The Mt. Jewett Charter School Coalition has its office in a building at 24 W. Main St. Members of the Coalition include, left to right: Jeff Swanson, Doug Keller, Skye Ognen (president), Missy Swanson (vice president) and Tina Rumcik. Other officers include Rhonda Chilson (secretary) and Tony DeSio (treasurer). The Coalition is planning to open a Charter School in Mt. Jewett beginning with the 2008-09 school year. The Mt. Jewett Elementary School now is closed under a school consolidation plan approved by the Kane School Board. Photo by Ted Lutz.

MT. JEWETT - The Mt. Jewett Charter School Coalition is planning several fund-raising activities as it prepares to bring a Charter School to the borough in 13 months.

Some of the upcoming fund-raisers include:

?A community "block party" July 21 in the parking lot of the Mt. Jewett Shur Save supermarket on East Main Street.

The event will include food, music and other activities.

?A chicken barbecue in September. The date has not been set.

The Coalition has received permission to use the Mt. Jewett Volunteer Fire Department equipment for the barbecue.

?The sales of special Coalition tee-shirts. The shirts will be obtained from It's Judi's Place in Kane.

?The presentation of a tricycle with wagon to a lucky winner selected Sunday, Aug. 12 at the Mt. Jewett Swedish Festival.

Tickets for the fund-raiser now are being sold. The tricycle and wagon have been donated by "Pappy" and Ruth Smith of Mt. Jewett.

?A "music in the park" program at the new Heritage Park on Main Street at the former site of the Commercial Hotel. Dick Danielson, president of the Mt. Jewett Borough Council, plans to obtain a band for this fund-raiser. He attended Tuesday's Coalition meeting.

?The sale of food and other items at the Swedish Festival on Aug. 11-13.

The Coalition has been invited to assist in the selling of food at the Boy Scout food stand in the borough garage. The Coalition will receive some of the money raised at the booth.

The Coalition plans to sell items and provide information to the public at its office at 24 W. Main St. in the former Hamlin Bank building.

The fund-raisers were discussed Tuesday at a Coalition meeting at the office in a building owned by local contractor Brian Sees.

The Coalition has the use of the building rent-free, according to Skye Ognen, president of the group.

She said the lettering on the office window has been donated by Jerry Clark. She said electrical work and water and sewer services have been donated.

"Everything we have has been donated," Ognen said at the meeting.

The Coalition is hoping to raise $15,000 by the end of the year. Most of this money will be used for legal services, it was pointed out. Erie attorney Thomas A. Pendleton has been retained to represent the Coalition. He represents other charter schools, it has been pointed out.

A large "thermometer" on the east side of the Coalition office building indicates the progress towards the goal.

The Coalition is planning to open a Charter School in Mt. Jewett in the next 13 months for the start of the 2008-09 school year.

Efforts to form a Charter School in Mt. Jewett heightened after the Kane School Board voted last December to close the Mt. Jewett Elementary School as part of a school consolidation project. The Mt. Jewett school closed at the end of classes last month.

In other fund-raising news Tuesday, Mt. Jewett businessman John Hayduk announced that he has collected donations from several businesses.

"Nobody says 'no' to the charter Coalition," he told the group at its meeting Tuesday.

He said he believes the initial fund-raising efforts in the business community in Mt. Jewett will create "a domino effect."

"There's more where that came from," Hayduk said as he turned over the donations to Coalition Treasurer Tony DeSio. "We're behind you."

Missy Swanson, vice president of the Coalition, said the group welcomes all donations.

"The amount doesn't matter," she said.

In other business at the meeting, the Coalition:

?Received notice that applications have been received for the position of administrator and for school teachers. No action was taken to fill the positions.

?Discussed plans to open the Charter School at a "temporary" site if the Kane School District continues to deny the Coalition the use of the closed Mt. Jewett Elementary School.

Jeff Swanson, a Coalition member, said the Charter School will operate in "a new building" in Mt. Jewett in 2009-2010 if it can not occupy the Mt. Jewett Elementary School.

?Discussed plans to continue to ask the Kane School District for equipment which was donated to the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at the Mt. Jewett Elementary School.

The items include several pieces of audio visual equipment, according to discussion at the Coalition meeting.

?Discussed plans to meet again with Dave Craig, the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Tidioute Charter School.

?Discussed plans to attend the next meeting of the Kane School Board on Thursday, Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kane Middle School auditorium. This month's school board meeting has been canceled.

The next Coalition meeting is Monday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the office at 24 W. Main St. The public is invited to attend.