January 25th, 2026

 12/14/2025 Proposed November/December Meeting Agenda
 
OPENING/FLAG SALUTE
ROLL CALL
MINUTES
DRAPING OF THE CHARTER
PROPOSALS FOR MEMBERSHIP 
WELCOME CEREMONY
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
 
HALL REPORT – Hall Projects (in priority order):
Yard light
Couple of dining room benches getting wobbly
Bathroom exhaust fan
Remove old meter base and patch roof
Insulate crawl space under bathrooms (1/2 done)
Northeast side roof needs additional screws
Kitchen counters need refinished
Kitchen needs exhaust hood and fan
Repainting needed under eves of hall
 
3 rentals scheduled, two are gratis.  Chaps and Zumba still have long term contracts.
 
Bathrooms and dance hall benches have been cleaned by Stanley Steemer and look better.  Peeling paint and dirty walls and doors not so much.  Paint is also failing on NW and SW sides of the hall.  Scrape and paint or replace siding?
 
A movie screen on a portable stand is now available.  It resides behind the stage.
 
Shelving/clothes hangers behind stage appear to have no further use.  Ask Chaps to dispose?
 
EDUCATION  - A good article in Jessica Grose’s newsletter, too long to print here about challenges of rural schools in poorer areas and how to improve them.  The gist of it is that public schools are sometimes the last institution standing in areas, particularly rural areas,  where jobs have vanished due to various reasons such as overseas competition, governmental over regulation, technology changes and etc.  Having services such as a school nurse, counselors, coaches, mentors and food available is critical to not lose the kids to drugs and gangs.  Paste the address into your browser.  The newspaper will require establishing an account but it is no charge.  Happy reading.  https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters?campaign_id=118&emc=edit_ptg_20251119&instance_id=166698&newsletter_signup=true&nl=jessica-grose&product_code=PTG&regi_id=119847366&segment_id=210888&user_id=c47d16d1672befc79bab7560f55067fe
 
LEGISLATIVE –  Opponents of the road maintenance funding bill passed during the last short session of the legislature have been successful gathering enough signatures to refer the bill to a vote and thus will at least delay it’s implementation.  Given the multi billion dollar holes already blown in Oregon’s budget outlook due to federal cutbacks and grant cancellations plus the predictions of a decline in economic activity in general, it is going to be difficult bordering on impossible to restore funding for road maintenance without this bill or something like it.  Opponents of the tax increase point to cost of several mega projects as wasteful, with some justification, and advocate their cancellation with money reallocated to maintenance.  They unfortunately ignore the fact that those projects are largely grant funded, and cancelling them would save Oregon much less than their sticker price,  would expose the state to federal claw backs for breaking the terms of the grants and to liability toward contractors if contracts have already been let. 
 
Alleged wasteful spending on ODOT overheard is, in my opinion, largely (but not entirely) an attempt by the legislature and governor’s office to deflect responsibility away from themselves.  ODOT is mostly comprised of engineers and maintenance folk who do what they are told.  If legislators change their collective mind multiple times about regulations, priorities or particular projects then money (big money) gets wasted.  Boiled down, the people of Oregon need to come to some kind of consensus on what they want and are willing to pay for.
 
AGRICULTURE – Federal rules regarding wetlands and waters of the state are in the process of being relaxed and maybe discarded altogether.  Assuming this goes ahead, a Farmer who digs a hole to repair a field drain or plant a tree in wetlands or former wetlands will no longer be breaking the law.  Under some current proposals a farmer or developer who turns an intermittent meandering stream into a concrete ditch would also be legal.
 
Major crop prices (corn, wheat, soyabeans and etc) have improved a bit with announcement of several trade agreements at the federal level but as yet not enough to be profitable for farmers.  Removal of some American tariffs on food products also appear to be poised to reduce upward pressure on grocery prices but at the cost of higher trade deficits.  I have not heard anyone talking about needing to hire back some fired ag product inspectors to cover the increased imports.
 
DEAF AND BLIND - Roberta
 
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE – JoAnn  (Add Saint Paul school to eligible list?, Change the focus from Ag/Forestry to include other programs?,  Keep $2000 single scholarship?)
 
COMMUNITY SERVICE – JoAnn -  Bring donations for Rescue Mission & Veteran’s Village to mtg;
   Continue with milk cartons for Backpack Buddy Program through the end of this school year?,     
    Who wants to help fill backpacks at the Church? – would be once every 5 weeks
 
COMMUNICATIONS –  Betty   
 
POMONA REPORT  -  Next meeting Jan 24.  Main topics will be resolutions for state convention, scholarships and cookie booth fund raiser.  Anyone who has attended a 5th degree exemplification is welcome to attend.  Password is required.
 
TREASURERS REPORT  - Vicki
 
BILLS – Dan
Stanley Steemer                                  $390.00
Wrench for septic tank                            $6.99
Batteries for combination lock                $9.54
2 hand soap dispensers                           $3.98
Backpack Buddies Milk                       $333.69                     
Total                                                    $744.20
 
Also our website domain name rental is about to expire.  Renewal costs $67.90

 
UNFINSHED BUSINESS: 
Basement floor  still needs touch up paint.  Contractor is ignoring me.  Buy a quart of the polyurethane floor paint?  Would be around $50.
 
Log Cabin committee – meeting needs to be set
 
NEW BUSINESS:  
State Officer nominations
Maplewood Rooster
Resolution review
Holiday outing?
 
MEMBERS SICK OR IN DISTRESS: 
 
GOOD OF THE ORDER:   
 
NEXT MEETING 
Regular time – 3:30 Jan. 25
 
CLOSING
 
 
HEIRLOOM PROGRAM:  
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