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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2015)
REGION Friday, April 17, 2015 East Oregonian HERMISTON School district makes music a priority Emphasis on the arts earns Hermiston second award By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian As school budgets have shrunk, music education has faded in most communities. It’s a different story in Hermiston. The Hermiston School District has chosen to con- tinue to fund a separate full- time music teacher for each of its elementary and middle schools, as well as band and choir directors at the high school. “It’s an incredibly import- ant component to the edu- cation of the whole child,” said Mike Kay, operations director and former activities director for the district. That dedication to giving kids access to multiple hours of music instruction a week is one reason why Hermiston School District was the only district in Oregon to receive a “Best Community for Music Education” award from the National Association of Mu- sic Merchants this year. The district received the same award in 2014, which looks at factors like funding and teacher quality. Kay said fundamentals like math and reading are important, but students are better educated when those classes are paired with an exposure to music, physical education and other subjects outside of the core curricu- lum. “It’s an opportunity to ex- plore,” he said. He said the district is proud not only of the quan- tity of music classes it has continued to fund, but also Staff photo by E.J. Harris Flautists in the combined six-grade band play during the performance of “Pioneers! O Pioneers!” last February in Hermiston. Hermiston School District was the only district in Oregon to receive a “Best Community for Music Education” award from the National Association of Music Merchants this year. the quality. “Our instructors are doing an incredible job,” he said. Music students in Hermis- ton are often given the oppor- tunity to perform outside of school concerts. Next week the middle school bands will play at the Cherry Fes- tival parade in The Dalles, and next year the Hermiston High School band is taking a trip San Diego to play in the Holiday Bowl parade. At the elementary level, music teacher Dean Mason at Sunset Elementary School said classes include singing, experimenting with instru- ments, learning to write mu- sic and dancing. Mason, who plays the keyboard by ear, likes making up songs with the children or playing fa- miliar tunes for them to sing along. “If someone is in a bad mood, music usually perks them up,” he said. “Most of them like the signing.” Studies have shown that music classes improve students’ academic perfor- mance, and Mason said he KDV VHHQ EHQH¿WV IURP FHU- tain exercises, such as having students listen to a rhythm he taps out and then write it out in the form of musical notes. “It seems to help in their classroom work too, with their ability to listen and re- spond,” he said. For most students, their time in band or choir will remain with them into adult- hood as merely an enriching hobby, but some Hermiston alumni have translated those skills into a career. Kelly Kuo, class of 1990, has conducted more than 75 operas and currently works as the music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orches- tra, artistic director of the Oregon Mozart Players and music director and conductor of the Butler Opera Center in Austin, Texas. Another notable name is R. Joseph Scott, who started the Hermiston Symphony while still in high school in the 1950s, then went on to found and conduct the Bel- levue Philharmonic Orches- tra in Bellevue, Washington for 30 years, before conduct- ing another 16 seasons with the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra. Ron Blessinger, class of 1983, is a violinist for the Oregon Symphony and the music director of Third An- gle Musical Ensemble. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. 2UHJRQRI¿FLDOVUHQHZZLOG¿UHLQVXUDQFH By HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau 6$/(0 ² 2UHJRQ RI¿- cials and forest landowners decided this week to renew WKHVWDWH¶VZLOG¿UHLQVXUDQFH despite costly changes to the policy. Under this year’s plan, the state’s deductible will more than double from $20 mil- lion to $50 million. The cost increase followed two severe ¿UH VHDVRQV LQ ZKLFK 2UH- JRQ ¿OHG FODLPV IRU WKH IXOO amount of coverage offered under its insurance policy. Rod Nichols, a spokes- man for the Oregon Depart- ment of Forestry, wrote in an email Thursday that “the deal LV RI¿FLDOO\ RQ´ DIWHU VWDWH RI¿FLDOV DFFHSWHG WKH SROLF\ offered by Lloyd’s, the Lon- don insurance market. On Monday, a committee of forest landowners voted unanimously to purchase the policy, according to a letter from the group to State For- ester Doug Decker. 2UHJRQ¶V XQLTXH ZLOG¿UH insurance policy covers the VWDWH¶V¿UH¿JKWLQJFRVWVRQFH they exceed the deductible. This year, insurers said they would issue a policy with $25 million in coverage, which would kick in after the state spends at least $50 mil- OLRQRQZLOG¿UHVXSSUHVVLRQ That $50 million, plus the $3.75 million premium, will now be built into the Oregon Department of Forestry bud- get. )RUHVWU\RI¿FLDOVKDGEHHQ getting anxious as the state KHDGHGLQWR¿UHVHDVRQDQGD ¿IWK\HDURIGURXJKWZLWKRXW the policy, and budget writers in the state Legislature also needed to know whether the state would buy the policy. “Our budget is current- ly in the Legislature, so it’s DOZD\V D UDFH WR WKH ¿QLVK´ Nichols said Thursday. ——— The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. BRIEFLY Former dispatcher misused police data system PENDLETON — A former dispatcher for the Umatilla County 6KHULII¶V2I¿FHLVIDFLQJ revocation of her state FHUWL¿FDWLRQDIWHU she abused the state’s Law Enforcement Data System. Alison Revoir was a dispatcher from June 2007 to March 2014 when she resigned during an investigation, according to Umatilla &RXQW\RI¿FLDOVDQGWKH Telecommunications Policy Committee of the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training. The committee met Feb. 4 at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, Salem, and discussed Revoir’s case, among other issues. Oregon State Police maintains the system to law enforcement agencies statewide to share and access information, which includes criminal history and driver information. The meeting minutes did not reveal how Revoir abused the system but that she did so on many occassions. Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan and county counsel Doug Olsen also did not specify what she did. The committee found Revoir was not insubordinate nor dishonest, but her behavior involved gross misconduct, misuse of authority and “disregard for the rights of others when Revoir violated citizens privacy by accessing protected information multiple times.” The committee also noted the “sheer number of and intentional and knowing violations of LEDS policies” put the VKHULII¶VRI¿FHDFFHVVWR LEDS at risk. The committee recommended revocation of her telecommunication and emergency medical GLVSDWFKHUFHUWL¿FDWLRQ and that she not be able to reapply for up to 15 years. The state Board on Public Safety Standards and Training will consider the recommendations when it meets Thursday at the Oregon Public Safety Academy. Hermiston UHFHLYHV¿QDQFLDO reporting award HERMISTON — The city of Hermiston was recognized for its ¿QDQFLDOUHSRUWLQJIRU the 23rd year in a row by the Government Finance 2I¿FHUV$VVRFLDWLRQ 7KH&HUWL¿FDWH of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting is the highest award in governmental DFFRXQWLQJDQG¿QDQFLDO reporting, according to a news release from the city. Hermiston received the award for its annual ¿QDQFLDOUHSRUWNQRZQDV the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. An impartial panel judges the format and content of municipalities’ CAFR report on their “spirit of full disclosure” to the public. M-F chamber plans special luncheon MILTON-FREEWATER — In recognition of Administrative Professional’s Day, a special lunch and program is planned by the Milton- Freewater Chamber of Commerce. The event is Wednesday, April 22 at noon. Tickets are $14 per person. In addition, door prizes are still being accepted for the event. For more information, call Susan Dohrmann at 509-520-2104. ——— Briefs are compiled from staff and wire reports, and press releases. Email press releases to news@ eastoregonian.com THEY KNOW what’s going on in state government Rachel Dagley Business Health Farm Life Rachel Dagley Commercial & Farm Agent 541/276-2302 • 800/225-2521 The Stratton Agency Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com Live Music at t FRIDAY, APRIL 17 Dakota Brown SATURDAY, APRIL 18 Tyler Brooks 9 PM - M IDNIGHT 541.278.1100 8 S.E. COURT, PENDLETON Page 3A Isn’t it time YOU did? O regon Ca pita l In sider is con cise origin a l reportin g on sta te govern m en t a ctivity, people a n d tren ds delivered w eek ly via e-m a il FREE THREE-WEEK sample subscription OregonCapitalInsider.com • 844-297-8634