Reader asks about York Community Foundation

The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:

Q: By whom are the community foundation officers elected?
A: The officers are elected by the board of directors at the annual meeting in November.

Q: Who is on the current nominating committee for the community foundation and by whom are they chosen?
A: The current members of the nominating committee are: Chuck Harris, Katie North, Larry Kopsa, Hollis Miller and Donna Loschen. The nominating committee consists of the president and four members of the board of directors. The members are appointed to the committee annually by the president.

Q: Who votes on the nominations, presented by the committee, to the foundation?
A: The membership of the York Community Foundation votes on the nominations for board members at the members’ annual meeting. The members’ meeting is held prior to the board of directors’ annual meeting. The membership includes the board of directors.

Q: Who are the current 14 board members?
A: Current board members are: Chuck Harris, president; Hollis Miller, vice-president; Charlie Campbell, Gordon Fillman, Judi Nordlund, Sally Ruben, Mike Renken, Kent Rauert, Katie North, Kelly Holthus, Richard Hankel, Kris Holoch, Larry Kopsa and Donna Loschen.

Q: What projects has the Foundation funded in the past?
A: The York Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling over $1.9 million since 2000. Grants were awarded to non-profit organizations and government agencies throughout the York area for a variety of projects and programs.
The following is a list of the projects:
York Area Children’s Museum (new exhibits), $3,718.21; York County Head Start (renovation of playground), $1,000; Blue Valley Crisis Intervention (funds for educational program), $590; Greenwood Cemetery Association (new backhoe), $20,000; Village of McCool Junction (fold-up platform lift for town hall), $10,000; York Senior Center (partial funding for construction of a new building), $10,000; City of York (initial funding for new swimming pool), $750,000; City of Henderson (partial funding for new swimming pool), $100,000; York County Sports Authority (improvements to Cornerstone Sports Complex), $50,000; Village of Benedict (for community center and playground improvements), $40,000; Village of Bradshaw (park improvements), $40,000; Village of Gresham (ball park and playground improvements), $40,000; McCool Community Improvement Foundation (ball park and playground improvements), $39,480; Benedict Ball Program (ball park improvements), $30,000; Harrison Park Playground Project (playground equipment), $15,000; Village of Thayer (playground equipment), $14,355; York Area Children’s Choir (new music and folders), $1,727.25; York County Community Health Coalition (matching grant to help fund operations budget for Sept. 2001-Aug., 2002, for Good Beginnings Program), $1,250;
York County Transportation System (partial funding for a new Handi-Bus), $3,000; York Public Schools Fine Arts Booster Club (display panels to serve as portable art galleries in the schools and community), $5,882.40; Yorkshire Playhouse (equipment, sets, costumes and other materials for Children’s Theater Program), $2,500; York College (partial funding for year-round, indoor practice center), $300,000; City of York (partial funding for community center’s HVAC), $120,000; City of York (replacement of gym floor at the auditorium), $39,000; City of York (new playground equipment for Miller Park), $20,000; McCool Community Improvement Foundation (partial funding for a new fitness track and rubberized surface for asphalt track), $35,000; York Area Senior Developers (computer lab equipment for senior center), $7,000; York Public Schools Fine Arts Booster Club (new grand piano for the York High School Theater), $21,994; York Public Schools (partial funding for the purchase of a new public address system for the East Hill ball fields), $4,200; York High Band Boosters (maintain and upgrade school-owned band instruments), $13,500; York Elementary School (funding for two-week elementary swim unit), $1,600; Kilgore Memorial Library (new projector), $4,000; York Area Children’s Museum (new exhibits), $2,127;
Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (playground equipment), $963.78; York Band Boosters (upgrade band instruments), $5,000; Emmanuel Lutheran Elementary School (partial funding for handicap accessible playground equipment), $10,000; Village of Waco (improvements and repairs to Ellison Park), $5,000; York Elementary School (materials for Kid Scoop Nebraska Program), $1,728; Kilgore Memorial Library (laptop computer and large display case), $4,250; York County Community Health Coalition (printing costs for the “Respects My Wishes” project), $2,500; York Dolphin Swim Team (equipment for swim meets at York Family Aquatic Center), $12,000; York County Agricultural Society (partial funding for construction of a multi-purpose building), $25,000; UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (scholarship for a York High School student to earn credit for a long distance learning class), $375; McCool Community Improvement Foundation (matching grant for improvements to baseball/softball complex), $5,000; Gresham  Ball Association (matching grant for multi-purpose structure at the baseball/softball complex), $5,000; Greenwood Cemetery Association (new mower), $10,000; York County Aging Services (presentations of the living history show “Meeting Eleanor Roosevelt”), $600;
York Girls’ Softball League (ballfield improvements at Miller Park), $5,000; Girls on the Run of York County (one-time membership fee to the International organization of Girls on the Run), $5,000; CASA of York County (offset cost of fundraising activity), $10,000; York Public Schools (computer access, software and printers for York Middle School), $9,900; York Public Schools Fine Arts Booster Club (materials for commemorative art work for lobby of York Middle School), $635; York Public Schools Fine Arts Booster Club (two spotlights for York High School Theatre), $887; Kilgore Memorial Library (computers for teen area), $3,500; York Softball Association (Miller Park concession stand), $40,000; York Area Senior Center Developers (new computers for senior center), $2,683; York Boys Baseball Association (improvements at Beaver Creek Field), $2,000; and Kilgore Memorial Library Foundation (matching grant for bronze sculpture), $10,000.

Q: A Wonderline answer a few weeks ago said that "some local people" started the York Community Foundation years ago. Exactly who were they?
A: Donna Bitner, executive director, says the York Community Foundation was founded in 1984. The original board members were: Robert Cunningham, Larry Kopsa, Gordon Fillman, Wally Angle, Hollis Miller, Lorraine Levitt, John Brogan, Dorothy May, Don Gillen, James Specht, Jack Holmquist, Don Witte, Kelly Holthus, Brad Barrows and Robert V. Jones.

Q: I’ve been reading about the numerous cases where someone stole lawn ornaments out of yards in York. How much is that worth, all totaled? Do they know? I’m sure it can get expensive for the owners.
A: According to the York Police Department, estimates are that $989 worth of property has been stolen from yards in the city, on the night of May 4 and 5. That does not include the few calls they’ve received since that night.

Q: What time of night were the yard ornaments stolen? I read about it in the paper, and it just said it was the night of May 4-5. Do they know what time of night, exactly, it was — and then maybe we could have extra patrol at that time?
A: The exact time of the multiple thefts is not known — the majority of the owners of the property discovered the property was missing from their yards early the next morning, and some realized it later that day or the next day. There is no way to know the exact time. There is also no way of establishing that the culprits will strike again at the exact same time as before, and there’s no way of knowing where they would be headed to this time.

Q: What happened to Stacy Kulow at Channel 8, and Royal Da at Channel 10, and others?
A: Wonderline has again received approximately a dozen such questions regarding television news personalities. The answers to those questions are not readily available, because it involves personnel matters that the private companies do not typically discuss. In these situations, the individuals often move onto another job elsewhere — although that cannot be confirmed.
Sometimes, a news agency will announce a new reporter, anchor, etc. — and possibly mention who they will be replacing and why. But generally speaking, those answers are not available, do to privacy and personnel issues.

Q: Wonderline has been contacted numerous times regarding why the YNT online archives are no longer available.
A: “We currently don’t have access to the online archives,” said Eric Eckert, new media director at the York News-Times. “This is due to the switch of our website from our old company to the new company. They are currently working to resolve the issue, but unfortunately, it’s completely out of our hands.”