SALEM District studies water drainage for proposed soccer complex

A long-time nursing educator is stepping down.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- The city school district wants to ensure water drainage from a proposed soccer complex is handled correctly.
The site, located on school property off Whinnery Road on the city's southeast side, will be studied to assess the impact of building playing fields there, Superintendent Dr. David Brobeck said at Monday's school board meeting.
"A big concern we're trying to address is what is happening to the water," Brobeck said.
The district doesn't want to create a situation where water runoff from the development would create a problem in the surrounding neighborhood, Brobeck said.
In other matters, the school board accepted the retirement resignation of Beverly Henderson, director and coordinator of the Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing.
Henderson, whose retirement is effective Nov. 28, has served at her post since 1996. Before that, she was an instructor, joining the faculty in 1970.
Her replacement has yet to be named.
The nursing school, which operates under the auspices of the city school district, is for adults wanting to be practical nurses.
Bus garage
Brobeck said an effort is progressing to convert a former tractor-trailer repair garage on Pennsylvania Avenue into a facility to house and maintain the district's bus fleet.
The district agreed in August to buy the structure for $186,992. The building has two service bays and an office.
District officials have decided the school system can save money by housing and maintaining its nearly 17-bus fleet using its own personnel and facilities.
Even factoring in the cost of buying and converting the building into a bus garage and running the facility, about $70,000 annually in savings are predicted, Brobeck said.
Negotiations between the district and its teaching and nonteaching employees are progressing with the help of a federal mediator, Brobeck said without elaborating.
Neither side is providing details of the ongoing labor talks.
Unions representing both classes of employees have been working for weeks without renewed contracts.
"Hopefully, we can wrap this up pretty quickly" now that a mediator is involved, Brobeck said.