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.
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By HILLARY BORRUD
Capital Bureau
6$/(0 ² 2UHJRQ RI¿-
cials and forest landowners
decided this week to renew
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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
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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
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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.
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getting anxious as the state
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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
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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
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revocation of her state
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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
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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
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reporting award
HERMISTON —
The city of Hermiston
was recognized for its
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the 23rd year in a row by
the Government Finance
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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
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