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About The Hood River news. (Hood River, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2015)
B2 Hood River News, Wednesday, May 13, 2015 CASCADE Observations By PEGGY DILLS KELTER Dennis, dedicated driver A T MID VALLEY Elementary School, it’s the same occurrence every May, as de- pendable as the annual arrival of one’s birthday. Fifth graders flock upstairs to the dark and cluttered storage clos- ets and unearth ancient pieces of cardboard and plywood. Back downstairs, volunteers take this motley collection of materials and transform it into the booths that make up the annual Mid Valley Carnival. There’s Putt Putt Golf, nothing more than a putter, a golf ball and a sloped piece of wood covered with artifi- cial grass and drilled with a single hole. There’s “Go Fish,” consisting of a lone fishing pole, a painted sheet depicting the ocean, and a bucket of prizes kids can hook. There’s the Bean Bag Toss, and the most popular of all, Face Paint- ing. Yet on a warm evening in May, children raised with iPads and Xboxes find these dozen or so booths just as entertain- ing as the high tech toys they’re used to. For a few hours, the county allows the school to close off the road in front of our building, and the parking lot is cleared of cars. The empty pavement is soon filled with taco trucks, popsicle vendors, and old cafeteria tables. Over the course of the evening, hundreds of tacos will be consumed, along with snow cones and ears of corn. Music fills the air as The Cake Walk, a circuitous path made by drawing on the pavement with chalk, is populated with folks hoping to win a donated dessert. What the Carnival lacks in sophistication is more than made up for by the incredible sense of community everyone feels. Grandparents visit with new babies and teachers share tacos with their students. Kids dress up in traditional Mexican outfits and perform dances for the crowd. High school students, many of them alumni of Mid Valley, volunteer to run the booths. When the Carnival is over, lots of folks form a clean-up crew that makes quick work of the mess. ■ The Mid Valley Carnival is over for another year. The booths are back in storage, and the popcorn machine has been cleaned and put away. While much remains the same, much will also change in the coming year. Fifth graders are moving on to middle school, and with them go their parents who have been vital to the school’s PTO. Several teachers, myself included, are leaving the school’s staff. And the fearless, creative leader of Mid Valley Elementary, Den- nis McCauley, is retiring. Dennis came to Mid Valley 11 years ago after a long career as a teacher and administrator working for the Reynolds School District in east Multnomah County. During the principal selec- tion process, our staff reviewed Dennis’s re- sume and letters of recommendation, and inter- viewed folks from Reynolds about him. No one had anything but praise for Dennis. When he ac- cepted the job at Mid Valley, the Reynolds com- munity wept as we cheered. Principals have a difficult, often thankless job. Among other tasks, they must balance bud- gets, attend to disciplinary issues, evaluate teachers and maintain their buildings. They ar- rive early, and often leave late, attending evening meetings on a regular basis. But aside from all the “have to” tasks Dennis has taken care of while principal, he has added his own long lists of “musts.” He personally built a ramp on a family’s home so their handicapped child could negotiate the home from her wheel chair. He helped an older boy, an alumnus of Mid Val- ley in danger of flunking out of high school, complete his senior project. He sat with children while they took their state assessment tests, his supportive, quiet presence essential to their suc- cess. When the kids finished the test, he played air hockey and one-on-one basketball with them to celebrate. He goes to the homes of consistent- ly absent children and personally drives them to school. He walks the halls every day, greeting each and every student and staff member as though they are his best friends. He found the funding to provide enrichments activities for our students, and has trusted his staff, giving them the autonomy to teach their students as they know best. He has turned the school into a true community center, adding a pre-school and a satellite county health department clinic. And always, always, he has found opportunities to make kids smile, dressing up as everything from a leprechaun to Captain Kindness, from a cow- boy to a super hero complete with phone booth. His costumes are a metaphor — they remind us all that, with effort and creativity, we can trans- form ourselves if we want. ■ Several years after Dennis became principal at Mid Valley, I was chatting with him about those unofficial interviews we had done with the Reynolds community. At the time, Dennis drove a red Miata, a flashy car that often turned heads. Several people in Reynolds had described Dennis as “that guy who drives the red sports car.” Soon after our chat, he traded his sports car in for a practical Prius. When I asked him about the vehicle change, he responded that he hoped to be remembered for the good work he did, not the car he drove. He need not worry as he retires from Mid Val- ley. His legacy as an innovative leader, caring boss, and advocate for children is secure. Photo by Patrick Mulvihill Y OUNG G ARDENERS AT W ORK Ann Hansen,Alternate Roots Preschool co-director, guides students spreading bark Friday morning at a new garden area on State Street shared by Riverside Community Church and Hood River News. Kids at the preschool have helped to improve and main- tain the garden for the last several months. The bark was provided by Hood River News. Jibson marries Ryan Sarah Marie Jibson and Timothy Paul Ryan, both of Hood River, were married April 18, 2015, in Milwau- kee, Wisc. The bride is the daughter of Dan and Sherri Jibson of Milwaukee. She graduated from high school in 2010 and from Maranatha Bap- tist University in 2014. The groom is the son of Steve and Tiffany Ryan of Hood River. He attended high school in Hood River, g raduating from Nampa Christian School in Nampa, Idaho, in 2009. He graduat- ed from Maranatha Baptist University in 2015. He is employed at Orchard View Farms in The Dalles as a human resource assistant. Officiating was Pastor Tom Loggans. Bridesmaids A d a u g h t e r, Pe n e l o p e Elaine White, was bor n April 26, 2015, at Providence Hood River Memorial Hos- pital to Tyler and Lindsey W h i t e. S h e we i g h e d 7 pounds, 9 ounces and mea- sured 21 inches. S h e j o i n s a s i s t e r, Jo s e p h i n e, 3 4 m o n t h s. Grandparents are Per ry Smith, Tony White, and Lorie Repp, all of Hood River. Great grandparents are Don and Mary Smith of Hood River, Leonora Repp of Hood River, Chuck and Barb White of Kennewick, Wash., and Mary Lynn Tot- ten of Tulsa, Okla. Submitted photo Sarah Jibson and Timothy Ryan ‘Finding Peace Art Tour’ at the library Visit the Hood River Li- brary through May 22 to view the “Finding Peace: Art Tour.” The art display is part of a larger project cre- ated by Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC). CGCC invited artists of the Gorge to submit original artwork to “Finding Peace: Art Show and Conversa- tion.” The event consists of three parts: a community art show, a community con- versation project, and a community tour of prize winning pieces from the show. The Hood River Li- brary is one stop on the art tour. CGCC asked that artists and the community in gen- eral reflect on the concept of “Finding Peace” and what that may mean to them as an individual, as a member of a community, or as a global citizen. “Finding Peace” may speak to world peace and the elimination of war and violence based on na- tionalism. It may represent an end to local disputes and community bickering. Or it may speak to a more person- al and private concept, the inner peace that each person strives for when they are troubled or facing crises. CGCC invited the gorge community to share its vi- sion. Visit cgcc.edu/news/cgcc- art-show-finding-peace to learn about all the events for the “Finding Peace: Art Show and Conversation.” This art show is supported by a grant from the Wasco County Cultural Trust Coali- tion with funds from the Ore- gon Cultural Trust to sup- port Oregon’s arts, heritage, and the humanities. This display is free and open to the public for view- ing during regular library hours. For more informa- tion, please contact the Hood River County Library District at 541-386-2535, info@hoodriverlibrary.org, or visit their website at hoodriverlibrary.org. Host families sought for international students EF High School Exchange Year, the leader in high school cultural exchange, is seeking host families in the Hood River area. Host fami- lies open their homes to a 15- 18 year old from countries around the world who come to the U.S. to attend one or t wo s e m e s t e r s o f h i g h school. Through the ex- change experience, both stu- dent and family get the chance to learn about a new culture and potentially es- tablish a lifelong bond. Hosting an exchange stu- dent is a volunteer program supported by the U.S. De- partment of State and is a great step towards prepar- ing your own children for the 21st century. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that “the goodwill, generosity, and mutual understanding fos- tered through exchange pro- grams are critical to meet- ing the challenges of today’s world. Such citizen diploma- cy may start with one visit- ing student and his or her host family but it ripples throughout communities in t h e U n i t e d S t at e s a n d B irth Penelope White were Rachel Ryan, sister of the groom, Moriah Norris, friend of the bride, and Tirzah Jibson, sister of the bride. The Best man was Jacob Dillman, colle ge friend of the groom, and groomsmen were Nick Hin- richsen, high school friend of the groom, Josiah Jib- son, brother of the bride, and Nolan Ryan, brother of the groom. F lower g i rl s were A l e i g h a a n d J ay l e i g h Standerwick, friends of the bride, and Malachi Wochin- ski, friend of the bride. Sarah and Timothy met in college. Both minored in Spanish and have traveled abroad, Sarah to Peru (were her dress was made) and Timothy to Spain and the Dominican Republic. abroad.” There are few experiences that can spark interest in new cultures like welcoming an inter national student into your home. “Serving as a host family allows Ameri- cans to share their culture and customs, and also learn about another country for a true cultural exchange and becoming lifelong friends and family,” said Leslie Melby, the EF High School Exchange Year local coordi- nator responsible for plac- ing and supervising EF stu- dents in the Hood River area. She has two great yo u n g l a d i e s wh o n e e d homes: one from Germany one is from Japan. EF Foundation host fami- lies represent the diversity of American culture. Some host families have teens, while others have young children or no children, or adult chil- dren who no longer live at home. Host families express many reasons for participat- ing in the program. Some are looking for new ways to con- nect to their communities, while gaining fresh perspec- tives on the world; others Your Mortgage Lender Call Bernie today 541-490-0167 Bernie Dittenhofer Licensed Mortgage Banker NMLS #2550 NMLS #114231 ML 832-21 A division of Mann Mortgage, LLC 509 Cascade Ave., Suite F, Hood River Apply at berniedittenhofer.westcorpmortgage.com seek exposure to other cul- tures for themselves and their children. EF Foundation is support- ing the United States foreign policy goal of expanding communications between U.S. citizens and people from other countries. Along with EF High School Exchange Year fulltime professional staff, local coordinators in the community match stu- dents with host families, en- roll the students in high school, and provide students, schools, and host families with ongoing guidance and support throughout the ex- change experience. Headquartered in Cam- b r i d g e, Ma ss., E F H i gh School Exchange Year has been committed to promot- ing inter national under- standing and global aware- ness for over 30 years. Since 1979, the organization has matched more than 100,000 enthusiastic students from around the world with car- ing host families across the United States. EF High School Exchange Year is designated by the United States Department of State as an Exchange Program Sponsor. For more infor mation about hosting an internation- al exchange student, contact Leslie Melby at leslieefex- change@gorge.net or 541-490- 5617, or visit the EF High School Exchange Year website at www.efexchangeyear.org. WKO-High Cascade Mills - Are NOT recyclable locally. - Also known as ‘gable tops’, milk cartons and shelf-stable “aseptic containers (juice cartons) take too long to pulp up at Northwest paper mills, which are designed for newsprint. If you put milk cartons in recycling, they end up at the landfill and add cost to garbage/re- cycling service. - Purchase milk and juices in recyclable plastic containers if possible. Buying Logs & Timber Douglas Fir White Fir Pine Jeremy Beddingfield 541-399-3933 Norm Byars 541-490-2940 Mill: 509-427-8413 2022 Wind River Hwy • P.O. Box 8 Carson, WA 98610 Recycle Tips MILK CARTONS www.tricountyrecycle.com 541-506-2636
