LCC could benefit from Senate capital budget
Thursday, April 17, 2003 8:46 AM PDT
By M.L. Madison
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E-mail this articleThe state Senate has included money for a new fine arts center at Lower Columbia College in its capital budget, but funding for the center faces a tough challenge passing the House of Representatives, legislators said Tuesday.
The Senate's proposed capital budget, which includes $18.4 million for the building, should pass the Senate later this week.
"We'll pass it out of here, (but) I've got some work to do in the House," said Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, the vice-chairman of both the Senate's Capital Budget Committee and the Education Committee.
Zarelli said the Legislature can't afford to hire more employees at state community colleges, but it needs to build facilities for a growing number of students attending them.
There is a $100 million difference in higher education funding between the Senate and House budgets.
"I'm sure working it," said Sen. Mark Doumit, D-Cathlamet. "We'll keep trying. There's a lot of negotiations to do between now and when we go home, but this is a first big step."
Doumit said Reps. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, and Ed Orcutt, R-Carrolls, who both are on the Capital Budget Committee in the House, have pledged to include the LCC funding.
Getting a new building would be a boon to LCC, but administrators are "cautiously optimistic," president Jim McLaughlin said.
"I'm trying not to get to giddy," he said, noting the school's fine arts programs is "one of those programs that's not just for students. It's for the students and the community."
The head of LCC's drama department, Don Correll, could not be reached for comment.
Area high schools and theater groups, as well as LCC students, all use the fine arts center, which is located along 15th Avenue next to McDonald's. Along with about half of the buildings at LCC, the center is more than 40 years old. It has been slated for removal in the school's current and previous master plans because of high repair and maintenance costs.
McLaughlin said the college has "a rough sketch" of what a new facility would look like. It would include classrooms, offices and possibly a new auditorium. That would help create space for other meetings that are frequently held at LCC, he said.
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