Full-day K worth Jessamine taxpayers' dollars

Comment by Shark88: Friday, September 3

Ms. Dragomir, you can donate from your own personal funds to help the schools out. It is a free co...read more...

Fiscal court buys Nicholasville Cafe building

Comment by Shark88: Friday, September 3

So the state is forcing the county to build a justice center? When does that have to be built?...read more...

Defending First Amendment rights different from endorsing message

Comment by tweldon: Thursday, September 2

For weeks I have grown so accustomed to writing acerbic retorts to Leland Conway’s columns with wh...read more...

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The Jessamine County Board of Education gave a gift to a local agency at its meeting a few days after Christmas and heard about several projects in the district occurring at no cost to the board.

The board agreed to waive the building use fee for the Nicholasville Fire Department’s annual toy drive, held Dec. 19 at East Jessamine Middle School, and to pay the fee for the on-site custodian, effectively serving as a sponsor for the event.

In the work session prior to the meeting Monday, board member Eugene Peel said he was content to let the district make similar decisions in the future without consulting the board.

“We’re about kids,” Peel said. “When you tie it to kids, when it’s tied to something that our kids in this community and this county benefit from, I’ve got no problem with you all making that decision.”

WJHS sports

The board also expressed approval for two items related to West Jessamine High School athletics — the construction of a practice infield for the baseball team and the donation of a charter bus for the basketball team to use on an upcoming trip to Ohio.

The West High baseball boosters had raised the money for the infield and had the resources in place when the board initially approved the project in February 2005, but it was put on hold when the workers backed out.

The boosters recently found a new company to do the work, and the board agreed Monday to let the project move forward as initially approved.

West’s basketball team also received good news in the form of a gift from railroad giant Rick Corman. Deputy Superintendent Owens Saylor told the board Corman had offered a new charter bus to the team to use on its trip to the Flyin’ to the Hoop Classic in Dayton, Ohio, Jan. 16-17.

The board approved transportation costs for the trip as a reward for the Colts’ run to the state semifinals in March, Saylor said. Corman’s bus would be used at no cost to the board.

The district will still verify the credentials of the driver and do a required bus inspection prior to the trip.

The board approved the use of the bus contingent upon a review of the agreement by board attorney Howard Downing.

Connector road

The board did hear one piece of bad news at its meeting Monday. Architect Darrell Douglas of Sherman Carter Barnhart said the connector road for buses between East High and East Middle had not been completed before the asphalt plants closed for the winter.

The 2,800-foot road currently has an asphalt base, and buses will still be able to use it in January after some grading and touch-up, Douglas said. The firm had projected a Nov. 15 ending date for the project at the board’s October meeting; now, it will have to be completed in the spring on a weekend or during spring break.

“Although the project is not complete, it is at a point where we can use it,” he said.

Several board members expressed concern about the public using the road that is meant for bus traffic only. It has been blocked at times by construction equipment but has been open at other times.

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