Head Start closed in Dunkirk

DUNKIRK — The city’s Head Start location has been closed.

Pam Robbins of West Jay Community Center reported to Dunkirk City Council that the Head Start classroom that was located in the facility has been shut down.

Most other topics on the council’s agenda for Monday were tabled to allow for further discussion.

Robbins explained that Head Start, a federal program that seeks to “prepare America’s most vulnerable young children to succeed in school and in life beyond school,” has been consolidated locally in Portland. She said that of the 12 children who were housed at the Dunkirk facility, only two made the move to the Portland site. (The program serves about 800,000 families nationwide.)

She said finances were sited as the reason for the change.

Robbins said she attempted to reach out to the Head Start regional office in Chicago. That office was one of five (out of 12) that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services closed earlier this month, along with those in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle.

The Associated Press reported April 16 that Head Start centers across the county had received nearly $1 billion less in federal funding than they had at the same time last year. EducationWeek reported April 18 that the Trump Administration is asking Congress to eliminate funding for Head Start. 

On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Trump administration on behalf of six early childhood organizations in an effort to “halt the dismantling of Head Start and restore cuts to the program,” the Los Angeles Times reported. Organizations in California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are part of the suit.

Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins, Pam’s husband, said he has reached out to Jay County Commissioners about the issue.

Also, Elizabeth Holdcroft was approved as a new board member for West Jay Community Center.

Pam Robbins also noted that the facility will host its annual summer camp for kindergarten through sixth graders from June 2 through July 23.

The community center will also be a free breakfast and lunch site for those 18 and younger from June 2 through July 25.

City council members held off on making decisions on a variety of other issues, including potentially reducing the storm water fee, increasing water and sewer rates, adding a water meter fee and updating the golf cart and solicitation ordinances.

Council member Dan Watson explained that he’d like to know what utility work might be needed for a planned apartment development on the city’s south side before reducing the stormwater fee. Currently at $100 per year, the mayor had suggested it be cut in half.

The sewage and water rates and meter fees were also tabled to allow council members Jesse Bivens, Christy Curts, Randy Murphy, Donna Revolt and Bivens to gather more information.

Robbins said he is seeking more input from Dunkirk Police Chief Dane Mumbower regarding the golf cart and solicitation ordinances before moving forward.

Also tabled was an invoice from law firm Barnes and Thornburg.

In other business, council:

•Heard from Revolt that work is underway to prepare Dunkirk City Pool for the summer and that applications to work at the facility will be accepted until Thursday, May 1.

•Agreed to leave city council districts as they are currently drawn. (Formal approval of the decision will still be needed.)

•Learned from Bivens that new fire hydrants have been ordered and are expected to be delivered in late June.

•Approved a $12,403.51 invoice from Culy Contracting of Winchester for work on a sewer line and payment of $224,867.36 in claims.