PASCO, WA – The Educational Service District 123 Board of Directors is now seeking applications to fill its Director District 6 vacancy, serving part of the Kennewick School District. The former Director for District 6, Stephen Maciboba, resigned from the position on May 24, 2018. Mr. Maciboba served on the ESD 123 Board since April 2003, and ESD 123 thanks him for 15 years of service to our school districts and community.

The Board is seeking a candidate to represent District 6 and our region’s school districts. Duties of the position include attending and participating in Board discussions and decision-making, establishing and approving agency policies and budgets, and communicating with school district and other agency partners and legislators.

Applicants cannot be current school district board members or employees, and must reside within the boundaries of and be a registered voter in District 6. Interested candidates should submit a completed application form to ESD 123, Attn: Kuniko Votaw at 3924 West Court Street, Pasco, WA 99301 or by email to kvotaw@esd123.org.

The deadline for applications is August 6, 2018. Interviews will be conducted in August after review of the candidates, with the selection date tentatively scheduled for August 23, 2018. Appointment to the position would begin immediately and run until the next election date in September 2019.

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About ESD 123:  Educational Service District 123, based in Pasco, WA, is one of nine ESDs in Washington. Dedicated to delivering collaborative solutions that promote learning, ESD 123 serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington. Under Superintendent Darcy Weisner and its board of directors, this legislatively mandated, not-for-profit educational organization provides efficiency of educational systems and equity of learning opportunities for over 70,000 Washington students. For more information about ESD 123, please call 509-544-5700 or 888-547-8441 or visit www.esd123.org.

Amarillo, Texas – The Bureau of Land Management’s Federal Helium Program is planning an auction and sale of federally owned crude helium for delivery beginning in fiscal year 2019.  The auction is scheduled for July 18, 2018.  After the auction, the BLM will invite the helium industry to bid for crude helium in an unallocated sale. This effort will facilitate development opportunities that create jobs and help local communities grow.

The auction complies with the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, which established an auction system for the sale of federal helium and mandated that all property, equipment, and interest held by the United States in the Federal Helium Reserve be disposed of by Sept. 30, 2021.  The BLM conducted sales and auctions for fiscal years 2014 through 2018, and enhanced the process based upon public and stakeholders’ comments.  As a result, the BLM will use the same auction and sale process used for FY 2018 for the FY 2019 delivery.  The auction will be announced in the Federal Register on Friday.

The Federal Helium Program is responsible for the conservation and sale of federally owned helium. The BLM operates and maintains a helium storage reservoir, enrichment plant, and pipeline system near Amarillo, Texas, that supplies enough helium to meet more than 40 percent of domestic demand for the gas. 

Helium is used in the testing of rocket engines, welding, commercial diving, and production of semiconductor chips. The element’s ability to reach very low temperatures attracts many commercial and institutional users who conduct magnetic resonance imaging and other scientific applications. Other industries depend on helium’s lifting powers for operating weather and party balloons. 

Additional documents relating to the proposed plan for the FY 2019 auction and sale, including documents related to previous Federal Register notices and the 2019 Auction Guide, can be found on the BLM’s Helium Program website at http://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/helium.  The auction will be held at the BLM Amarillo Field Office, 801 South Fillmore Street, Suite 500, in Amarillo, Texas.

You may request a copy of the Federal Register notice and associated documents by e-mail at lm_nm_amfo_spo@blm.gov">blm_nm_amfo_spo@blm.gov, by fax at 806-356-1041, or by mail at BLM Amarillo Field Office, Attention: Samuel Burton, Field Manager, 801 South Fillmore Street, Suite 500, Amarillo, Texas 79101.

-BLM–

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $75 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2016—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 372,000 jobs.

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington to Bestow Highest Honor for 25 Gold Award Girl Scouts this Saturday, June 23, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW) will recognize 25 recipients of the Girl Scout Gold Award in a special ceremony this Saturday, June 23, 2018, in Salem, Oregon in celebration of 102 years of the organization’s highest award.

Who: 25 Gold Award Girl Scouts, as well as Silver and Bronze Award Girl Scouts, their family and friends, plus staff, volunteers and media

What: Celebration of Girl Scouts changing the world and achieving Girl Scouting's highest honors with a keynote address from Girl Scout alumna and Gold Award recipient Elizabeth Dinh, evening news anchor for Fox 12 Oregon

When: June 23, 2018, at 1 p.m.

Where:  Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St SE, Salem, Oregon 97301

R.S.V.P.:  The event is by invitation only—interested media must R.S.V.P. by email to: mkenney@girlscoutsosw.org

On-site interviews: GSOSW’s Director of Communications, Sarah Shipe, and Director of Program, Sarah Brown, as well as Gold Award, Silver Award and Bronze Award Girl Scouts, will be available on-site during the day of the event for media interviews.

The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn, acknowledges each recipient’s dedication to empowering and bettering herself while working to make the world a better place. Just 6% of Girl Scouts earn this prestigious award annually—it has been the pinnacle of the Girl Scout experience since 1916.

“We know that when girls have leadership opportunities when they are young, they are more likely to go on to become leaders in their communities and in their professional lives,” says Sarah Brown, Director of Program for GSOSW. “Through Girl Scouting, GSOSW’s Gold Award Girl Scouts have come to know that they have the ability to make a positive impact. The nature and quality of their Gold Award projects show us that these girls are the leaders of tomorrow, because they are leading today.”

Some of the Gold Award projects completed this year include:

Backpacks for Refugees—backpacks filled with school supplies for refugee students

Bilingual Lending Library— building a bilingual lending library at a local food pantry and collecting books to fill the shelves

Birthday Party Kits for Low-Income Youth— birthday party kits for low-income families, distributed to local shelters and service agencies

Girls Expo—free event to connecting young women to organizations and activities that align with their passions

Me Too—to increase awareness of teen sexual assault

Each Gold Award Girl Scout contributes a minimum of 80 hours to the community through her project, carrying out a plan that has sustainable and measurable, ongoing impact.

“As a Girl Scout alumna, I’m so happy to welcome this next group of talented and smart young women who now join me as a fellow Gold Award recipient,” says Elizabeth Dinh, evening news anchor for FOX 12 Oregon. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication to earn this prestigious award, and I know these Gold Award Girl Scouts will continue to overcome obstacles, pursue their dreams and change the world.”

Girl Scouts celebrates 102 years of Girl Scout Gold Award excellence, innovation, and visionary leadership and continues empowering future generations of girls to follow their dreams, discover their passions and make a global impact.

About Girl Scouts’ Highest Honors

To learn more about Girl Scouts’ highest honors, please visit: http://www.girlscoutsosw.org/en/about-girl-scouts/our-program/girl-awards/highest-awards.html.

About Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

Our council serves 13,955 girls in 37 counties with the help of over 10,000 volunteers. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Every opportunity in Girl Scouting develops these essential skills in an all-girl, inclusive, safe environment. For more information, please visit girlscoutsosw.org.

WASHINGTON— The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it is seeking proposals for new public off-range pastures that provide a free-roaming environment for wild horses removed from Western public lands while also allowing for regular public visitation.

Today’s announcement is part of the BLM’s effort to address the growing overpopulation of wild horses and burros on public rangelands. As of March 1, 2018, the wild horse and burro population on public lands was estimated at 81,951 animals, which is more than triple the number of animals the land can support in conjunction with other legally mandated land uses. This chronic overpopulation increases the risk of damage to rangeland resources and raises the chances of starvation and thirst for animals in overpopulated herds.

New public off-range pastures are a more cost-effective and efficient approach to managing costs for animals in holding while providing the public with opportunities to view wild horses in a natural setting. The pastures will also provide opportunities for the public to adopt animals into private care in order to help reduce the number of animals in holding.

One or more public off-range pasture contracts will be awarded and each pasture must accommodate at least 100 to 500 wild horses. Selected participants will be contracted by the BLM to provide humane care for up to 10 years.

Proposals will be accepted through July 10, 2018, from the following states: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

 All applicants are required to possess a Dun and Bradstreet number authorizing them to conduct business with the Federal Government.  These can be obtained at www.dnb.com.  Applicants are then asked to access the System for Award Management, at www.sam.gov. There is no fee involved.

To obtain the bid solicitation: (1) go to www.fedconnect.net; (2) click on “Search Public Opportunities”; (3) under Search Criteria, select “Reference Number”; (4) enter the solicitation number “L15PS00182”; and (5) click Search” and the solicitation information will appear. The solicitation form describes what applicants should submit and where to send application information. 

For assistance, please contact Kemi Ismael at (202) 912-7098 or kismael@blm.gov. Ms. Ismael can assist with general questions and/or coordinate a meeting between applicants and a local BLM contracting officer and small business specialist. A list of frequently asked questions with additional information is available at:  www.blm.gov/whb.

To learn more about adopting a wild horse or burro online, visit the new Online Corral at https://wildhorsesonline.blm.gov/.

-BLM–

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Diverse activities authorized on these lands generated $75 billion in sales of goods and services throughout the American economy in fiscal year 2016—more than any other agency in the Department of the Interior. These activities supported more than 372,000 jobs.