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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 2015)
REGION Thursday, January 29, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A Oregon man who Students celebrate School Choice Week NLOOHGRI¿FHUVHHNV parole after reversal HERMISTON By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Hit the bowling alley in the middle of the school day? Not a problem for students of the Oregon Connections Academy. National School Choice Week was alive and well in Hermiston on Wednesday at Desert Lanes Bowling Alley, where a handful of families showed up sporting the movement’s signature yellow scarves. The students at the event were all enrolled in Oregon Connections Acad- emy, Oregon’s largest online charter school based in Scio. Jennifer Malcolm, a Hermiston mom of four, said she made the deci- sion to pull her kids out of their local public schools and enroll them online because of her son Briton, who was of- WHQ ¿QLVKHG ZLWK KLV ZRUN EHIRUH KLV classmates, was “incredibly bored.” “He also had some health issues, so keeping him at home seemed a good option, but I didn’t want to go it alone,” she said. Malcolm said having her children — currently in ninth, seventh, fourth DQG¿UVWJUDGH²DWWHQGDYLUWXDODFDG- HP\ JLYHV WKH IDPLO\ ÀH[LELOLW\ EXW also provides more structure and ac- countability than independent homes- chooling. Attending school online isn’t as IUHHVSLULWHGRIDQH[SHULHQFHDVVRPH people imagine. Students might be able to choose what time of day to work through lessons, but they still contend with quizzes, homework, deadlines, VWDWHWHVWVJUDGHVWH[WERRNVDQGSURM- ects within a semester framework. Malcolm said her children start school after an early breakfast, each of them working on one of the family’s four computers until anywhere from noon to 2 p.m. “I try to keep them pretty struc- tured,” she said. Her daughter Ashlin, 12, said she Staff photo by Jade McDowell Ashlin Malcolm, 12, bowls during a School Choice Week event at Desert Lanes Bowling Alley. likes online school better than sitting in a classroom. “You can go at your own pace,” she said. “If you do something in a normal classroom you have to wait for the oth- er kids to get done before going on.” Brianne Bishop, a sophomore at Or- egon Connections Academy, said she liked attending school online because LWJDYHKHUWKHÀH[LELOLW\WRGRDZLGH UDQJH RI H[WUDFXUULFXODU DFWLYLWLHV OLNH the Willow Creek Symphony without having to miss class for daytime events or travel. “I don’t have to take time off school. I don’t have to get a note to be absent,” she said. She also gets a more diverse selec- tion of elective classes to choose from. Last semester she took Japanese. Carrie Spalione said she enrolled her son Ronn, a high school senior, and his older brothers in the online academy for a number of reasons, in- cluding the fact that the family has had to move frequently and the moves wouldn’t disrupt Ronn’s online classes like they would a regular public school H[SHULHQFH She said even though Oregon Con- nections Academy has teachers hold- ing their students accountable and handing out grades, parents are also H[SHFWHG WR DFW DV ³OHDUQLQJ FRDFKHV´ by helping their student avoid distrac- tions and procrastination at home. “I’ve heard the success rate of these kinds of schools depends on the par- ents’ involvement,” she said. As for the oft-cited concern about social opportunities, Oregon Connec- tions Academy and other online char- ter schools organize regional events like the bowling activity Wednesday. Students present at the event also cited DOLVWRIH[WUDFXUULFXODUDFWLYLWLHVWKH\ participated in, including performance groups, Boy Scouts, church youth groups and sports teams. Ronn Spalione said he likes being a virtual academy student. “It’s pretty nice,” he said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdow- ell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564- 4536. SALEM (AP) — An Or- egon man who killed a po- OLFHRI¿FHULQDSSHDUHG before the Board of Parole after it reversed a decision to release him, saying he feared for the safety of his family that night after the victim used pepper-spray and failed to identify him- self. The hearing Tuesday came after Sidney Dean Porter was granted parole in May 2013 and the deci- sion was overturned a few months later after Gov. John Kitzhaber and law enforce- PHQWREMHFWHG 3RUWHU¶VQH[WUHOHDVHGDWH ZRXOG EH -XQH LI WKH SD- role panel rules in his favor. Porter acknowledged to the three-member board that he was an abusive drunk back in 1992. Porter said he struck his wife with the back of his hand during a night of heavy drinking in April of that year. -RKQ 'D\ SROLFH RI¿FHU )UDQN:DUGUHVSRQGHGDIWHU a neighbor called 911 to re- port the sound of a woman crying for help. Porter told the board that :DUG QHYHU LGHQWL¿HG KLP- VHOIDVDQRI¿FHUUHSHDWHGO\ shot pepper spray into his eyes, and that Porter feared for his and his family’s safe- ty as he and Ward wrestled RQWKHÀRRU “I felt threatened — it scared the hell out of me,” Porter told the panel and a crowd of about 30 people in the visiting room at the Ore- gon State Correctional Insti- tution. The crowd included Ward’s widow, Debra Ward. Porter said he stopped ¿JKWLQJ ZKHQ KH UHDOL]HG :DUGZDVDQRI¿FHU%XWKH said, Ward pepper-sprayed him again, prompting him WR OXQJH DW WKH RI¿FHU 7R- gether, they slammed into a wood stove and a stack of ¿UHZRRG7KDW¶VZKHQ:DUG stopped moving, Porter said. Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter said Porter repeatedly smashed :DUGLQWKHKHDGZLWK¿UH- wood. “He doesn’t seem to recall that he smashed the wood down on Mr. Ward’s head,” Carpenter said. “He FRQWLQXHVE\MXVWLI\LQJGH- nying and minimizing his actions.” One reason cited for the 2013 parole reversal was that Porter didn’t have a plan to prevent a relapse into drinking, if released. He said Tuesday he would live on his sister’s ranch in remote Monument, PLOHVIURP-RKQ'D\DQG regularly attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Debra Ward, meanwhile, asked the board to keep her husband’s killer in prison for life. “Every time you open this up, it hurts,” she said. “This is going to haunt me the rest of my life.” PENDLETON MISSION 206,H[KLELWRSHQV)HEDW7DPDVWVOLNW Student brings airsoft Resort & Casino. The open- ing day is free to the public. Roots of Wisdom will Now more than ever, pop- ulations across the globe face VKRZ H[DPSOHV RI VXFFHVV- serious challenges meeting IXO SURMHFWV WKDW LQFRUSRUDWH basic human needs in main- both traditional ecological taining sustainable food sup- knowledge and western sci- plies, clean drinking water ence. The displays introduce and healthy communities. visitors to diverse landscapes, These challenges have in- including tropical mountains, spired innovative solutions mighty rivers, ancient forests from diverse cultures work- and coastal inlets. Visitors will learn how ing together. In Roots of Wisdom: Na- time-tested practices and tive Knowledge. Shared tools of traditional land man- Science ² DQ XSFRPLQJ H[- agement and resource use in hibit at Tamastslikt Cultural concert with western science Institute — visitors will learn and technology are restoring how native communities are waterways, creating sustain- using their traditional knowl- able food supplies, helping HGJH LQ FRQMXQFWLRQ ZLWK save endangered species, cutting-edge science to suc- solving health problems and cessfully address some of the reviving cultural practices. Roots of Wisdom: Native most pressing issues facing Knowledge. Shared Science society today. The Oregon Museum of is specially designed for fam- 6FLHQFH ,QGXVWU\ H[KLEL- ilies and youth ages 11-14. It tion tells the story through runs through May 2. Regular admission to the the voices of tribal elders and youth from diverse American museum, which is good for Indian and Hawaiian cultures. two consecutive days, is $10 It includes hands-on interac- IRUDGXOWVIRUVHQLRUV tive displays, custom video IRU\RXWKVDJHVIUHHIRU games, audio and video con- ages 5 and under or $25 for a family of four. There’s no tent and engaging graphics. 7KH H[KLELW RSHQV )ULGD\ FKDUJHIRU)LUVW)ULGD\V )RUPRUHLQIRUPDWLRQFDOO )HEIURPDPWRSP at Tamastslikt Cultural Insti- RU YLVLW ZZZ tute, located near Wildhorse tamastslikt.org. guns onto school bus East Oregonian East Oregonian A Sunridge Middle School student carrying two airsoft guns on a school bus Tuesday inadvertently halted an otherwise routine route in Pendleton. According to a Pendle- ton School District press release, the student intend- ed to transport them after school to a family member’s home. Not knowing that the guns were airsoft, at least one student alerted the bus driver after the student got off the bus at the Lincoln Primary School stop. In accordance with dis- trict policy, the driver im- mediately stopped the bus and called his superiors at the Mid Columbia Bus Co., who then alerted the Pendle- ton Police Department. After taking statements from the students, police Photo contributed by OMSI The Roots of Wisdom exhibit provides hands-on ac- tivities and displays about how native communities are using traditional knowledge in conjunction with cutting-edge science to address some of the most pressing issues facing society today. The OMSI exhibit opens Friday, Feb. 6 at Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. were able to locate the stu- dent and determine that they were airsoft guns. While Assistant Superin- tendent Tricia Mooney said she couldn’t comment on the issue because it would YLRODWH WKH IHGHUDO )DPLO\ Educational Rights and Pri- vacy Act, she said the inci- dent fell under the “replica weapons” section of the dis- trict’s disciplinary policy. The policy states that any student carrying a repli- ca weapon on campus or a VFKRROEXVLVVXEMHFWWRVHL- zure or forfeiture. Under the same policy, EULQJLQJD¿UHDUPRQVFKRRO JURXQGV UHTXLUHV H[SXOVLRQ of the student for at least one year, although the policy is unclear if an airsoft gun TXDOL¿HVDVD¿UHDUP Any other weapons vio- lations mandate discipline XSWRH[SXOVLRQRUDUHIHUUDO to local authorities. All You Can Eat Seafood Feast! February 7 • 6:00 pm • $30.00 Proceeds to benefit Pendleton Elks’ Scholarship Program BRIEFLY CREZ approves $1.2 million for improvements BOARDMAN — The Columbia River Enterprise Zone approved nearly $1.2 million in funding for Morrow County community organizations in 2014. The CREZ committee met Dec. 19 and agreed to split the awards into four categories: education, housing, public safety and community enhancement. Upon distribution, each organization is responsible for using CREZ dollars for VSHFL¿FSURMHFWVRUJUDQW programs. Groups receiving CREZ funding include: • Morrow Education )RXQGDWLRQ • Willow Creek Valley Economic Development *URXS • Boardman Community Development Association: $200,000 • Irrigon (administered by BCDA): $125,000 %RDUGPDQ5XUDO)LUH 3URWHFWLRQ'LVWULFW • Boardman Police 'HSDUWPHQW • Morrow County 6KHULII¶V2I¿FH • Morrow County Health 'LVWULFW The enterprise zone is made up of two representatives each from Morrow County, the Port of Morrow and city of Boardman. It is managed by Morrow County Planning Director Carla 0F/DQHDQGSURYLGHVWD[ incentives to businesses making new investments in the region. Blue Mountain Alliance to hold annual meeting 0,/721)5((:$7(5 ²7KHQRQSUR¿W%OXH0RXQ- tain Alliance will hold its annual meeting Wednesday, )HEDWWKH0LOWRQ)UHH- water Public Library in the building’s Albee Room. Discussions will include a brief analysis of the proposed revised Blue Mountains )RUHVW3ODQDQGLWVLPSDFWRQ the region. Mike Denny, of the Blue Mountain Audu- bon Society, will also give a presentation on challenges facing native birds and their habitat. The Blue Mountain Alli- ance is focused on protecting natural resources in the Blue Mountains and local sur- rounding areas. The meeting is open to the public, and new members are welcome. The meeting will begin DWSPDWWKHOLEUDU\ S.W. Eighth Ave. Pepsi Primetime @ the Museum Kids+Art = Fun! • Oyster Stew • 1/2 lb. Sausage • 1/2 lb. Shrimp • 1/2 lb. Steamer Clams • Ear Corn • Gourmet Potatoes • Bread Pendleton Elks Lodge #288 14 SE 3rd, Pendleton 541-969-2765 • 541-276-3882 Join us Superbowl Sunday! February 1 st in our Lounge Food & Beverage Specials Lounge opens at 1:30 pm January 31 1pm FREE! 3 0 4 S E N y e Av e . , P e n d l e t o n , O R re d l i o n. c o m • 5 4 1-27 6-6111 FIRST FRIDAYS ARE FREE! Open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm 541.429.7700 www.tamastslikt.org Don't forget we're open for lunch daily 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
