membership voted against the mediators proposal. "We could have accepted the contract except for class sizes in PE," Boone said. "Our association is appalled at what the dis- Please turn to back page dining room is 19 and 7 to 13 deliveries to home bound seniors a day. Council on Aging Executive Director Georgia Prescott said the senior center was chosen because historically, meal delivery programs have been more effective when attached to senior centers.

Prescott concedes that Kings Valley also provides activities, speakers, blood pressure screenings, and would in fact be cheaper to operate the dining program out of, but reports, There are very few of the seniors who eat at that dining site. What is important to note here, is that we have found that a lot of people come from their apartments, pick up their food and go back to their apartments." She says that the fellowship that is so important, is lacking at the Kings Valley Dining room. "We have been operating with two dining sites for a couple of years, and even though the Please turn to back page Senior citizens are fighting mad over dining cutbacks Long term investment is issue for fire protection By Robin Kramer Seniors at Kings Valley Senior Apartments say they are prepared to fight for their dining program that they have been notified they will lose on April 1. The Council on Aging COA notified Kings Valley that due to "difficult economic times" they are forced to provide meals at only one of the two current dining sites-choosing the Cloverdale Senior Multi-Purpose Center. COA Director of Public Education Gina Cuclis reports the Senior Center was chosen over Kings Valley because of the larger dining facilities and central location.

Kings Valley Activities Director and Site Coordinator Julia Naiman is not satisfied with those reasons reporting that the dining room at Kings Valley is larger than the Senior Center's. Seating capacity is 100 as opposed to the center's 70. As for central location, she says there are 90 senior units, with more The creation of the Cloverdale Fire Protection District will come before the voters as Measure in the April 12th election. As a result of the State's recent re-allocations of a portion of the City's property tax and the expiration of the County's contract for full fire protection services in the north county area, the Cloverdale Fire Department is faced with an uncertain future unless an adequate means for long-term financial stability is provided, states Doug Newton, Chairman of the Public Information Sub-committee for the citizens for the Cloverdale Fire Protection District. Newton indicated that community support is necessary on April 12 to provide direction for Fire Protection Services in the City of Cloverdale and the unincorporated north county areas.

"We must provide stable, independent financing that will allow the Fire Department to continue with the fire services that the City and county "areas have known over the years," Newton said..