12
schools
february22
2011
Whiteman Retires From Coaching
Long-time and popular sports coach Steve
Whiteman is hanging up the whistle.
After many years on the fields, courts, tracks
and mats of several high school programs, Coach
Whiteman ended a long and storied career when he
coached the final game of the Vernonia Lady Loggers
basketball season this year.
Whiteman, who began coaching football
in 1972 and first coached basketball in 1977, has
also coached wrestling, track and cross country in
Vernonia, New Mexico and Colorado. According to
Whiteman, he believes he has coached right around
500 basketball games and around 200 football games.
Highlights of his long career include a trip to the state
title game as a football
defensive coordinator with
the Vernonia Loggers, a
second place at state’s
boys track team and a state
champion girls track team.
“I’m going to be
sixty-four in a month and I
have a whole list of things
I want to do with my
family,” says Whiteman
about his decision to retire
now.
Before the final
basketball game of the
regular season, Whiteman
was honored for his service
to Vernonia Loggers teams.
Coach Steve Whiteman, pictured with his final Girl’s Varsity Basketball team,
Members of Whiteman’s
retired from coaching high school athletics after 39 years.
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girl’s varsity team read this poem:
The crowd is gone, the cheers have stopped,
and the equipment is stored away.
The team is standing on the court
because the coach is leaving today.
He led us through the hardest times,
and was proud of the times they have won.
But now the season’s over and
his time as coach is done.
The team will go on without him,
will perform at the usual pace.
But though another coach comes in,
there will be a void in his place.
Today when the court is emptied
and the team has met the test,
the coach can feel certain that
he will be remembered as simply the best.
But Whiteman’s season, and career, wasn’t
quite finished. After what might have been his final
game, the Lady Loggers found out they had qualified
for the league playoffs and would face Neah-Kah-
Nie the following Thursday. Unfortunately the Lady
Loggers lost a close game by two points and Coach
Whiteman’s career was brought to a close.
Town Hall—The Vernonia School Dis-
trict held a Town Hall which focused
on educational programs in the
schools. Left - Students from
WGS showed off rewards they
can earn through the Positive
Behavior Intervention Support
program. Right - Members of the
VHS Leadership Class, Jacob
Alf, Natalie Wallace, Casimir
Denecochea and Chantel Szlav-
ich, were on hand to explain
projects they are working on.
Attendees could also learn about
the Title I Reading Program,
Career Education and
Scholarship
oppor-
tunities, the planned
Vernonia Rural Sustainability Center,
Homework Club and more.
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CELL: 503-313-9006
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HM: 503-429-2810
CELL: 503-313-9044
1264 G ST.
VERNONIA, OR 97064
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Jewelry - Glasswork
Pottery - Custom Framing
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Featuring the finest in northwest art
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Naturopathic & Chinese Medicine
503.481.4096
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786 Bridge Street
Vernonia, OR, 97064
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World Headquarters Vernonia, Oregon
A number of Vernonia students were selected to the District Honors Band
this year. Pictured above - from Vernonia Middle School, Caton Watts-
percussion, Damian Young-trumpet, Makayla Adams-clarinet and Julia
Fletcher-flute. Not pictured was Nathan McCrosky-Issett-percussion
and Britney Young. Below - from Vernonia High School, Brandon
Krause-euphonium, Samantha Morgan-clarinet, and Christopher Dass-
baritone-sax. Congratulation to all these fine musicians!
