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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2015)
REGION Wednesday, February 18, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A Schools wait to see what new governor means for them By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian As Oregon prepares to change governors mid-term, school districts are one of many public entities left wondering what the change will mean for them. Brown isn’t giving away much about her plans after she is sworn in as governor on Wednesday, but Hermiston School District superin- tendent Dr. Fred Maiocco said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the transition. “Kate Brown has a great back- ground with education,” Maiocco said. “She has been more involved with education than any previous secretary of state that I’m aware of.” BRIEFLY Handbag designer shows off spring line in Pendleton PENDLETON — A handbag designer whose line includes a model that refers to the Poverty Flats farm where he grew up, is showing his spring line this weekend in Pendleton. Rian Berry, who has a showroom on Fifth Avenue in New York, will be at Marla June’s Clothing Co. Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 217 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. People are invited to stop by to shop and get handbags autographed. The local store was the ¿UVWWRFDUU\KLVOLQH years ago and continues to sell Rian and Poverty Flats handbags. For more information, contact 541-276-0778 or marlajunes@eotnet.net. Harris Junior Academy announces open house event PENDLETON — The public is invited to meet teachers, administrators and the board chairman of Harris Junior Academy. An open house event is planned for people to also visit classrooms and learn about Student Education Connection opportunities for home-schoolers, online and web-based courses or students just wanting to enrich their current academic program. The open house is Saturday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 3121 S.W. Hailey Ave., Pendleton. For more information, call 541-276-0615 or visit www. harrisjunioracademy.org. HHS band director is soloist for weekend concerts Paul Dunsmoor, a saxophonist with the Inland Northwest Musicians, is the featured soloist in a pair of weekend concerts. The program includes “On the Steppes of Central Asia” by Alexander Borodin, “Symphony in D Minor” by Cesar Franck and “Concerto in E-Flat Major” by Alexander Glazunov. The free concerts are Saturday at 4 p.m. at Condon High School, 210 E. Bayard St., and Sunday DWSPDW6WDQ¿HOG Elementary School, 1120 N. Main St. Dunsmoor is in his third year as the Hermiston High School band director and has been playing alto saxophone for 15 years. He studied music at Oregon State University. Inland Northwest Musicians was founded in 1999 by a group of instrumentalists and vocalists. Their ensembles have performed more than 300 concerts in Eastern Oregon and southeast Washington. There is no charge for concerts, but donations are accepted. For more information, contact 541-289-4696, inwm@machmedia. net or visit www. inlandnorthwestmusicians. com. ——— Submit information to: community@eastoregonian. com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541- 564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions. One of her most recent forays came when she initiated an audit of Oregon middle schools last year. Her job as secretary of state includes auditing government agencies to ¿QGZD\VWRLQFUHDVHWKHLUHI¿FLHQF\ and she chose to take on both teach- er development and the “opportuni- ty gap” for low income and minority students in Oregon schools. The Oregon Education Associa- tion contributed $25,000 to Brown’s last campaign for secretary of state. Maiocco said he would certainly be happy to see Brown endorse the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators’ $7.5 billion educa- tion budget instead of the $6.69 bil- lion for K-12 education proposed by outgoing governor John Kitzhaber. “The budget proposed by Kitzhaber was absolutely inade- quate and would not cover any of the roll-up costs we have,” Maiocco said. He said the bump up from last biennium’s $6.65 billion to $6.69 billion would fall short of covering the switch to full-day kindergarten and other cost increases. Under Kitzhaber, the legislature passed sweeping education reforms that put education more squarely un- der the governor’s control, starting with the creation of the Oregon Ed- ucation Investment Board and chief HGXFDWLRQ RI¿FHU WR SURYLGH EURDG oversight of education. The OEIB is chaired by the governor, who also appoints all of its members, and the board is responsible for hiring and ¿ULQJ WKH FKLHI HGXFDWLRQ RI¿FHU The governor also now picks the state schools superintendent, who in the past was selected by voters. Brown could choose to clean house and put all new people in those positions. Under Kitzhaber the legislature also took steps to beef up early child- hood education and created the 40- 40-20 plan, which sets a goal for a 100 percent graduation rate by 2025, with 40 percent of students going on to a four-year degree and 40 percent earning a two-year degree. Tricia Mooney, assistant su- perintendent for Pendleton School District, said Brown may choose to continue those initiatives or present some of her own, but the district is “not going to abandon” the work it has done in recent years to improve graduation and third grade reading rates. “No matter how you package it, there is going to be a focus on get- ting kids to graduate and early learn- ing,” she said. Mooney also said that Kitzhaber’s education budget is not enough to meet the district’s needs, although staff haven’t laid out exactly what would be cut if that budget passes. “Right now we’re in a waiting game,” she said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmc- dowell@eastoregonian.com or 541- 564-4536. Columbia Gorge wind farms could store power in reservoir GOLDENDALE, Wash. (AP) — A small utility plans a $2.5 billion water reservoir system near Goldendale as a way to store energy generat- ed by Columbia River Gorge wind farms. The pumped storage sys- tem would pump water up- hill when there’s electricity to spare and release it through turbines to generate power when it’s needed. The Klickitat Public Utili- ty District has begun applying for a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commis- sion, Yakima Herald-Republic reported Tuesday. With just 11,000 custom- ers, the utility doesn’t need a facility of that size, but it has the site to build one. It would be located at the site of an aluminum smelter that closed more than a decade ago. Major transmission lines are nearby. Although it’s near the John Day Dam, the project would have little impact on the Co- lumbia River. It would be a closed system, recirculating the water between one lower and two upper reservoirs. The only water needed would be to replace evaporation. The system will use more electricity than it generates. The advantage is the ability to sell the power when it’s in de- mand and prices rise, project leader Brian Skeahan said. The PUD is hoping larger utilities in Oregon and Cali- fornia will invest in the proj- ect. Getting the backers, li- FHQVHDQGSHUPLWVDQG¿QLVK- ing smelter clean-up work is likely to be a long process. The PUD hopes to begin con- struction in 2020. AP Photo/Yakima Herald-Republic, Gordon King In a Feb. 10 photo, Randy Knowles, a Klickitat PUD commissioner, walks back from a rocky outcrop overlooking the landscape east of Goldendale, Wash. where the PUD wants to build a system of small reservoirs for power generation. The PUD is applying for a federal license for the project. MILTON-FREEWATER Parsons named queen, Pioneer Posse announces 2015 royalty court and is active in FFA. Stub- EOH¿HOG LV WDNLQJ WKUHH KRQ- ors classes and in the future hopes to attend Washington Natalie Parsons of Walla State University and study Walla was recently crowned veterinary medicine. queen of the 2015 Mil- 6WXEEOH¿HOG ULGHV WKUHH ton-Freewater Pioneer Pos- horses: Rain, a 22-year-old se. Joining her on the royalty paint mare, Satin, a 11-year- court are Karissa Stubble- old paint mare and a 12-year- ¿HOG RI :DOOD :DOOD DQG old paint gelding named Ha- Oceane Schreier of Pendle- gen. ton. Through her participation The young ladies were in the Pioneer Posse, Stub- introduced during the annual EOH¿HOGKRSHVWRLQVSLUHRWK- meeting of the Pioneer Posse er young people to ride and Feb. 7 at the Milton-Freewa- Photo contributed by Jon Schreier give back to the community. ter Community Center. Oceane Schreier, 15, is Natalie Parsons, 14, is the Milton-Freewater Pioneer Posse queen Natalie Par- daughter of Chris and Tina sons, center, is pictured with princesses Karissa Stub- the daughter of Jon and La- Parsons. She also has an blefield and Oceane Schreier. Coronation for the 2015 etitia Schreier. She enjoys court was held earlier this month at the Mil- camping and skiing with her 11-year-old brother, Logan. royalty ton-Freewater Community Center. family. The family enjoys archery, She is a sophomore at hunting and spending time in ners in the show arena, Par- this year while being on the sons is looking forward to Pioneer Royalty Court,” she Pendleton High School, the outdoors. where she is enrolled in sev- She is a freshman at participating in parades and said. .DULVVD 6WXEEOH¿HOG eral honors classes, plays College Place High School rodeos with Patriot. Parsons comes from is the daughter of Cheryl and in the symphony band and where she is the Associated Student Body vice president a family of Pioneer Pos- 7RGG 6WXEEOH¿HOG +HU VLE- is a member of the Foreign and captain of the girls’ bas- se royalty, including her lings include Kole, 12, and Language Club. In addition, Schreier has lettered in cross great-grandmother Betty Ireland, 9. ketball team. 6WXEEOH¿HOG LV D IUHVK- country, swimming and track Parsons also enjoys Parsons, her grandmother spending time with her horse Lindsey Henry and great- man at College Place High DQG ¿HOG $OVR VKH SDUWLF- School and is the ASB pres- Rich Rocket Wrangler, who aunt Pam Johnson. “I hope to honor them ident. She plays basketball also goes by Patriot. As part- By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian ipated with the Born in the Barn 4-H Club for two years, earning high points reserve at the Umatilla County Fair. She has worked with her horse, Black, for three years, training her from green broke to a well-mannered horse to be part of the Posse. Established in 1950, the Milton-Freewater Pioneer 3RVVH LV D QRQSUR¿W RUJD- nization that encourages horseback riding while pro- moting good sportsmanship. The girls will represent the Pioneer Posse and the city of Milton-Freewater through- out the year by attending pa- rades, luncheons, rodeos and other speaking engagements. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/pi- oneerposse or contact board president Jessica Peters at jjewelsandmore@hotmail. com or 509-520-9813. ——— Contact Community Ed- itor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4539 P SYCHOLOGICAL S ERVICES OF P ENDLETON , LLC www.pendletonpsych.com 541-278-2222 STUDENT OF THE WEEK Stephanie Madrigal R IVERSIDE H IGH S CHOOL Stephanie, a senior at Riverside Jr/Sr High School in Boardman, is the eldest daughter of Saul Madrigal and Maricela Mendoza. Stephanie has attended school for the last 12 years in Boardman and has earned the honor of being this year’s Valedictorian. Stephanie has maintained a 4.0 throughout her high school career while being active in volleyball and tennis, choir, National Honor Society, student council, and Key Club. In addition to this Stephanie has taken summer college classes each year at Eastern and taken advantage of all the college classes offered at Riverside and as a result will have completed her associate’s degree this spring as well.Stephanie plans to attend the University of Portland in the fall and major in business. Proudly Sponsored by Working Every Day for a Healthy Community 541-667-3400 • 610 NW 11 th • Hermiston