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TRENTON
THURS., MAR. 28, 2024
REPUBLICAN-TIMES “GOD BLESS AMERICA”
Old Glory flying at Five Points
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Area Easter Services Several churches in the area will be holding special services in observance of Easter, including a special program to be hosted by the Trenton Ministerial Alliance on Good Friday. TAMA will hold a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. at the Trenton Performing Arts Center. Others announcing special services that were provided to the Republican-Times include: First Assembly of God Coffee and donuts at 9 a.m. in the High School Commons followed by the Easter worship service, cantata and Easter message at 10 a.m. at the Trenton Performing Arts Center. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) -Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and Easter worship service at 10:40 a.m. Galt: A Galt Community “Sonrise” breakfast will be held at the Galt Baptist Church at 7 a.m. on Sunday with a “Sonrise” service to be held at 8 a.m.; the Galt Baptist Church will hold an “Upper Room Service” at 7 p.m. on Friday, with communion to be served and Resurrection Services at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday (no Sunday School will be held); the Galt Christian Church will hold Good Friday services at 7 p.m. with communion to be served and Resurrection Services at 10 a.m. on Sunday (no Sunday School will be held). Grundy Center Church Breakfast at 8 a.m. with Worship Service at 9 a.m. Immanuel Lutheran Church - Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. with Easter services at [See Easter, Page 2]
Pirates Ball Honorees
The sixth annual NCMC Foundation Voyage Fund Pirates Ball was held on Saturday, March 23 at the Ketcham Community Center on the North Central Missouri College main campus in Trenton. Honored as the 2023 Class of Distinguished Alumni were, from left, Mitch Dougan, Joyce Cutsinger, Pam Johnston and Tony Ralston. The evening was emceed by Trenton High School Vocal Director Tyler Busick and featured a reverse raffle and musical entertainment from Ben & Lauren Johnson.
Photo courtesy of Alicia Endicott
City Council Receives NCMDA Report by Mark McLaughlin, R-T Staff Writer The Trenton City Council met in regular session on Monday, March 25 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Mayor Jackie Soptic called the meeting to order after the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Pastor Dan Wilford. Members Tim Meinecke, David Mlika, Duane Urich, John Dolan, Marvin Humphreys, Calvin Brown, Lou Fisher and Glen Briggs were in attendance. Soptic was joined by City Administrator Ron Urton, City Attorney Kenton Kenney and City Clerk Cindy Simpson, with Police Chief Rex Ross and and Building/Nuisance Inspector Wes Barone also in attendance. After approval of minutes and bills, the Council heard reports from Brown, liaison to the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, that CVB would be submitting it’s budget to the Council and were proceeding on the Wayfinding sign project. Urton announced that the Career Fair had been postponed until a later date, and that extra dirt that had been left behind on construction at the Residential Pumping Station was taken to the Water Treatment plant and used to shore up ditches and culverts and make the area around the plant more accessible. NCMDA Director Lauren Dannar presented her annual report to the Council, commenting on Monday’s “soft open” of the new Dollar General Market, located just west of the Tractor Supply building in North Tren[See Council, Page 2]
R-T Investigation... Grundy County Property Tax Reassessment Not Completed in 2023 (Part 1 in a series) by Mark McLaughlin R-T Staff Writer In the spring of 2023, Trenton R-IX Superintendent Daniel Gott dropped in to visit with Grundy County Assessor Nathan Curtis, hoping to get a “feel” for what property values would look like, in planning for 2024-25 budgeting for the District. In conversation, Curtis apprised Gott that the required 2023 Property Tax Reassessment, due to begin in January of 2023, had not been completed, citing a lack of field assessor staff,
GCHD to Celebrate Public Health Week The Grundy County Health Department will celebrate National Public Health Week with activities from April 1-5. The theme for the week is “Connecting, protecting and thriving: We are all public health.” A highlight of the week will be an open house at the health department’s new education annex at 1307 E.
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17th Street. The open house will be from 2 until 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 4. Cookies and punch will be provided. “We’re excited to have our education annex open and in use,” said Elizabeth Gibson, GCHD administrator. “We invite the public to take a look at this wonderful facility during [See GCHD, Page 2]
and in a nutshell, meaning that real property, commercial property and agricultural property would not be revalued. This news was a seismic blow to the Trenton R-IX School system and it’s budgeting and strategic planning for funding, staffing and programming in preparing the school budget for the 2024-25 school year. “We figured going in that we would possibly be able to roll back our levy, and still receive more property tax funding.” Gott said. “We had a Consumer Price Index of 6.5 percent at the
time, and figured that would translate to a significant increase.” “The lack of the assessment forced us to move our levy from $3.56 to $3.62 in order to just break even with this current year’s funding,” Gott continued. “The result is that we are ‘revenue neutral’ at best, when conditions economically suggested we’d do a lot better.” While Gott could not point specifically to how much the district lost, he indicated that in normal years, the school could count on between 3 percent
and 6 percent additional from property tax distributions. Based on Trenton RIX’s distribution for 2023, $3,551,225, a 3 percent increase would amount to an additional $106,536 in state proceeds, and a 6 percent increase would amount to an additional $212,072 in proceeds. Gott received a figure from the Missouri State Auditor citing a 1.6 percent drop in property values from 2022 to 2023, but couldn’t identify a nexus point between the lack of the assessment and the fig[See Assessor, Page 2]
A Conversation with a Fire Chief by Mark McLaughlin R-T Staff Writer Trenton Fire Chief Brandon Gibler had a busy 2023. Responding to 355 emergency calls, including 205 medical assists, 18 motor vehicle collisions, and over 295 additional service calls, every day could have been an adventure, and no two days are alike. Since Gibler was in col-
lege, he had a fascination in the importance of “first responder” occupations, from becoming an Emergency Medical Technician, a certified paramedic, an ambulance driver, and working up through the system of the Grundy County Rural Fire Department until pursuing an opening as Trenton Department Fire Chief in 2016. It seems to be a life he [See Gibler, Page 6]
GRVCO Prepares for Summer Concert The Grand River Valley Choir and Orchestra will begin their eight weekly Tuesday night rehearsals on April 23 frin 6:30-8:30 p.m. The choir will rehearse in the THS choir Room, while the orchestra will be in the THS Band Room. The choir is seeking singers in all voices. If you want more information, or are planning to participate, contact Tyler Busick, Choral Conductor, at tbusick@trentonr9.k12.mo.us, or 660.988.1218, so music can be ordered for you. The orchestra is an auditioned instrumental ensemble. If you are proficient on violin, viola or cello, contact Chris Thomas, Orchestral Conductor at thomasclmusician@gmail.com, or 804.878.1972 to discuss an audition. The GRVCO Summer Concert is scheduled for [See GRVCO, Page 2]
Fire Chief Brandon Gibler