{"id":830,"date":"2012-02-22T08:04:05","date_gmt":"2012-02-22T13:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wrfalp.wordpress.com\/?p=830"},"modified":"2016-02-11T09:26:39","modified_gmt":"2016-02-11T14:26:39","slug":"wrfa-news-feb-22-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wrfalp.com\/wrfa-news-feb-22-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"WRFA News – Feb. 22, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"
JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Public Schools<\/strong> district is proposing the elimination of as many as 29 positions to prevent any tax increases for next school year. That\u2019s according to today\u2019s Jamestown Post-Journal, which says the school board went over the administration\u2019s proposed budget during last night\u2019s board meeting. Rather than increase property taxes a projected 8.68 percent, Superintendent Deke Kathman<\/strong> said the district would use over\u00a0 $2.7 million from the district’s fund balance and also look into eliminating 29 positions.<\/p>\n Kathman also presented the board with other potential budget cuts, including reducing maintenance in school fitness centers as well as consolidating the three middle school modified softball teams into one district softball team.<\/p>\n The budget’s first draft has expenditures of $77.7 million – an increase of $3.28 million from last year. After increases in state aid and the end of short-term federal aid, the district found itself with a projected gap of $1.27 million.<\/p>\n The next Board of Education regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 27. A work session will be held Tuesday, March 13.<\/p>\n JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua County<\/strong> Health Network<\/strong>‘s Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play<\/strong> initiative held another community meeting last night at the East Side YMCA<\/strong> in Jamestown to discuss ways to improve Lillian Dickson Park<\/strong> on Falconer Street and also make it safer for children. About 10 residents attended the meeting, along with several community leaders \u2013 including Creating Healthy Places Project Coordinator Janet Forbes<\/strong>, City Council President Greg Rabb<\/strong>, and Jamestown Police Chief Harry Snellings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n During the first part of the meeting, several residents outlined the specific safety concerns they had with the park and the surrounding neighborhood. Most of those concerns involved crime in the area, including gang activity, drug use, and vandalism. Traffic was also listed as a concern.<\/p>\n The second half of the meeting involved the attendees splitting into two groups to discuss ways to get the community involved with improving the park, as well as establishing a neighborhood watch group in the area to curb crime and other concerns. Ways to secure funding to help improve equipment at the park was also discussed.<\/p>\nDICKSON PARK IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS CONTINUE<\/h3>\n