Harrington news

Monday evening, Nov 7, The Harrington Opera House Society met in the Art Room of the Opera House at 7 p.m. on November 7. Present were Gordon and Billie Herron, Mark and Sheryl Stedman, Bunny Haugan, Linda Wagner, Carol, Marge Womach and Karen Robertson. Recent correspondence regarding a potential agreement for access to the opera house was addressed. The request was for four hours of access per week and the use of the opera house for one performance per year. The group’s consensus was to reject the request, as the Society already has a policy in place for rental of the building. The care and treatment of the new Boston Grand Piano is cumbersome, especially during the winter months. The piano has its own heater and enclosure. A humidifier will be installed November 21. Prior to use of the piano in the winter, the temperature of the building must be brought up to that of the piano. Use of the piano necessitates expenses to protect its quality.

The building committee is not yet finished! Projects that need attention include finalizing winterization of the building, and several doors are not ready. Other business included discussions of the grants that have been worked on.

Heather Safe has planned a group event for her music students on November 21 on the opera house stage. Following the event, the group will return to the Art Room for cupcakes and drinks. Art lessons have begun with Connie King as instructor. Santa’s Day will be December 3. Robertson will again take photos. The museum will hold its rummage sale that day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There was discussion of past events, such as the Strite wedding, which went well, and the John Nilsen performance, which was enjoyed by those attending. The next performance will be the Scott Kirby unique multi-media presentation with pictures and music on November 19. The savings with advance tickets is $5. Kirby is performing two programs for the school children of Harrington and Edwall on November 17. At present, the only event for the December schedule is a free concert by the Parks family, with the Nazarene Church having rented the auditorium for this event on December 9.

Mention was made of the desire to have the 25th Anniversary Event sometime soon. Suggestions were made for New Year’s Eve and another for Valentine’s Day. Nomination of officers is approaching with some members wishing to step down from their positions. No decisions were made. The December meeting will be held on the fifth.

Harrington City Council

Mayor Dillon Haas opened the city council meeting Wednesday evening at 7:30 with council members Rick Becker, Peter Davenport, Levi Schenk and Mike Cronrath present. City clerk Bunny Haugan, Scott McGowan, and visitors Paul Charlton, Paul Gilliland, Marge Womach and Cherie MacClellan also attended.

The mayor opened the public hearings on the preliminary budget and the property tax levy. Scott McGowan provided a maintenance report which included information on water-line leaks, moving of water meters, preparation of the snow plow and looking for a specific manhole cover. Discussion was held regarding the use of methanol in the sewer system. The Dept. of Ecology dictates how the city manages its levels. Methanol is used to treat the nitrates which, if left untreated, would eventually get into the groundwater. Since methanol’s half-life is short, it does not create problems. Councilman Davenport was not convinced.

The Lions Club is inquiring regarding the storage of the new flags used at the cemetery. A suitable location that is mouse-proof needs to be found. The current building at the cemetery needs repairs and painting. There are places where the siding is very poor. The Lions are contemplating getting a small trailer which they could park east of the shed, out of view. No decision was made. Discussion followed regarding the old rest room building at the city park. McGowan would like to see a roll-up door installed so it could be used for storage of the park tables and benches.

An update on the roadway improvements by Haas was that the project is proceeding according to schedule. Swales are not mandatory, which is good since the public interest was against having swales. The engineer will need to find adequate drainage. Property Tax Resolution 2016-204 was passed 3-0.

Apple maggots in Sprague and Harrington have become an issue and these areas have been placed in quarantine, much like Spokane has been. This problem also affects the transportation of garbage being transferred from here to an area not under quarantine, or the need to devise a means of disposing of yard waste and apples and preventing it from being including in the garbage stream.

From 8:30 to 10:15 p.m., the Mayor held an open discussion on his 2017 proposed budget with multiple pages of revenue and expense sheets from 2014 and 2015 and including the present year with the projected figures for 2017. The mayor closed the two public hearings before the meeting was adjourned. The final budget hearing will be held December 5 at 5:30 p.m.

Veterans Day program

The Harrington School held its annual Veterans Day program in the gymnasium. Mike Cronrath has developed an extensive collection of names and photos of veterans from Harrington. Each year his program is slightly different but always valiantly executed to honor those who have served. The Harrington School band played, and flags were presented by the students. A video was shown of our local servicemen. Artwork by some of the students was on display. Two students read papers they had written and submitted to the VFW essay contest. Caleb Behrens brought his grandfather, Randy Behrens, to relate his war experiences. He had received a Bronze Star. Colt Sandford introduced his grandfather, ‘Bugs’ Shear, who also spoke of his military experiences. Local citizens who have never seen this program are encouraged to make an effort to see it next year.