City Council, Opera House performance, Turkey Bingo and Thanksgiving events

City Council

The Harrington City Council met November 13 at 7 p.m. with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Tipton at the helm, with the other council members present (Davenport, MacClellan and Luck), Clerk Bunny Haugan, Clerk Trainee Janice Cepeda, Maintenance Scott McGowan, Jesse Silhan and Marge Womach. Councilman Schenk arrived later, as did additional visitors Brent Wilday, Cade Clarke and Richard Derr.

Tipton followed the agenda prepared by Mayor Slack, including recognizing visitors, approving minutes from two preceding meetings and approving the bills. Tipton opened the public hearing for revenue sources for 2020, property tax levy and preliminary budget at 7:30.

MacClellan addressed revenue sources for the 2020 budget, listing in part property tax, utility tax, intergovernmental revenue and miscellaneous sources, such as the potential sale of the old fire truck.

The vacant properties rate for utilities was discussed, the general consensus seeming to be that vacant commercial properties are investments. Previous years' discussions resulted in reducing the rate for utilities which would enable the owners to reinvest into the upkeep of the property. Since that decision, council members noted that no money had been reinvested into said properties, negating their reason for allowing a reduced rate. Davenport was the lone council member to ask that the council allow a slight reduction since the utilities are not being used. Others remarked that everyone must share in the cost of repairs for the entire system. Garbage rates recently increased and these must be passed on to the customers.

A brief discussion was held on a variance for a garage to have its roof raised from its present 8 ft. up to its proposed new peak of 14.4 feet. The variance will cost the citizen $100. If the owner decides to continue the process, neighbors will receive notification and a hearing date will be set.

The city council received from the Assessor's office an example of an Adopt Property Tax Levy Resolution. Council approved Resolution 217 to raise property taxes by 1.339%.

Council discussed the need to create a policy for a fee for checks returned for insufficient funds. Council will need eventually to create a resolution.

"Noxious Weed Control Assessment Proposed" was reported on by MacClellan who informed the council that the county wants to include the city in its assessments in the future. No action was taken. Tipton gave an update on the Town Square Project and noted the success of the fundraising effort and the matching funds grant. Tipton received praise from the council for his excellent progress.

Council discussed the city's need for a printer for the BIAS system which Cepeda stated would cost $400 and she insisted that Mayor Slack had texted her to purchase the computer. Tipton stated that Slack wrote the agenda and that Slack expected the council to discuss and not take action. The council voted their approval for Slack to move ahead with the purchase of the printer for up to $400 including installation and set-up.

Discussion was held on the new receipt books which had been ordered that are specialized and non-returnable, which cost over $500, but no decision had been made regarding terminating that process, so the books were ordered. Cepeda stated that no hand-written receipts would be used after January 1, when the BIAS system is up and working.

Council set Dec. 2, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. for the public hearing on the final proposed budget. Council approved the hiring of a new janitor for Memorial Hall. Tipton announced that the Lincoln County Fire Protection District #6 annexation proposition was accepted by the Fire Commissioners at their meeting and sent on to the Lincoln County Commissioners. MacClellan gave a brief recap of the IACC Conference she attended. The Public Hearing was closed at 9:22.

A short discussion on alternatives to getting the Harrington sewer sample to Cheney occurred with Davenport assigned the task of gathering information from other towns and prices from Fed Ex, UPS, etc. The object would be to save maintenance from losing those hours out of town. McGowan reported that the former McGregor building was repaired by Diamond Construction for a fee of $6,400 and that Kysar has made a bid on a furnace installation.

Alicia Mielke performance

Sunday, November 17, at 1 p.m. at the Harrington Opera House, Linda Wagner welcomed the audience of about 70 and introduced the musicians, flutist Alicia Mielke and pianist Kevin Garnica. "Poem (1918)" by Charles Griffes (1884-1920) began the performance with Mielke sharing the energy expressed in it as a mystical foggy introduction, a quiet opening into anxious energy, to an explosion and reiterating the mystical opening. At its completion, the audience responded with robust appreciation. Mielke performed the second selection as a solo: "Quatre Pieces pour Flute seule" by Jindrich Field (1925-2007) consisted of four movements: "Meditation," "Caprice," "Intermede (Hommage a Bartok)" and "Burlesque." Mielke spoke again to the audience, sharing a replica of an original old wooden flute that had no keys and comparing it to her new silver flute with keys. She also shared that her grandfather, the late Jim Gooley, had handcrafted her music stand. Though not announced, Mielke's mother, Linda Gooley Mielke, was the page turner for pianist Kevin Garnica. The third collection "Sonata in C Major BZV 1033" (1736) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) consisted of "Andante-Presto," "Allegro," "Adagio" and "Menuetto." Only the "Andante-Presto" was a solo. The audience thoroughly enjoyed Bach's music as performed by these talented artists.

A brief intermission was taken, then pianist Kevin Garnica returned with "Melancolie" (1940) by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) as his solo for their performance. The audience responded loudly with applause. Mielke returned to the stage and commented that she and Garnica had met at the University of Texas in Austin and remarked that he can now add the Harrington Opera House to his resume's long list of locations of performances which included Central and South America, Europe and throughout the United States. The final number was "Suite Op. 34" (1898) by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) consisting of "Moderato," "Scherzo. Allegro Vivace," "Romance. Andantino" and "Final. Vivace." They received a wonderful standing ovation. Wagner invited the audience to stay and visit with the performers, and perhaps half lingered and visited with one another and the performers.

Alicia Mielke was born and raised on a wheat farm near Harrington. She received her Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory studying with Paula Robison in 2013 and her Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin with Marianne Gedigian in 2011. Mielke is accompanied by pianist and composer Kevin Garnica, an active musician in the Los Angeles area. He received his BA in piano performance and MA in music composition from California State University, Fullerton, where he studied with Eduardo Delgado and the late Dr. Lloyd Rogers, respectively. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in Central and South America, Europe and throughout the U.S. Garnica received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas, Austin, with a full assistantship, under the tutelage of Anne Epperson, specializing in Collaborative Piano.

Turkey bingo

Harrington Homemakers served chili, baked potatoes with a good variety of toppings and cinnamon rolls November 17, followed by Turkey Bingo sponsored and provided by Harrington High's FBLA chapter. Food was provided throughout the Bingo event. Students called regular Bingo, Four Corners Bingo, combination games and ended the event with Blackout Bingo. Prizes won included turkeys, hams, rolls, pies, Post & Office mugs and gift cards, FBLA and Panther T-shirts in child and adult sizes along with other fun items. Between 60 and 70 people were estimated to have attended this most successful FBLA fundraising event.

Thanksgiving dinner

An advertisement for a Thanksgiving turkey dinner noted that it would be at the Harrington Community Church in their meeting room at 11 a.m. on November 28. Games will follow the meal. Everyone is welcome.

Community Thanksgiving service

The Community Thanksgiving service will be at the Harrington Opera House on Sunday, Nov. 24, from 5 to 6 p.m. A Thanksgiving offering will be taken which will go to the Pastors' Benevolence Fund, God's Closet and the Harrington Food Bank. Socializing will follow the service.