KANE — The Kane Area School District accepted a bid of $58.60 per ton from New Growth Resources of Kane to supply wood chips to the school for the high school’s wood boiler.
The contract to supply the wood chips is part of a stewardship agreement with the U.S. Forest Service for New Growth to supply biomass fuel from timber on the Allegheny National Forest. The school board opened the bidding for the biomass fuel at its September meeting.
School director Keith Hastings said New Growth was the only bidder for the stewardship agreement.
Rob Fallon, forest ranger for the Marienville district of the Allegheny National Forest, announced the collaboration with the Kane Area School District on the stewardship agreement at a forestry forum hosted by U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., in Warren in August.
In other news, school board vice president Thomas Kerek reported the Pennsylvania General Assembly voted down the budget proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf on Oct. 7.
Wolf’s proposed budget, which was decisively defeated with by a 127 to 73 vote, called for a 16 percent tax increase on state income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.57 percent. Kerek asked those in attendance to write their legislators and Wolf to urge them to pass a budget.
Meanwhile, school director John Ball reported the district’s governmental educational cable channel will air a montage of scenic shots of the surrounding area along with various school functions.
At the school board’s work session on Oct. 1, Superintendent Bob Gaetano said the district will save approximately $30,000 in equipment costs by airing the montage over an audio feed from Kane’s community radio station, WXZY-LP 101.7 FM.
Ball also reminded those in attendance about the school district’s new Twitter account. The district’s account currently has 101 followers. Follow the Kane Area School District on Twitter at @kane_wolves.
Kerek also reminded attendees the importance of doing “their civic duty” to vote in the November general election. He expressed his hopes that everyone will exercise this duty. The general election will be on Nov. 3.
The next school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 12.
