[Vision2020] FACT OR FICTION

[cjs]

TOM AND OTHERS - TELL THE TRUTH! THE AWARD IS NOT THE MAX DALTON AWARD. FPC DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA THEREFORE A NEW AWARD WAS ESTABLISHED CALLED THE PEOPLE'S FIRST AWARD WHICH IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE MAX DALTON AWARD. MORE SMOKE AND MIRRORS?????

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The Max Dalton Open Government Award selection committee of the Idaho Newspaper Foundation decided that the
Moscow School District FacilitiesPlanning Committee did not meet the criteria for the Max Dalton Award, which is for an individual or group that take an activist role in open meetings and public records.

However, the panel was so impressed with the Moscow group's efforts to go beyond the minimum public notice requirements 
that we established a new award, called The People First! to site government agencies or individual public employees who show exemplary attention toward the ethic of open government.

This award will be given "as deserved" throughout the year, while the Max Dalton Award is given annual.

Tom Grote, Editor and Publisher
The Star-News
Executive Director,
Idaho Newspaper Foundation
1000 First St. McCall, ID 83638
(208) 634-2123
starnews at citlink.net

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>From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Award Goes to Moscow School District Committee
>Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 16:40:45 -0700

>Award goes to Moscow School District committee
>
>MOSCOW -- The Moscow School District facilities planning committee is the
>recipient of the Max Dalton The People First! award, sponsored by the Idaho
>Newspaper Foundation.
>
>The award recognizes people and groups who combat government efforts gainst openness.
>
>Susan Mahoney, chairwoman for the planning committee, nominated the group
>for its work in putting together a plan to remodel and upgrade Moscow schools.
>
>The $29 million bond levy to implement the plan was defeated by voters Tuesday.
>
>"Overall, we feel that in the past two years the Moscow School District
>facilities planning committee has far exceeded the Idaho open meeting law in
>their encouragement of public input, advertisement of regular and special
>meetings and distribution of meeting notes and information following each
>meeting," Mahoney wrote in her nominating letter.
>
>Scott Straubbar of Hummel Architects of Boise, the firm that put together
>the school plan, said in 20 years he has "never seen a school district be so
>publicly open in their facility planning process."

>Take care, Moscow.
>
>Tom Hansen
>Moscow, Idaho