Wallowa County Chieftain
News/Community
wallowa.com
February 25, 2015
A3
School run by
BHF also helping
homeless students
we’ve moved here because
we’ve realized we’re all we’ve
got.”
ENTERPRISE — At the
During the tourist season
Alternative Education school Tyler works at a local restau-
run by Building Healthy Fam- rant. “I wash dishes and bus
ilies, “Tyler” and his brother a lot of tables. I like working.
“Matt” (both names are pseud- School is basically half-day
onyms here) are the school’s and working gave me struc-
two homeless students. Ty- ture and kept me going,” Tyler
ler’s mother cannot provide a said.
Other than attending a
home for the brothers, so they
temporarily “couch-surf” at school outside of Oregon for a
separate residences while their year, the Alt Ed school in En-
mother stays with co-workers. terprise provided all the boys’
“Our mother’s been trying high school education.
2WKHU WKDQ ¿QGLQJ SHUPD-
WR ¿QG XV D KRPH IRU TXLWH
some time. She’s trying, and nent housing, Tyler’s imme-
I’m just like ‘it’s OK, mom.’ GLDWH JRDOV LQFOXGH ¿QLVKLQJ
It’s not easy, especially out high school and attending
community college with the
here,” Tyler said.
Tyler and his brother re- KRSH RI HYHQWXDOO\ ¿QGLQJ
PDLQTXLWHFORVH³:H¶UHEDVL- employment as a tattoo artist
cally attached at the hip since and opening his own shop.
By S.F. Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Steve Tool/Chieftain
Alt Ed school students Alex Johnson, left, and Savannah Barreto work on a class art project.
Building Healthy Families
keeping students on track
By S.F. Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Students mill around the
class area while the volume of
incessant chatter rises.
“All right, you know this
is time for art class, which
means it’s time to sit down
and get busy.”
Instant silence follows ex-
FHSWIRUWKHVKXIÀHRIVWXGHQWV
getting into their seats. The
authoritative voice belongs to
Maria Weer, executive direc-
tor of Building Healthy Fam-
ilies, currently in her role as
chief instructor for Wallowa
County Alternative Educa-
WLRQ :HHU KROGV FHUWL¿FDWLRQ
as both an English and science
instructor.
Alt Ed, as it is called, con-
tributes to the county’s high
school graduation rates by
taking on students who don’t
QHFHVVDULO\¿WLQWRWUDGLWLRQDO
classrooms. “We have some
kids and parents pushing for
another name because Alt Ed
has negative connotations,”
Weer said.
The program is in the
midst of its sixth year. Four
students from Joseph and 12
from Enterprise participate
in the program. Although the
program is open to Wallowa
school students, transporta-
tion costs tend to discourage
their participation.
“There was a need, and
we’d shown enough success
that the other schools were in-
terested. Now it goes on a slot
system where schools buy X
number of slots for the year,”
Weer said.
Unlike the county’s tradi-
tional schools, Alt Ed runs on
half days, four days per week
starting at 8 a.m. and ending
at 1 p.m. The 8 a.m. start in-
cludes providing students
with breakfast. “We have a
lot of students who work, and
the hours are more conducive
with a work schedule,” Weer
said.
Sophomore student Jake
(DYHVKDGGLI¿FXOW\¿WWLQJLQ
at both Enterprise and Joseph
Steve Tool/Chieftain
Student Jake Eaves found
success once he joined the
Alt Ed program.
schools. Alt Ed turned out to
be his ticket to success. “The
teachers really care here. The
students here know what
you’ve been through and it
helps a lot. It’s really a better
atmosphere.”
Eaves’ favorite class is
chemistry and he plans to at-
tend an Ivy League university
and major in engineering.
Weer said she occasionally
gets students so far behind in
credits it takes an extra year
for them to graduate. “We
consider any graduate a suc-
FHVVZKHWKHULW¶VIRXURU¿YH
years,” she said.
Weer estimated close to
20 students graduated from
her school through the years
with four slated to graduate
this year, three on time. The
school gets some students
only a few credits shy of
graduation. “A lot of times
ZH¶UH MXVW ¿QLVKLQJ WKH ODVW
pieces of the puzzle,” Weer
said.
Unlike many alternative
high schools, most of Weer’s
students do not come with be-
havioral problems, but cannot
succeed in a traditional class-
room setting. “The majority
of kids are behind in credits,
but some are not behind and
are here by choice or because
they had enough high-risk
factors in junior high to come
over here,” Weer said. All but
two of Weer’s students come
from single-parent house-
holds and BHF can wrap
family support services with
education.
Weer said she has few
problems with chronic absen-
teeism. “I start from the par-
ent end with phone calls and
co-students start texting from
the peer end. It works pretty
well when four people text
you saying, ‘Why aren’t you
at school?’ You end up com-
ing to school.”
Weer had two chronically
late boys who she later dis-
covered were homeless. “We
worked on hooking them up
with resources to get them
KHUHRQWLPH:HFDQ¶W¿[WKH
situation, but I think we have
the capacity to get to the root
of the problem because we
have so few kids and so many
staff. We have four aides for
our 16 students,” Weer said.
Homeless students pres-
ent a yearly challenge for
Weer. “I’ve had at least one
homeless student for every
year I’ve taught. Last year
I had four; this year I have
two.” Weer said some home-
Thank You
The family of "Bud" Haun
would like to say
THANK YOU for
the cards, flowers, food,
phone calls, prayers, visits
and lovely dinner given to
us by the catholic ladies.
Friends and neighbors like
you mean a lot to Bud's
wife Berline, daughter
Jeanette Langston and
husband Nick, brother
Joe Haun and wife Rita and
three grandsons and one
great granddaughter.
Thanks Again!
less students couch-surfed,
while some camped at parks
with parents. Others stayed in
park restrooms for one or two
nights.
Even if a student lacks pa-
rental support, Weer holds the
student accountable for their
education. “My general the-
ory is, when you get to high
school, it’s your education
and not everybody was dealt
the same hand, so you real-
ly have to take ownership,”
Weer said.
Weer said her staff takes
pains to let the students know
they’re wanted. “What’s im-
portant is that kids know the
staff all love what they’re
doing. I don’t think they (the
students) feel like because
they were asked to come here,
like they’re being thrown
away. I think they’re appre-
ciative that the district saw
that they had different needs.”
Open 10-8 Mon–Thurs
10-9 Friday • 11-9 Sat & Sun
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden
wants the federal government
to replicate the successful use
of biomass energy in Wallowa
County and other parts of Or-
egon by using the renewable
energy source when it leases
or builds federal facilities in
the state.
In a letter to the General
Services Administrator and
the U.S. Forest Service chief,
Wyden urged the GSA to re-
consider constraints on using
biomass in federal facilities
for heat, or combined heat
and power, in certain circum-
stances.
The senator highlighted
how Oregon rural communi-
ties lacking access to natural
gas have turned to biomass for
heating, generating cost sav-
ings and pollution reductions.
In Wallowa
County,
Wallowa Resources saved
$40,000 a year in annual en-
ergy costs when it converted
to biomass heating as did the
Enterprise School District,
which saved $70,000 a year.
“Despite these promising
developments, I have heard
from my constituents that
the GSA process is making
LW GLI¿FXOW IRU QHZ )RUHVW
Service building leases to
utilize biomass for heat and
energy,” Wyden wrote, cit-
ing the lack of a permanent
RI¿FH RU YLVLWRU FHQWHU DW WKH
Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest because of the GSA
biomass constraints.
Now in paperback
National Book Award winner
Redeployment
by
Phil Klay
T HE B OOKLOFT
Across from the courthouse in Enterprise
107 E. Main • 541.426.3351
always open at www.bookloftoregon.com • bookloft@eoni.com
301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177
BIRTH
A daughter,
Alison Vonna Smith,
was born February 8, 2015,
in Enterprise to Brady and
Sara Smith of Lostine.
Grandparents are Lora and
Alan Hawksley, and Lani and
Don Smith.
A son,
Daniel John Hanson,
was born February 17, 2015,
in Enterprise to Russell and
Katherine Hanson of
Enterprise. Grandparents
are Brenda and John
Sullivan, and Wanda and
Chris Hanson.
t S udent
k
e
e
W
e
of th
Ashley Campbell
Wallowa High School
Ashley Campbell is a junior at
Wallowa High School. She is the
daughter of John and Stacey
Campbell. Ashley is a community-
minded student. She volunteers a
lot of her personal time to
organizations both in the school and
the community. She is the Secretary
of the Junior class, which has a very
large time commitment. Ashley is
also an active member of the
Wallowa Volunteer Fire Department.
This student is always willing to
step up and help when needed.
If asked to pitch in, her answer is
always "yes."
The Student of the Week is chosen for
academic achievement and community
involvement. Students are selected
by the administrators of
their respective schools.
Save BIG
on Pet and
Gardening
Supplies
Come Celebrate with Doris
on her Last Day
Saturday, February 28
Hear about her
next chapter and enjoy
$1.00 single scoop
cones all day long.
Wyden wants biomass-
powered fed facilities
M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM

Sale
Ends 01/31/2014
2/28/2015
Sale ends

Sale
ends
01/31/2013
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