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East Oregonian
Friday, October 25, 2019
Librarians: Only 3 full-time librarians in Umatilla County school districts
Continued from Page A1
Media Services Brittany
Young fields questions from
students about plagiarism
and finding source material
for research projects, online
and in books.
She said the role of media
literacy stretches beyond
college and that being able
to scrutinize sources of
information can help online
shoppers and job-seekers
alike.
“As information technol-
ogy changes, we’re here to
walk you through. Not hav-
ing licensed librarians in
schools creates more gaps,”
she said.
Umatilla School District
did staff a full-time librarian
for years. When he retired,
Superintendent Heidi Sipe
said it was difficult to find
someone to fill that gap.
“There was just no one
out there with that library
media experience and cer-
tification,” she said. “We
used to do a pretty inten-
sive research curriculum for
kids, and a lot of media lit-
eracy. But now it really falls
on the teachers’ shoulders.”
For now, the district’s
English language teacher
splits his time between man-
aging the district’s libraries
and teaching kids.
The American Library
Association doesn’t list
any Oregon universities in
its database of accredited
schools. Young knows of
one university where peo-
ple can gain a Masters of
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Third-graders Aaron Manning, left, and Noah Aparicio read the book “What Do They Do With
All That Poo?” in the library at Highland Hills Elementary School on Thursday in Hermiston.
The books were part of a donation of books that the school received from Harley Swain Sub-
aru on Thursday morning.
Library Science, the Port-
land branch of Emporia
State University, a Kansas
school.
According to the ESU
website, 15.7% of their 2017
graduates worked in school
libraries nationwide.
Jennifer Maurer, a school
library consultant for Ore-
gon, estimates that based
off of Oregon’s 2018 Qual-
ity Education Model —
established to help legisla-
tors make funding decisions
about schools — districts
should have one half-time
licensed librarian for each
elementary school, and a
full-time licensed librar-
ian for all middle and high
schools.
Across Oregon, schools
are falling short of that and
have been for years. In 1980,
the ratio was 547 students
per librarian and 0.64 librar-
ians per school.
In 2017, according to the
ODE, it was 0.13 librarians
per school and 3,652 stu-
dents per librarian.
In Hermiston, the cur-
rent ratio — two full-time
licensed librarians to the
district’s 5,757 students —
is less dramatic.
Years ago, when district
secondary librarian Delia
Fields was still a teacher,
she remembers each of the
eight district schools had a
librarian.
Today, she’s in charge of
the high school and middle
schools, while first-year Ele-
mentary Library Coordina-
tor Miranda Hunt oversees
the five primary schools.
“It’s hard to learn names
and assess their needs,”
Hunt said. “I try my best.
What’s really surprised me
is how many kids come into
the library to read or learn to
research.”
She said she’s thankful
the district has media assis-
tants, who keep the librar-
ies alive day to day, as Hunt
travels between the five
schools every week.
Fields is a teaching-li-
brarian, which means she
has certification in both
library science and teach-
ing. She tries to dissemi-
nate knowledge to students
district-wide, sometimes by
emailing out lesson plans
about how to research.
“We’ve had to become
more creative,” she said.
“I’m here to do my part, but
in schools where there’s not
a librarian, the teachers do
what they can, when they
can, but that’s not part of
their curriculum.”
She also manages the
multi-thousand-dollar flow
of textbooks through the
district.
For Fields, who is also
the Region 6 representative
for the Oregon Association
of School Librarians, the
billion-dollar Student Suc-
cess Act, passed by state
legislators in May, could put
licensed librarians back into
schools.
She hopes districts will
pour some of their allotted
share into library resources,
and consider upping the
librarian staffing levels that
fell after the 2008 recession.
District
continuous
improvement plans, which
are part of the application
process for Student Success
Act money, are due to the
state by Dec. 6. They must
include information about
library programs, and some
districts may end up using
their portion of funds to pro-
pel libraries in schools.
Aaron Duff, the superin-
tendent of the Milton-Free-
water School District, said
the district does have an
on-site, full-time licensed
librarian, who was hired
internally.
“We were able to find
some dollars in the budget
that could align to (a librar-
ian),” he said. “But it’s the
same amount of money as
a teacher. It’s usually one of
the first things that have to
go.”
He thinks some Student
Success Act dollars could go
to keep that person in place
and sustain the program,
rather than add to it.
The Pendleton School
District has one part-time
licensed librarian, accord-
ing to Matt Yoshioka, the
district’s director of cur-
riculum, instruction and
assessment.
He said that the number
of students heading to the
library has decreased as stu-
dents research on in-class
Chromebook computers.
In an age where informa-
tion is available to anyone
with internet access, Fields
holds onto hope. She said
she could see how people
feel that they can navigate
new digital spaces on their
own.
“But (schools) are find-
ing that you still need the
qualified instruction to go
with it,” she said. “Librar-
ies are proving to be stron-
ger places of need than
ever before.”
Democrats: District 10 Senate seat in Salem up for grabs 2 years early
Continued from Page A1
Democrats are making a
play for the seat to keep or
expand their 18-12 superma-
jority in the Senate. Repub-
licans are seeking to bolster
Sen. Denyc Boles’ campaign
to retain the seat she was
appointed to in June. Of the
Senate seats that will be on
the 2020 ballot, nine are cur-
rently held by Republicans
and seven by Democrats.
Winters, a well-liked
moderate Republican, was
elected to the seat in 2002.
She was re-elected with lop-
sided victories despite Dem-
ocrats gaining a narrow vot-
er-registration advantage in
the district.
In 2018, Democrats had
their best showing in recent
years for the seat when Pat-
terson received 46% of the
vote. With the Senate seat
on the ballot next year amid
the high turnout of a presi-
dential election and without
an established incumbent,
Democrats see a chance.
“I really believe it’s a dif-
ferent race,” said Patterson.
Republicans are bullish
that they’ll be able to keep
the seat.
Jeff Heyen, chair of the
Marion County Republi-
can Party, said while a recall
against Gov. Kate Brown
failed to qualify earlier this
month, the effort gathered a
large number of signatures
in a short period of time. He
said the recall reflects strong
discontent with the state’s
Democratic
leadership
that’ll carry into next year’s
elections.
“People are fed up with
what the governor and our
Legislature are doing,” he
said.
Tom Powers, caucus
administrator of the Sen-
ate Democratic Leader-
ship Fund, pointed to sup-
port Boles has received from
groups like Oregon Right to
Life and the Oregon Fire-
arms Federation that he
said are out of step with the
Salem district. He also said
voters will hold Republicans
accountable for the highly
publicized walkout of Sen-
ate Republicans over cli-
mate change legislation last
session.
In an interview, Boles
declined to comment on the
walkout, pointing out that
she had yet to be appointed
to the Senate seat when
it occurred. Previously,
Boles worked as a legis-
lative staffer before being
appointed to a vacant House
seat in 2014. Boles did not
run to keep the seat. In 2018,
she was again appointed to
fill a vacancy for the same
House seat and successfully
ran for a full term.
Boles, 50, said she has
lived in the district for much
of her life and describes her-
self as a “limited-govern-
ment girl” who has long
maintained a Republican
registration. She said that
during her time in the Legis-
lature, she brought a collab-
orative approach, similar to
Winters.
She said she’s actively
reached out to constituents
while working on biparti-
san bills on school bully-
ing, mental health and issues
affecting “disenfranchised
people.”
“The Legislature is really
driven by relationships and
I’m good at relationships,”
said Boles, who works in
community relations for
Salem Health Hospitals &
Clinics.
Patterson, 63, has a back-
ground in health care advo-
cacy and currently serves as
a congregational minister.
She said that she’s running
on economic issues, such
as stagnant wages, as well
as the rising costs of health
care, college and housing.
Patterson, who has lived
in the district for about 10
years, said she’ll work col-
laboratively toward “win-
win” solutions.
“I believe we can get an
Oregon that works for every-
one,” she said.
Evan Sorce, chair of the
Marion County Democrats,
said he expects Patterson’s
message to go over well in
the district as its political
makeup has changed over
the years.
Although no other candi-
dates have filed to run, the
filing deadline is March 10,
2020.
In recent years, Demo-
crats have gained a small
voter registration edge. As of
December 2010, 38% of vot-
ers in the district were reg-
istered Republicans to 37%
that were registered Demo-
crats. As of December 2018,
31% of voters in the district
were registered Democrats
to Republicans’ 30%.
In the 2018 general elec-
tion, 69% of eligible voters
in the district participated.
Of those, 80% of Democrats
voted to 82% of Republicans.
Evan Ridley, political
director of the Leadership
Fund (the campaign arm of
Senate Republicans), said in
an email the fund is backing
Boles and is confident she’ll
be re-elected.
According to the state’s
campaign finance database,
Patterson has raised $12,765
in 2019 and has a cash bal-
ance of $20,581. Boles has
raised $31,070 in 2019 and
has a balance of $34,039.
Assault: 2 teenage boys arrested and charged with third-degree assault
Continued from Page A1
followed him.
He and Rossy crossed
the 10th Street Bridge with
the teen in tow on a scooter.
Wehrli said he popped up
his smartphone and began
videoing the pursuit and
relentless insults. He said
he wanted the video in case
he had to show evidence to
police.
Wehrli neared the Eighth
Street Bridge, and by now
a second youth joined the
first. The pair threatened
him, Wehrli said. They did
not care he had a dog. One
shouted that his buddy had
the right to beat him.
“I told them to go home,”
he said.
They closed on him.
“They both ganged up on
me, punched me, pushed me
into the side of the concrete
wall and one kicked me in
the head,” he said.
They shoved him over
the small retaining wall
along the levee and onto the
jagged rocks below, he said,
and they threw rocks at him
before taking off.
Wehrli gathered himself
and called 911. He made his
way to nearby Til Tayor Park
and met Pendleton police
officer Cody Porter. City
EMTs responded to check
out Wehrli, clean his inju-
ries and bandage his right
wrist. He still has scrapes
on that hand and wrist, deep
red scratches on a lower leg
and a scab at the top of his
forehead that could be from
the kick.
Porter gave Wehrli and
Rossy a ride to cruise west-
bound Court Avenue in
hopes of spotting the teens.
They entered the 700 block
of Southwest Court and
Wehrli saw them with two
girls.
Wehrli said the officer
asked if it was them. It was.
Pendleton Police Chief
Stuart Roberts said Porter
questioned the pair.
“They made statements
that are specific to them
being responsible for the
assault,” Roberts said.
Two
other
officers
showed up and put the cuffs
on the boys, who are 15
and 16. Roberts said police
eventually released them
to relatives, but because
this appears to be two-on-
one, they face the charge of
third-degree assault.
“We’re talking about fel-
ony assault in this situa-
tion,” he said.
The case now goes to
the Umatilla County Dis-
trict Attorney’s Office, and
the teens are old enough to
face prosecution as adults.
Wehrli said he wants the
law to punish them to the
full extent, and his family is
pushing for charges of sec-
ond-degree assault because
of the rock throwing.
Third-degree assault is a
Class C felony and carries
the threat of a prison sen-
tence up to five years and a
maximum fine of $125,000,
but jail time or probation
are more likely outcomes
for the crime. Second-de-
gree assault, however, falls
under Oregon’s mandatory
minimum prison sentenc-
ing law and carries a mini-
mum sentence of five years,
10 months.
Wehrli said he is recov-
ering from the assault, but
it shook him good. Family
and friends have been sup-
portive, he said, and Rossy
remains loving as ever. He
said he wants people to be
aware of what happened to
him.
Roberts called the case
odd. Sometimes teens
around this age “puff up”
and act tough, he said, but it
is not common for them to
just go after a 30-year-old
man. He also said nothing
points to Wehrli egging on
the youth or seeking out a
confrontation.
“This guy wasn’t look-
ing for any trouble and
didn’t want any part of it,”
Roberts said.
Some commenters on
social media in the wake of
the assault have painted the
parkway as unsafe. Roberts
said he does not have police
data to substantiate those
assertions.
“Assaults on the River
Parkway are rare, maybe a
couple times a year,” he said.
The parkway has issues,
and people complain about
the homeless population on
or along the parkway, but
Roberts said few people
report problems as crime
on the parkway, including
assault.
The police chief also
added Wehrli or anyone
else faced with an attacker
“would have been justified
to defend himself by what-
ever means necessary.”
Voter: Hermiston School District superintendent answered bond measure questions
Continued from Page A1
cost of a primary race and
shortening the amount of
time between when a com-
missioner is elected and
when they take office.
“Elections cost money,”
Elfering said.
If there are more than two
candidates who file, they will
appear on the ballot in May,
and the top two vote-getters
will advance to a general
election in November.
Wednesday’s forum was
also attended by Hermis-
ton School District Superin-
tendent Tricia Mooney, who
answered audience ques-
tions about the bond mea-
sure appearing on Hermis-
ton ballots.
If passed, the $82.7 mil-
lion bond plus $6.6 million
in matching funds from the
state would pay for replace-
ment of Rocky Heights Ele-
mentary School, a new ele-
mentary school on Theater
Lane and a new annex added
to the high school. It is not
expected to raise the current
school bond tax rate of $3.65
per $1,000 of assessed value,
and would be paid off within
26 years.
In answer to a ques-
tion about whether the city
and county giving Ama-
zon a break on property
taxes would affect the bond,
Mooney said the planned
development, while located
in Hermiston’s enterprise
zone, is actually located in
the boundaries of Stanfield
School District, not Herm-
iston’s, and the tax dollars
would have gone there.
“Hermiston School Dis-
trict would not see any
money from that,” she said.
However, Amazon has
agreed to donate $50,000 a
year to Hermiston School
District, in recognition that
its employees will likely
have children in the dis-
trict. Since the money is
considered a voluntary gift,
not tax revenue, it will not
count against the amount
of per-student dollars the
school district gets from the
state each year.
In answer to other ques-
tions about the bond,
Mooney shared that the new
elementary schools would
likely open two years after
the bond’s passage. Whether
or not the bond passes, she
said, the district will need
to go through the process of
adjusting boundaries for the
elementary schools within
the next two years.
She said in response to
feedback from voters, this
bond will not go toward any
deferred maintenance, such
as the new roof for Sand-
stone Middle School that
was included in the 2017
bond that did not pass.
“We did some tightening
of the belt and fixed that roof
using general fund dollars,”
Mooney said.