New Construction to benefit students, toddlers, families

Vasconi Ag Center completes WHS
by NATHAN WRIGHT, Staff Writer
When Larry Vasconi watched Windsor High School open in 1999, he
knew it still needed a few finishing touches. Over the years,
Vasconi, who was president of the Windsor Unified School District
Board of Trustees for a time, watched the school add a theater and
a culinary arts building.
Last week he watched again as construction crews broke ground on
the final piece of Windsor High School. Windsor High will soon be
the home of a new agriculture center and a second gymnasium. The
agricultural center will be named the Larry Vasconi Agricultural
Center.
“I’m tickled to death,” Vasconi said. “It’s an honor to have
something named after you when you’re still alive. Some people
probably thought I was dead.”
The west gym and agriculture center will be located just behind
the existing gym, at the rear of the campus. The project will span
13,475 square feet, approximately 5,000 square feet larger than the
current gym. The project, funded entirely by State Proposition 47,
will cost $3.2 million.
The new construction will include a basketball gym, a dance
studio, and a shop, classroom and yard for the agriculture
department. The agriculture areas are designed to provide areas for
a variety of shop activities, including wood work, metal work, and
agriculture.
The project began with the groundbreaking last week, and is
scheduled to be completed by the end of 2004. The center is
expected to be ready for students in January of 2005.
At the Oct. 2 groundbreaking, WUSD Superintendent Robert Carter
said, “This project is going to be something that will make our
campus even more of a viable experience for kids,” Carter went on
to explain that most other school superintendents in Sonoma County,
struggling as they are with declining budgets, are envious of him
as he attends a groundbreaking ceremony for a large new
project.
Vasconi was glad to see the project under way. “This isn’t about
me or anything,” he said. “It’s about kids. This is the piece we’ve
been looking for for quite a while.”
Preschool /affordable housing facility to serve 96
youngsters, five families
by Bert Williams, News Editor
Five Windsor families and scores of Windsor children stand to
benefit from a decision made last week by the Windsor Town Council.
In a four-to-one vote, the council authorized town staff to proceed
with plans for an affordable housing project and an early childhood
education center.
Head Start Program Director Ofelia Ochoa-Morris lauded the
collaborative effort that has brought the project to this point.
“It’s been a really great process,” she said. “It’s a very
innovative approach.”
The preschool and apartments will be located in a
6,092-square-foot building immediately west of the Civic Center. On
the ground floor, the early childhood education center will include
two preschool classrooms and a toddler room, along with office
space, a conference room, an open area and kitchen facilities. The
center will serve as many as 96 Windsor children.
Five two-bedroom apartments will fill the building’s second
story. The units will serve as transitional housing for low-income
families.
Back in June 2002, following months of discussion, the council
authorized town staff to proceed with plans for the project.
Economic Development and Community Services Director Marla Young
took the lead, and plans have been unfolding since that time.
For years services have been provided for preschoolers and
toddlers by the town’s Community Services Department. Those
services have been located in Huerta Gymnasium and at the Community
Center, but many other groups and organizations share those spaces.
“It’s been a long term goal to provide a stable environment for
these services,” said Young.
Head Start has also provided services for Windsor’s
preschoolers, but has been forced to move from one location to
another over the years. “They never had their own place,” Young
said. “They are overjoyed at this opportunity.”
When the new facility is completed, the Town of Windsor’s
preschool will move into one of the two classrooms. The program
will be funded by fees charged. The other large classroom, and the
toddler room, will be operated by the Community Action Partnership
of Sonoma County/Head start Program, funded by the U.S. Health and
Human Services Department.
The 900 square foot, two-bedroom apartments on the second floor
of the new building will be rented to families for $950 per month,
or less, depending on their income.
The apartments will be managed by the Jacob’s Ladder Committee
(JLC), a subcommittee of the Windsor Service Alliance, working in
cooperation with the Town of Windsor. The committee includes
members of five local churches. JLC will sign a 20-year lease with
the town for a nominal fee, and will be responsible for building
maintenance.
Jacob’s Ladder was created following a presentation on
affordable housing by Windsor Councilmember Sam Salmon at the
Windsor Presbyterian Church in 2001. “They really picked up the
ball,” said Young. “They’ve been working so hard,” rallying support
for the concept. Young explained that, though most members of JLC
are motivated by their faith, the project is not a religious
one.
The plan created by JLC will make the apartments available to
families for up to two years, with the goal of helping the family
to become established in a permanent home by the end of that
period. JLC will offer financial counseling, and will assist each
family in developing an individualized plan for transition to a
permanent home.
In the first five years of operation, JLC hopes to establish 10
families in stable, permanent homes, living independently. One
factor in bringing this about will be the “Ladder Fund.” JLC
expects to place approximately $400 per month from the rental
income of each apartment into the fund. The money will then come
back to tenants at the end of their residency, to aid them in
establishing their new home. As much as $9,600 will go to a family
who has resided in an apartment for two years. The money may be
used only for expenses related to establishing a home.
At the council meeting where the project was approved, some
expressed concern about the safety of children in the preschool
programs in light of the fact that people will be living in the
same building. “The entrance to the preschool is right next to the
housing,” said Councilmember Lynn Morehouse. “For me, that’s a
concern.” She indicated that the project would not be getting her
support.
But others believe the concern has been carefully addressed. “I
completely understand the concern,” said Ochoa-Morris of CAPS Head
Start. “In the design we considered that very strongly … Also in
the staffing, the way we operate always considers that.”
Roger Hall of JLC explained that the screening of tenants would
be rigorous and would include letters of recommendation, credit
checks, employment history, and the use Megan’s Law which provides
a registry of sex offenders. It was also pointed out that the
location directly across the parking lot from the Police Department
will increase security for the building.
The project, to be integrated architecturally with the
developing Town Green Village, will cost $1.5 Million. Town
officials expect it to be completed by late 2004.