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Boys and Girls Club eyes merger By Jonel Aleccia Faced with budget cuts, fee hikes and program closures, the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County is pondering a merger with the chapter in Grants Pass, but both agencies say they�re proceeding slowly. "It�s about 50-50," said Dick Hanlin, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Josephine County. "There has been no decision not to merge. We don�t want to do it and see it fail either here or there." Negotiations between the two groups continued Tuesday, more than a week after the Jackson County agency shut down its White City site. The move, which forced hundreds of parents and children to scramble for after-school and vacation care, was attributed to cash shortfalls caused by an abruptly canceled bingo contract. The lost contract trimmed about $80,000 out of a $400,000 annual budget last spring. The agency also laid off two workers, consolidated management and raised fees for participation in the youth development and recreation program. Board of directors president Ed Hanson said he hoped those efforts would preserve programs in Phoenix, Gold Hill and Central Point that serve more than 1,700 local children. The shaky circumstances raise concerns for the Josephine County group, which is enjoying considerable success after years of struggle. The agency has a $650,000 annual budget and serves some 5,000 kids a year. It�s on the brink of launching a $3.5 million capital campaign to build a new facility, Hanlin said. "There�s a lot to examine here," Hanlin said. "We want to look at how we could do it from a position of strength." If the two groups merged, it would create a single agency with an annual budget of more than $1 million, making it among the largest nonprofit groups for kids in the region. "The caution is, we�ve done so much, can we do more well?" Hanlin said. For its part, the Jackson County agency would want to iron out problems sparked by geographical or philosophical differences, Hanson said. "I�m still examining if it�s the best thing for our organization," he added. Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing to determine the fate of the White City building left vacant when the Boys and Girls Club program closed. Officials from Jackson County and the Eagle Point School District will meet Thursday to discuss preliminary plans to establish new youth services in the building at 3275 Ave. G, according to Hank Collins, county director of health and human services. Funded through a $550,000 community development block grant, the building is owned by the county and situated on land owned by the school district. Terms of the grant stipulate it must be used for programs that serve low-income youth from the White City-Eagle Point area. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.