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About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (June 18, 1981)
The Sandy Post E d i t or i a 1 & O pinion Mark Floyd. Editor Dan Dillon, News Editor Von Braschler. Publisher Caroline Duff. Office M anager SANDY. OREGON, THURSDAY. JUNE 18. 1981 Letters to the editor: School flaps draw reader fire 3AY I SOT AN IDEA/ LET'S 6 0 OVER TO THE EMOLISI! D E P A R T M E N T / SOMEBODY THERE CAN READ EM TO US// Bull Run School For the past several years we have had children in the Bull Run Schixil and always been happy with the school and teachers Consequently it came as a shock to us when we learned that the school board was not renewing the contracts of four of the six teachers, retaining only the two teachers they hired the previous year plus the prin cipal Our feelings and those of m any o th e r concerned parents rapidly changed to frustration and anger, as we found our attempts to com municate with the school board met with total lack of response When questioned, they have replied, 'Our resp on sibility is to the children,' while avoiding the real issue the rig h t of parents to help decide what is in the best interest of their own children The attempt to restructure the teaching staff at Bull Run makes it apparent that the school board is attemp ting to create what they feel will tx* a superior educa tio n a l e n v iro n m e n t. However, there are those of us in the community who feel that the resaons we have local school Lords is for the desires and objectives of the community to tx* carried out The board’s educational philosophy is twmg forced on the community, without ask ing parent involvement and calously disregarding the rights of teachers This is the problem that must tx* resolv Salon scene: Game changes to ‘hardball’ In J ACK ZIMMERM \ \ XssiM'iated O regon In d u s trie s It s only natural for politicians to play politics. Likewise, when the Legislature convenes in Salem, one expects the game to coin mence Actually, some preliminaries predate each session, as individuals vie for positions of leadership during exhibition contests The first hall is thrown from the stands by the governor in the form of his budget pro |X)sal I he game's tempo during a session's first I«-\ a innings resembles the slow pitch varie ty Everyone gets a cut at the ball, while tolls are being introduced As committees begin deliberating, intensity increases Dur mg that period, there are a few sidearin deliveries and an occasional overhand Zinger Hut it isn't until a session’s final weeks that (Hihticos really start playing hardball Salem watchers were exposed to the beginning of that phase of this year's game last u«*ek, when a measure dealing with the future of land use planning in Oregon was defeated on the Senate floor Touted as one of this session's major issues in pre game ceremonies, the Assembly's task was to determine the role of the Land Conservation & Development Commission in post acknowledgment The latter means the jwiiod alter all cities and counties have achieved approval of com prehensive land use plans within terms of goals set earlier by LCDC A major problem involves the fact only 104 ot the state's 277 cities and counties have had their plans approved It will take at least two more years Io complete the com pliance phase Another problem dates back to 1973, when LCDC was established by the Legislature and even further back in < »regon's land use history LCDC has been extremely con troversial Though the 1973 bill has tieen repeatedly upheld at the polls, its tenets sharply have divided rural and urban populations As one would expect, that division has been reflected in a general sense by lawmakers with either rural or urban con stituencies An interim committee, headed by Sen Jack Kipper problem and measure, SB Ted Hallock tD-.North Bend), studied the introduced SB 300 A second 314. was offered by Senators (D-Port land’ and LB Day (R-Salem). It appeared particularly significant from a hi partisan standpoint and because Hallock's long involvement had earned him the nickname of Father of Land Use Plann mg Furthermore, Day served as LCDC's first chairman A Douglas county bill SB 419 also went into the hopper, sponsored by freshman Sen John Kitzhaber <D Roseburg' All three were referred to the Senate's En vironment A Land Use Committee, chaired by Sen Debbs Potts < D (»rants Pass), a two- term Senate president in 1967 and 1969 Serv ing on that panel are Hallock. Day, Ripper, Tom Hartung ( R Beaverton», Ed Eadely I, Eugene1 and John Powell D Halsey > Only Powell was not in the Senate, when SB BM) created LCDC in 1973 The following year he unseated former Sen Hector Mac pherson. co-sponsor with Hallock of SB 100 - partially by campaigning for local control in land use decisions It is interesting to note Potts is the only member of the panel who voted against SB 100 in 1973 However, his nay vote was shared by currrent Senate Pres Fred Heard <D Klamath Falls). Sen Tony Meeker (R Am ity) and Sen Bob Smith <R Bums) ~ four of a total of 13 upper chamber veterans still serving From the beginning, it appeared odds were stacked against the committees chances to produce a bill to please the many interest groups involved Potts named a subcommittee of Ripper, Day and Hartung to start the task It labored daily beginning at 7 a m for some eight weeks, seeking a compromise vehicle L e g is la tiv e R ep o rt fro m the Stat«- C a p ita l E X C L U S IV E to O re g o n ’ s W eekly Newspa pers Iro m A sso cia te d O regon In d u s trie s The result failed to satisfy anyone com pletely, tint achieved a do pass reeommen dation and headed for the Senate fhxtr Since it was an amalgam of the three in itial bills (tint differed from them in many respects», it was suggested a new number lx* assigned to enhance its chances of passage SB loot) was available and had a nice ring to it Oregon’s initial land use plan inng statute was created by SB Id in 1969 SB Iik) followed in '73 That idea quickly was scotched when the committee realized news media and op ponents would have a ball claiming SB 1000 was 10 times worse than SB too Then, too. the watchdog 1000 Friends of Oregon lot» hied extensively on the issue and might ap pear to tx* linked to the compromise measure, even though it was far from satisfied with the bill It became SB 945 Proponents believed it was a shoo in Day carried the bill, spending more than an hour explaining its provisions Debate continued another hour A motion to rerefer it to com mittee failed by one vote The lull failed by one vote Day served notice for reconsidera lion next day, but couldn’t line up the necessary 16 ayes He gave up in exaspera tion Sen Charles Hanlon, who voted to kill the bill the* day before -- along with Bur bulge, Fadeley, Gardner, Hallock, Kit zhaber, Kulongoski, McCoy, McFarland, Monroe, Roberts, Trow, Wingard and W’yers - sought to change the rules, so he could move for reconsideration Backers of SB 945, knowing the bill would not survive in the House of Representatives unless it received overwhelming Senate sup port, scotched Hanlon's motion It was hardball, sports fans Halhxk and Fadeley opposed the commit t«*e position and led the opposition, along with Kitzhaber Hanlon had reasons of his own to oppose the bill as a show of spite against Senate Pres Heard The action plays into the hands of those who believe land use planning is controlled by city folks at the expense of those w ho ow n and work the land Next inning will be played in the House Ten more bills already are under considera tion by that chamber’s land use panel, chaired by Rep Wayne Fawhush <D-Hood River). Twelve members of the House served in 1973, and four of them voted against SB BM) All have significant constituencies among their peers this session They include Ways A Means C o-C hair J e ff G ilm o u r < D-Jefferson), Minority Leader Paul Han neman » R-Cloverdale», Intergovernmental Affairs Chair Glenn Otto (D Troutdale) and Bill Markham <R Riddle), co-chair of two other House panels Next inning's House lineup likely will in elude consideration of provisions in SR 945, but with a different number on its uniform Those provisions probably w ill include por tions of other bills - even more unpalatable to Senate liberals Then there * the question of LCDC’s budget for the coming biennium Wily veteran Senator Potts from his vantage point on W ays A Means has said he will keep that budget captive, until a satisfactory land use hill is passed More hardball lx»ng time observers believe it will be dif ficul, to adjourn this session of the legislature without an LCDC budget The hallgame is far from over Extra inn ings appear likely And it ’s big league politics throwing hard and swinging for the fence ed The constituency of the Bull Run School needs to have its faith restored in the school board This can lx* done if the board will start involving the public in set ting policies and objectives of the school Almost 50 peo pie attended the last txiard meeting These people could tx* utilized in committees on discipline, curriculum, goals and objectives This controversy can tx* turned into an advantage for all concerned. if the board W ill capitalize on the interest and concern of parents to in volve them in the decision- making process Nothing would heal the breach more quickly Grade school levy are painstakingly selected, analyzed and approved by local community advisors to make sure all segments of com m unity interest are represented This is perhaps the only enterprize where cooperatin and funding has been com bined within the district to include help from Mt Hood Community College, Sandy City Council and the local Sandy grade school The adults enjoyed 33 classes this past quarter, and the children almost have as many scheduled for this summer session All instruc tors are volunteers who donate their talents, time and expertise They offer a whole world of resources that otherwise would remain untapped Don’t think of the Com munity School as an adult social club or a child's kindergarten, but as a learn ing experience for all ages It knows no bounds In fact, it is underutilizing the volun tary talents and resources available and still untapped in our community. The “ B” ballot measure covers the maintenance, supplies and personnel ex penses of the Sandy Com mumty School. If it fails June 30, this model for other communities will cease to exist. Corbin Willis The Community School is Sandy located in a tnixiule trailer donated by the Mt Hood Community College and In response to the letter nights and weekends utilizes that questioned the openness lo c a l grade school of Sandy C o m m u n ity classrooms that otherwise Players and alleged dif would lx* vacant. ficulties in becoming involv The classes run the gamut ed, I would like to share the from local history lectures following information with and tours to physical educa the community. tion. crufts and debates All When I directed “ The SCP involvement Curious Savage" several months ago, 1 had 46 people show up for auditions There were 11 speaking roles in the play. Of these roles, seven were cast with brand-new people who never before ap pea red on stage in a SCP production. There also were several new people involved with production of the show During “ A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’’ there were more than 15 new faces in the cast and production crew. The upcoming play, “ The Odd C o u p le ," also fe atures several new persons It is pure delight to see so many new persons trying ou, and getting involved As with any volunteer organization, we goof occasionally in not following up and finding areas to in v o lv e a newcomer If you are interested in SCP or if you have a coni plaint or suggestion, give me a call at 661-0218 Our SCP board meetings are open to anyone to attend and speak out Our next auditions w ill be Monday evening July 6 at the theater You should arrive between 6 and 7 p m There are parts for men and women ranging from 16 to 75 years of age The play, “ A Barrel Full of Pennies,” is a delightful comedy that appeals to all ages A bundle of thanks to the community and the Sandy Post for your past and con tinued support Jim S. Wilhite Vice Chairman, SCP Nix heliport Since the Zigzag heliport controversy began six weeks ago, the mountain communi ty has become increasingly vocal in opposition to the proposed location. All concerned organiza tions to vote on the issue have been unanious in their opposition These groups in clude the Welches School Board. Hoodland Senior Citizens, Mt. Hood Pre school Co-op and the women’s resource group The county has received many letters by individuals opposed to the heliport site In addition, ECOS has turn ed in petitions with more than 200 signatures against the heliport location Due to all the negative in put from Hoodland groups and individuals and the Planning Commission report to deny the proposal, Com missioner Ralph Groener has addressed the issue as “ dead" at the com m is sioners’ level However, ECOS w ill con tinue to keep close watch on any further development proposals w ith a ques tionable impact on the area Environmental Committee on Suitability Blythe Creek George Sheets Carol Smith Marilyn Ieslie Park dean-up The property bordered by Salmon River Road and Highway 26, adjacent to and including the com m unity te n n is c o u rts , th e to t playground and the building leased by the Hoodland Women’s Club, is county- ow n ed a n d kn o w n as Hoodland Park. This land consists of ap proxim ately 11 acres, of which a very small portion currently is developed. Improvements and expan sion of the developed area is necessary to insure con tinued existence of Hoodland P ark C lackam as County cu rren tly does not have funds to develop this proper ty. As residents, we can make the necessary im provements and expand the existing facilities Saturday, June 22, from 10 a m until 2 p m , the first community clean-up of our public park w ill he held Bring a garden tool (hoe. rake, w heelbarrow , e tc .) and a lunch Enjoy being a participating citizen Penelope Wilburn Connie Hamlin L E T T E R S P O LIC Y : The Post asks that all letters to the editor be typed, double-spaced and signed. Deadline is noon, Tuesday, le tte rs should be accurate, free of libelous remarks and in good tas te. This new spaper atte m p ts to publish all letters it receives and may edit m aterial lightly to conform to guidelines. M axim um length is 290 words. Legislator's report^ Higher education should share cuts bv KEN JEKNSTEDT State Senator, District 28 The people of Oregon founded our system of higher education more than a century ago, and they generously have maintained it ever since Now despite its q u a lity and ahcievements. it is coming under its closest legislative scrumty since 1969 At that time the attention was occa sioned by violence and destruction on campus, the interruption of academic freedom and the disruption of the educational program for all students This year, however, higher educa tion is under the microscope because of m oney O r —m o re precisely—because there isn’t enough money to go around to please everyone, which is a major change from the recent past when the cups have runneth over Because of this, higher education budgets already have been cut by agreement of W ays and Means Com mittee members Higher education is being subm itted /t o a new and frig h te n in g experience: a cram course in Priorities I-A This situation, of course, is greeted with anguish by those who believe any legislative scrutiny into higher educa tion constitutes nothing less than full scale assault on academic freedom I have received scores of complaining letters on the subject In the past, higher education has been held less accountable in a fiscal sense than any other department or agency The leg islature hasn't given it a searching fiscal look in a number of years, and the Secretary of State's Office finds it the most difficult agen cy to audit Higher education is the only agency that does not submit its budget in what legislators call line-item form, telling how each dollar is to be spent. The Legislature approves large, round figures for higher education, and then the system takes over Seldom do legislators receive the detailed accountability they demand from all others Necessity, however, requires the Ways and Means Committee to iden tify every possible economy It is try ing to determine whether or not higher education's demand for “full funding” is justified - particularly when all others are taking reductions in growth and when a cut in state aid to local schools is an alternative being seriously discussed These budgetary dilemmas involv ing both higher education and local schools have denizens of the ivory towers in an uproar, and have unsettl ed local school boards who have nowhere to go but property taxpayers to absorb a m ajor cut in state finan cial aid In his original budget, the governor funded basic school support below the recommended 40 percent goal Now the possibility of a further 10 percent cu t a c ro s s -th e -b o a rd has been presented In checking a prelim inary report giving statistics for 28 of the school discricts in my Senatorial District. I find that 21 would suffer cuts placing them under the 1990411 figure and only 7 would benefit. Hopefully, something will be done to correct this gloomy picture On a more hopeful note, I agree with Sam Johnson, v e te r a n fo r m e r legislator and now mayor of Red mond He suggested higher education must bear its share of the austerity burden with cuts in unnecessary, duplicative curricula and elective courses not at the core of a basic education
