 By
Trina Davidson - News Staff During the regular monthly meeting of the HOPE Coalition Board, members requested the support of Jean Othic, Director of the Warrensburg Economic Development Corporation, regarding the sale of NAP tax credits. “If there would be any way at all that I could be of assistance to you in getting those tax credits sold, I would be happy to help,” offered Othic. According to board president Bob Mickey, NAP tax credits are issued by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The purchaser receives the benefit of a 70% state tax credit as well as claiming the contribution on their federal return as a charitable donation. In addition, tax laws allow a five-year carryover to claim the credit. As an example, after factoring in the state credit and federal deduction, a business making a $10,000 donation would result in out-of-pocket expenses of $1,500. Any entity filing a business tax return is eligible for this opportunity, including farmers and persons with rental income. There are no limits placed on the amount of donations, and the transaction must occur during the calendar year. Anyone interested in obtaining further information about NAP tax credits should contact Mickey at Farmer’s & Commercial Bank, 732-5516. Mickey informed Othic that it was the responsibility of the board members to sell the tax credits due to the absence of paid employees at the HOPE Service Center. All paid employees were released on May 1 due to a lack of funds. In addition to the discussion regarding NAP tax credits, Othic remained at the meeting to view a PowerPoint presentation created by board members Jane Christenson and Rick Morris. The presentation, which highlights the services provided by the service center, will be presented to churches located in the area served by the HOPE Center in hopes to raise more tax-deductible donations. “The HOPE Center is a charity, basically,” explained Christenson. “Who better than our churches to support it?” In other business, a report was presented to the board detailing the progress of the Community Activity Center. The activity center is currently operated under the volunteer services of Julie Carver, Rusty Hartwell, Susan Jennings, and Amy Morrison. “They’re working very hard and successfully,” commented Christenson. “We’re cheering them on.” Due to the effort put forth by these individuals, the activity center is currently generating revenues that exceed the monthly expenses. The community of Holden has been very generous in supporting the activity center, providing more than half of the funds needed for the loan payment that is currently due. “We’re very fortunate that (the reorganization of the activity center) has gone so well,” emphasized Mickey. The board also approved allowing the activity center to plant two trees in memory of Randy and Zachary Timmons. Board member Adrian Phelps expressed some concern about the location and types of trees. The board will request that additional details be provided before the trees are planted. Randy’s mother, Charlotte, is on the HOPE Board of Directors. The CAC volunteer directors also requested permission to put concrete steps leading from the sidewalk to the parking area below and have requested a bid from James Carter to complete the project. In their report, they also recognized the many contributions of Beth Van Meter to the CAC in the form of donated hours and extra duties performed beyond her job description. They also recognized Ina Mae Fiscus and Fran Yoder for volunteering at the center. The CAC was again busy this weekend as the organization hosted a boy’s high school shootout on Saturday and a girl’s high school shootout on Sunday. They also announced that Kim Anderson and some of the Central Missouri State Mules players will be holding a satellite basketball camp Aug. 2-6 for students in grades K-8. In other business, the board voted to reduce the amount of insurance currently being carried by HOPE. Full insurance will be maintained on the activity center, but the service center will carry liability insurance only. This change in coverage, in addition to a reduction in the limits, results in significant savings. Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, the board voted to officially recognize Mickey as president for the remainder of the term. Mickey, who held the office of vice president, assumed the presidential responsibilities upon the resignation of Wes Rutherford. Officers are up for reelection at the end of the calendar year. Currently, one board position remains open. See The Image For Full News Coverage |
The
Holden newspaper celebrates 100 years of service to the community with
this week’s issue. Orginally named the Holden Progress, later changing to the Holden Image, the newspaper was first published in 1904, founded by the Dew brothers and edited by Ed Dew. The Dews published the newspaper for two years before selling the publication to Charles Hobart who published the newspaper from 1906 to 1944. Les and Madeline Simpson purchased the newspaper from the Hobarts in 1944 following an accident that claimed both the lives of Charles and Julia Hobart. The Simpsons published the newspaper from 1944 to 1975, selling The Progress to Kirk and Jan Powell in October of that year. The Powells, who also later purchased the Pleasant Hill Times, operated the newspaper until the mid-1990’s when they sold the publication to Mike and Dana Greife. Assuming ownership again several years later, the Powells sold the Progress to Rusty and Cyndy Hartwell who had been publishing the Holden Image since 1992. The Hartwell’s changed the name to the Holden Image-Progress and later to the Holden Image in the late 1990’s. Today, the newspaper and its sister publication, The PennySaver which is published with the Pleasant Hill Times, have a total circulation of 9,100. The Hartwells, along with John and Sandy Roberts, also publish the Lone Jack News Stand, a monthly publication serving eastern Jackson County. See The Image For Full News Coverage By Trina Davidson
- News Staff The Holden City Council voted to renew the city’s insurance coverage with Mike Keith Insurance during their regular meeting Tuesday night. Keith, who had evaluated competitive bids, recommended the city remain with its current carrier. The premiums, totaling $31,971, reflect an increase of eight percent. This increase includes additional coverage for the new library and vehicles. In order to reduce costs by $959, the council opted to drop the optional terrorism endorsement. Terrorism coverage had been approved by the council last year, but Keith pointed out that 85 to 90 percent of public entities in Missouri were not purchasing the coverage. In separate business, the council approved a 10-year lease agreement with Knoxy.net. The agreement allows Knoxy.net to mount a wireless base station antenna array on the city’s water tower located at Highway 131 South and 9th Street. In return, Knoxy.net will provide Holden City Hall with broadband Internet access for a 10-year period. In addition, Knoxy.net will install one radio. In new business, councilman Chad Manford questioned the council about whether or not cisterns were allowed in city limits. He explained that the Holden Sports Association cannot afford $30,000 to install water lines for the new ballpark complex currently under construction on the northwest side of town. Councilman Jim Nipko pointed out that city boundaries need to be determined before action could be taken. Manford requested that, if the site is within city limits, the council consider a stipulation allowing a cistern to be installed. The council also approved installation of a new streetlight at 508-510 Grand Street. Nipko explained to the council that the area includes a new duplex, a new church and ball fields currently under construction. In other business, resident Jerry Lee received approval to locate a new, single-family modular home on a full basement at 504 E. Second Street. The site currently has one single-wide trailer and an old abandoned house, both of which will be removed. The council also approved a liquor consumption license for a party. In executive session, the council accepted the resignation of police officer Mike Edwards. Dale Cox, who had been a long-standing reserve officer, was hired as a full-time officer. See The Image For Full News Coverage |
|
©2004 The Holden Image Site Designed, Maintained and Hosted by Suncoast Networks |
|