❋ ✁✂❆❨✱ ❆✄ ✁☎ ✆✱ ✝✞✶✾
❚✟✠ ✡☛☞✠ ❱✠ ✌ ✼✍
LOCAL
Kennedy remembered for his voice, good works
❼❽ ❾❿➀➁ ➂➃➄➅➆
➇➈➉ ➊➋➌➉➍➎➉➍
Sportscasting was an art for
Ken Kennedy. He needed only
a microphone to make sweeping
brushstrokes.
“Ken would often
listen to recordings
of his (radio) broad-
casts to learn how he
could improve. For
➚➪➶➶➪➹➘ him, it was a craft,”
said La Grande
High School Football Coach Rich
McIlmoil, who is also an art teach-
er at La Grande Middle School.
➏➐➑ ➒➓➔➔→➐➣ ➑↔→➐↕➒➙➛➒➓➜➝➞➞➑➟
voice Kennedy used for years to
paint exciting word pictures for
Grande Ronde Valley sports fans
fell silent Sunday. Kennedy, 50,
died at a care center in Vale.
Kennedy, who was inducted
into the La Grande Tiger Boost-
er Hall of Fame 1-1/2 years
ago, broadcast La Grande High
School football and basketball
games and Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity football games from 1997
until 2017 before he was side-
lined by health issues, which in-
cluded a heart problem.
Kennedy called hundreds
of LHS and EOU games, but
for many he is best remem-
bered for the seemingly count-
less young people whose lives
he touched while coaching
La Grande Middle School and
Optimist football and broadcast-
ing LHS athletic events.
“He did so much for the com-
munity. He was genuine. He
really did care about the kids,”
said La Grande Middle School
social studies teacher Klel Car-
son, who coached LMS football
with Kennedy.
Patty O’Reilly, a secretary
➛→ ➠➡➢➣ ➒➛➤ →➐➙➒ ➝➥➒→➐➛↔➟ ➦➧
years ago when her oldest son,
Denny, was playing football for
the Tigers. O’Reilly was worried
about the direction in which her
son was going until Kennedy
took him under his wing. Ken-
nedy helped redirect the course
of the young man’s life with
friendly but persistent guid-
ance.
“He was always checking on
him,” O’Reilly said.
A bond was formed that did
not fade with time. For years
after graduating from LHS in
2004, Denny O’Reilly, who has
been in the U.S. Coast Guard for
11 years, would meet with Ken-
nedy every time he returned to
La Grande. Patty O’Reilly said
many parents have similar sto-
ries to share about the connec-
tions Kennedy made with their
children.
“He kept in touch,” she said.
“He really got to know the kids.”
Carson, who is also the LHS
wrestling coach, said Kennedy
was always eager to do anything
to help La Grande schools and
the community.
“It was pretty cool. He was a
good guy,” Carson said.
Scott Carpenter, the La Grande
School District’s director of edu-
cational programs and formerly
Oregon offers $2 billion for
schools as teachers plan walkout
❼❽ Ñ➃Ò➃Ó Ô❿ÕÕÖÒÕ➃➆
➇➈➉ ×➌➌ØÙÚÛÜ➉Ý Þ➍➉➌➌
to improve educational outcomes in
Oregon legislative leaders laid out
their plan to raise billions in dollars
in revenue for schools, as teachers
are readying themselves for a walk-
out to protest a chronic disinvest-
ment in the state education system.
Co-chairs of the Joint Commit-
tee on Student Success said Thurs-
day they’ll be able to raise approxi-
mately $2 billion in extra revenue
each biennium to fund school ini-
tiatives focused on early education,
increased class time and addressing
mental and behavioral health issues
in the classroom.
Educators praised the plan, but
didn’t say if it was enough to put an
end to a planned teacher walkout in
May. The Oregon Education Asso-
ciation, the state’s largest teachers
union, said they are monitoring the
outcome of the legislature’s revenue
proposal.
“Oregon schools are in crisis,”
said John Larson, president of the
Oregon Education Association in a
statement. “If the legislature is able
to fully fund their Student Success
Act, we could make game-changing
investments in all students, includ-
ing students of color, low-income
students, and students from other
historically disadvantaged back-
grounds.”
The money will come from a new
commercial activity tax, which takes
a portion of a business’ total rev-
enue. Legislators are still working
➔↕→ →➐➑ ➝↔➛➞ ➟➑→➛➙➞➒➣ ß↕→ ➬➑➻➳ à➥➑➲
Smith, a Republican from Heppner,
said the tax is meant to be “spread
very thinly across all businesses,”
➤➙→➐ ➑➴➑➓➻→➙➔↔➒ ➔➥ ➒➓➛➞➞➑➥ ➝↔➑➒ ✃➔➥
small businesses.
The $2 billion in expected rev-
enue will go to a newly created “Stu-
dent Success Fund,” which will fund
additional educational programs
and other school initiatives includ-
ing smaller class sizes and more
counseling services.
At least 20 percent of the Student
Success Fund money will be invest-
ed into early education, including
special education and the state’s
preschool programs. Another 30
percent will be earmarked for state-
wide initiatives, including universal
free meals and bullying prevention
measures.
The rest of the money — approxi-
mately $1 billion every two years —
will go directly to schools to be used
➛ ➒→➛→➑ →➐➛→ ➒↕➼➑➥➒ ✃➥➔➓ ➔↔➑ ➔✃ →➐➑
lowest graduation rates in the coun-
try.
To access that money, schools
will have to submit proposals on
how they will use the funds. The
plans must address mental and
behavioral health needs, and work
to reduce educational barriers for
students of color and other under-
served students.
Educators have said that a lack
of funding has forced schools to
cut programs, expand class sizes
➛↔➟ ➞➛➩ ➔➼ ➒→➛➼➳ ➢➾➐➔➔➞➒ ➐➛➽➑ ➛➞➒➔
➥➑➻➔➥→➑➟ ↔➔→ ß➑➙↔➲ ➛ß➞➑ →➔ ➛➼➔➥➟
enough counselors or other re-
sources to address their students’
complex mental health needs, a
problem that has only gotten worse
over the past decade.
Teachers have reported an in-
crease in violent behavior from
students, and a survey of 2,000 Or-
egon teachers found that 56 percent
of educators have evacuated their
classrooms at least once in the past
year because a student was consid-
ered a threat to others.
“Education is almost the last
thing that our schools are doing
because they have kids who come
in who are food insecure, who are
housing insecure, who are deal-
ing with untreated mental and be-
havioral issues,” said Rep. Barbara
Smith Warner, a Democrat from
Portland and one of the co-chairs
of the student success committee.
“Schools have become the de facto
provider for all these services, yet
we aren’t funding them.”
➏➐➑ ➒→➛→➑ ➤➙➞➞ ➓➔↔➙→➔➥ ➐➔➤ ➑➼➑➾ -
tively schools are using the money
and whether districts are meeting
their performance goals. Struggling
schools will be given more resourc-
es and technical assistance to boost
student success.
“We’re very supportive of this
plan,” said Jim Green, executive di-
rector of the Oregon School Board
Association. “We have underfunded
our education system for 30 years
and this is a great attempt at trying
to address that.”
Gov. Kate Brown expressed disap-
pointment that the plan didn’t in-
clude extra money for higher educa-
tion, including community colleges
and universities. She told reporters
that higher education is essential
for the state’s plan to provide quality
education from “cradle to career.”
LHS’s assistant principal, said
Kennedy was not one to seek the
spotlight.
“It wasn’t about his personal-
ity. His focus was on the kids,”
Carpenter said.
Kennedy had an even keel, but
he could get excited.
➨➡➑ ➤➛➒ ➝➑➥➩ ➫➛↔➟➭ ➐➑ ➞➙➯➑➟
competition. He could give a
(impassioned) pep talk,” McIlm-
oil said.
The LHS football coach also
said Kennedy was enormously
popular.
“My players loved him,” he
said. “He was very personable.”
Kennedy was so committed
to helping LHS that he kept of-
fensive statistics for the foot-
ball team during games. After
games, he would often listen to
recordings of his broadcast to
double-check his notes.
McIlmoil said Kennedy was
an avid outdoorsman who often
accompanied him on hunting
trips. His interest in hunting,
however, did not overshadow his
passion for his job and the com-
munity.
“His job was his life. He loved
to work on the radio,” McIlmoil
said.
Matt Wolcott, an assistant La
Grande High School football
coach and an LHS health and
physical education teacher, said
he believes Kennedy often trav-
eled to LHS road games without
being fully paid for his time or
expenses just because of his com-
mitment to the community.
❐❒❮❰ÏÐ
Continued from Page 1A
forward with an investigation,
and plans to hold a meeting on
the matter Aug. 23, according
to an email to Wells that was
shared with The Observer.
According to the preliminary
review, the school board met
➙↔ ➑➴➑➾↕→➙➽➑ ➒➑➒➒➙➔↔ ➔↔ ➝➽➑ ➔➾ -
casions from Nov. 14, 2018,
through Jan. 30, 2019, to dis-
cuss Even’s hardship request.
In early October 2018, Wells
had determined the student
would be ineligible to partici-
pate in athletics for his senior
year at EHS and didn’t put the
hardship request forward to
the District Athletic Commit-
tee. Even had previously com-
peted in football, basketball,
➛↔➟ →➥➛➾➯ ➛↔➟ ➝➑➞➟➳
A March 15 Observer article
reported Even left Enterprise
in late August to attend school
in Southern California, but
transferred back to Enterprise
Sept. 11. Based on OSAA regu-
lations, Wells determined the
same day — Sept. 11 — that
Even was considered a mid-
year transfer and thus ruled
ineligible for one calendar
year. Wells later received sup-
porting documentation — in-
cluding family letters — for
Even’s hardship request, but
said in an Oct. 4 letter to the
family and OSAA that the orig-
inal ruling stood.
Even, in the meantime, pro-
ceeded to miss 14-1/2 of the
next 18 school days, including
10 days in a row, which led to in
his automatic withdrawal from
school in early October.
Despite this, in November,
the board chose to hear Even
in executive session regard-
ing his desire to regain eligi-
bility, and put an action plan
in place. On the recommen-
dation of the school board,
Pinkerton put forward a hard-
ship request on behalf of Even
in late January. The request
was ultimately voted down
by both the District Athletic
Committee and the Oregon
School Activities Association
in February.
In a Dec. 3 executive session,
the board discussed and voted
on a response letter that would
be sent to Evens’ family regard-
ing the handling of his case,
which in part was critical of
actions by both Wells and En-
✎✏ ✑✏✒✓✔✓✏✒✓✏✕
✑✏■✖✗❛✏✘✓ ✎✙✓✏✘②
❞❢❢❣ ❤ ✐❥❥❦❧♠♥♣❢❥ q❦r
❢s❧❢tt❢✉♣ ❥❢r✈♠❧❢ ✇①③✐✇✇④⑤
P◗❘❙❯❲ ❳❩❬❭❲❪
✚✛✚✛✜ ✢✣ ✤✥✦ ✧ ★✩✪✫✬✭ ✥✮✯✰
“He did this to allow the com-
munity to be a part of away
games, to have the opportunity
to listen and cheer,” Wolcott
said.
Kennedy often traveled to the
away games on the team bus.
“The (LHS) players thought
of him as one of the coaches be-
cause he was around so much,”
said Mark Shelden, of Union,
who served as a game analyst for
Kennedy in the broadcast booth
for many LHS and EOU football
games.
Kennedy and Shelden had
some unforgettable moments on
the road, including a basketball
game in Baker City in which the
mascots of the BHS Bulldogs
➛↔➟ ➠➡➢ ➏➙➲➑➥➒ ➲➔→ ➙↔→➔ ➛ ➝➲➐→➳
Shelden tried to break it up but
got punched by the BHS mas-
cot in the process (he wasn’t
injured). Shelden credits Ken-
nedy with giving a noteworthy
account of the incident on the
radio as it was happening. He
said this was an example of how
Kennedy could easily jump from
one subject to another.
“He could change gears quick-
ly,” Shelden said.
Kennedy was considering
changing careers and becom-
ing a history teacher before his
health began to fail.
“He would have been wonder-
ful (as a teacher). He loved kids
and had a great rapport with
them,” Shelden said.
Kennedy was a 1987 graduate
of Malad High School in Malad,
terprise High School Principal
Blake Carlsen.
This vote — and other actions
in that Dec. 3 meeting — are
among the potential violations
mentioned in Ilene Wells’ com-
plaint and will be further inves-
tigated by OGEC.
ORS 192.660(6) “prohibits
governing bodies from taking
➝↔➛➞ ➛➾→➙➔↔ ➔➥ ➓➛➯➙↔➲ ➛ ➝↔➛➞
decision while in executive ses-
sion,” according to the commis-
sion’s preliminary review, and
the complaint by Ilene Wells
contends the vote on the letter
regarding her husband violated
this rule.
Within the preliminary re-
view document, attorney Luke
Reese of Garrett Hemann Rob-
ertson, who is representing the
school board, refuted claims
that ORS 192.660(6) was vio-
lated.
“The Board sought consensus
on whether to continue discus-
sions on a letter to this student
or to send it to legal council
➝➥➒→➣➷ ➛➒➒➑➥→➑➟ ➬➑➑➒➑➮➒ ➒→➛→➑ -
ment, saying the decision on
how to move forward “with re-
spect to the student’s eligibility
was previously made on Nov.
14, 2018, and a vote was held in
open session.”
The Commission’s pre-
liminary review concluded:
“There appears to be a sub-
stantial objective basis to be-
lieve that violations of the ex-
ecutive session provisions of
Oregon Public Meetings law
may have occurred on Dec.
3, 2018, when the Board may
have taken final action in ex-
ecutive session in violation of
ORS 192.660(6).”
The OGEC determined the
matter required more in-depth
examination, particularly the
school board’s handling of “em-
ployee-related performance.”
The original complaint by Ilene
Wells argues the athletic direc-
tor’s due process rights were
violated.
➨➏➐➑ ➱↕➒→➙➝➾➛→➙➔↔ ✃➔➥ →➐➑
Dec. 3 executive session was
related to employment-related
performance,” the complaint
states. “Presumably, this was
focused on the athletic direc-
tor. However, this violates due
process, as the athletic direc-
→➔➥ ➤➛➒ ↔➔→ ↔➔→➙➝➑➟ →➐➛→ →➐➑
session would occur, nor given
an opportunity to request an
open hearing.”
Reese conceded that Larry
Idaho, and a 1997 Eastern Or-
egon University graduate. He
worked for KCMB and KVBL
radio, for which he also was a
newscaster. He also called LHS
games for La Grande Alive TV
during the 2018 football season.
Kennedy was broadcasting
EOU football games when Tim
Camp became the Mountain-
eers’ head football coach in
2007. Camp said the assistance
Kennedy provided by publiciz-
ing the football program helped
elevate it to its present status —
a team that is often nationally
ranked and a frequent contend-
er for the Frontier Conference
title.
“We probably would not be
where we are today without his
help,” Camp said.
Kennedy was not able to
travel with the Mountaineers
and broadcast their postseason
games in 2016 after they made
→➐➑ ➵➸➺➸ ➻➞➛➩➔➼➒ ➛↔➟ ➛➟➽➛↔➾➑➟
→➔ →➐➑ ➒➑➓➙➝↔➛➞ ➥➔↕↔➟ ➟↕➥➙↔➲
the best season in school histo-
ry. Camp said it would have been
very meaningful if Kennedy
had broadcast their postseason
games that year.
“That would have been super
special for us,” the EOU coach
said.
A memorial service for Kenne-
dy will be held at 10 a.m. April 13
at the La Grande Church of Je-
sus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Online condolences may be
made to the family at www.love-
landfuneralchapel.com.
áâãäå åæçäè éêâäë
ìåíìäåçî íå æèäë
æïïäéäèèðåêçîñ ðïë
äòìçðêïäë
óôõ ö÷øùúû üõýþõÿ
❢♦ ✁✂ ✄ ô ☎✄ ☎✄ ✆ õ ☎ û ✄
✄ ÿ ♦ ♦❢ ✄ ôõ õ ① õ ❡ ✄ þýõ
ûõûûþ ♦✁ ✆☎ ÿû ✇ ö ✝❙
✶✾✞✟✠✠✡☛✞☞☛❢☞ ☎✁✂ ö ✝❙
✸✞✞✟✡✠✶ ✇ ÿõüõ ❡♦ ü ✲
üõ ❡✄✆r ❡ þ ✄ õ ✂ ☎✁✂ ûõ ✂
❜r ✄ ôõ ø ✁✄ õü ② üþûõ
❙❡ ô ♦♦✆ ❤♦☎ ü ✂✌ ❜ ✄ ☎✆ û ♦
ü ✆ õ ✂ ✄ ô ☎✄ ✄ ôõ ❜♦☎ ü ✂ ✁✲
✁ õ ❡ õûû ☎ üþ ✆r ❡ þ ✄ õ ✂ ö ❆✝
✺✍✶✲✡✞✶✲✡✞✺✡ ☎✁✂ ✸✎
ù ❈✝ ✏ ✾✾✟✸✡✟
ö ✝❙ ✶✾✞✟✠✠✡☛✞☞☛❢☞
➇② õü ✑ þ ✄ û ☎ ✒♦ ýõü ✁ þ ✁✒
❜♦✂r ✄♦ ô ♦✆✂ ☎✁ õ ① õ ❡ ✲
✄ þýõ ûõûûþ ♦✁ ✄♦ ❡♦✁✲
ûþ ✂ õü þ ✁❢♦ ü ✑☎✄ þ ♦✁ ♦ ü üõ ✲
❡♦ ü ✂ û ✄ ô ☎✄ ☎ üõ õ ① õ ✑②✄
❜r ✆☎ ÿ ❢ ü ♦✑ ② ❜✆ þ ❡ þ ✁✲
û ② õ ❡✄ þ ♦✁✌➈ ☎✁✂ ✸✞✞✟✡✠✶
☎✆✆♦ ÿû õ ① õ ❡ ✄ þýõ ûõû ✲
ûþ ♦✁ ❜r ☎ û ❡ ô ♦♦✆ ❜♦☎ ü ✂
➇❡♦✁❡ õü ✁ þ ✁✒ õ ①② ✆ ûþ ♦✁
♦❢ ☎ ✑ þ ✁♦ ü û ✄ ✂ õ ✁✄ ♦ ü
✑☎✄✄ õüû ② õü ✄☎ þ ✁ þ ✁✒ ✄♦
☎ û ✄ ✂ õ ✁✄ úû ✑ õ ✂ þ ❡☎✆ üõ ✲
❡♦ ü ✂ û ☎✁✂ õ ✂ ❡☎✄ þ ♦✁☎✆
② ü ♦✒ ü ☎✑✌➈ ☎❡❡♦ ü ✂ þ ✁✒ ✄♦
✄ ôõ üõýþõÿû û ✑✑☎ ü r
♦❢ ✄ ôõ ✆☎ ÿû ✟ ö ❆✝ ✺✍✶✲
✡✞✶✲✡✞✺✡✌ ✑ õ ☎✁ ÿôþ ✆ õ ✌
✂ þüõ ❡✄ û ➇ õ ✂ ❡☎✄ þ ♦✁☎✆
☎✒ õ ✁❡ þõû ✄♦ ☎✂♦②✄
②♦✆ þ ❡ þõû ✒♦ ýõü ✁ þ ✁✒ ✄ ôõ
✂ þû ❡✆♦ û üõ ♦❢ û ✄ ✂ õ ✁✄
þ ✂ õ ✁✄ þ ❢ þ ☎❜✆ õ þ ✁❢♦ ü ✑☎✲
✄ þ ♦✁✌➈ ☎✁✂ ✸✎ ù ❈✝ ✏
✾✾✟✸✡✌ ÿôþ ❡ ô þû ②☎ ü ✄ ♦❢
✄ ôõ ❈☎✑ þ ✆r ø ✂ ❡☎✄ þ ♦✁
✝ þ ✒ ô ✄ û ☎✁✂ ❘ üþý ☎❡r ❆❡✄✌
☎✂✂ üõûûõû ✄ ôõ ❡♦✁✂ þ ✲
✄ þ ♦✁ û ✁✂ õü ÿôþ ❡ ô ② üþ ♦ ü
❡♦✁ ûõ ✁✄ þû üõ ❝ þüõ ✂ ✄♦
✂ þû ❡✆♦ ûõ û ✄ ✂ õ ✁✄ þ ✂ õ ✁✄ þ ✲
❢ þ ☎❜✆ õ þ ✁❢♦ ü ✑☎✄ þ ♦✁✟
Wells was discussed in the ses-
sion, but countered that “the
Board was not providing a for-
mal evaluation, nor was it con-
sidering dismissal or discipline.
As such, it was not required to
provide direct notice.”
While the ethics commis-
sion resolved to further inves-
tigate whether the discussion
of Wells was in violation of
executive session law, it also
wrote that, due to the brevity
of the minutes taken from the
executive sessions, the “com-
mission staff (does) not yet
have sufficient information to
determine the nature of the
discussion.”
⑥❢❣♠❧♥r❢⑦ ⑧⑨♣❦⑦ ⑩❦❶❢
♠✉❥⑨r❷❸❹❺ ❷❸❻ ✐✉✉⑨♠♣♠❢❥
✺✲✳✴✵✷✺✴✳✸✹✲
✻♦✽✽ ✿❀❡❡ ❁❂❃❄❄❂❅❃❅❂❁❇❅❈ ❉❉❉❊❀❡❡●❂❍❏❑▲❀▼❏◆❡❊❏❡❖
❫❲❴◗❵ ❜❲❲❝