16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 17, 2015
Polk County Education
WOU public safety gets new badges SCHOOL NOTES
CCC names Oliveros new dean of SDLR
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — Camp-
bell Hall and Mount Hood
will soon grace the shoulders
of public safety officers at
Western Oregon University,
thanks to a new badge de-
signed by senior Jeff Collet.
“The problem that was
presented was how can we
describe the region and the
campus in a simple way,”
said Collet, a visual commu-
nication design student.
“Campbell Hall, being the
oldest building in public ed-
ucation this side of the coun-
try, was a fine representation
of that. Mount Hood is sym-
bolic of Oregon, and then it
was suggested that the
American flag be included. I
love the way it turned out.”
Collet descr ibed the
process of designing a new
patch for public safety at an
unveiling on June 9.
Currently, WOU public
safety officers wear two dif-
ferent badges, one for the
Oregon University System
and one for
WOU. But
with the Ore-
gon University
System being
dissolved July 1,
a n d We s t e r n
having its own
governance
board, it was time
to take a look at a
complete redesign,
said Rebecca
Chiles, public safety director.
It’s the first time the Public
Safety Department has had a
new patch since 1997, said
Officer Trever Jackson.
“We were able to get more
specific to the university and
use the university’s colors
with the red, which is fairly
uncommon to have a lot of
SALEM — Chemeketa Community College has named Claire
Oliveros as the new executive dean of student development
and learning resources.
She will lead the departments that provide student support
services such as enrollment, counseling and financial aid. She
begins Aug. 1.
“Claire is a great match for our division, our college and com-
munity,” said Jim Eustrom, Chemeketa’s vice president.
Oliveros has nearly 20 years of higher education and com-
munity college experience primarily at Portland Community
College. She was most recently PCC’s director of TRIO Student
Support Services, a federally funded program offering educa-
tional opportunity for low-income, first generation, and dis-
abled students. She has a doctorate degree in education from
Oregon State University with a specialization in community col-
lege leadership.
“I am excited to become a part of Chemeketa because of its
commitment to diversity, equity and student success,” Oliveros said.
KV Charter School hires music teacher
KINGS VALLEY — Kings Valley Charter School announced
Thursday the hiring of Danielle DeMasi as a music teacher.
DeMasi has a degree in music from Berry College in Mount
Berry, Ga.
EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer
Jeff Collet accepts thanks from Public Safety Director Rebecca Chiles during an un-
veiling of Western Oregon University’s new public safety patch on June 9.
red on the patch,” Jackson
noted. “I’m real happy about
it. It’s really ex-
citing.”
Six students
in Jen Bracy’s
visual commu-
nication design
classes submit-
ted designs, but
Collet’s was cho-
sen — a testament
to his hard work
and vision, Bracy
said.
“All the other students
were … further along in their
coursework,” she said.
Collet said he tried to keep
his design simple enough
that details would not be lost
in embroidery.
“It was chosen because
they liked the direction I was
going in, but it definitely
needed an overhaul,” he
said. “So I went back to the
drawing board and took
what I had done and their
suggestions and made
something that everyone en-
joyed.”
One thing that needed to
be rethought was the shape.
“The shape of the patch
was, originally, it looked like
a W for Western, but that was
a little too custom for em-
broidery shops,” Collet said.
The W is still implied in
the new patch, he noted,
with sloping edges along the
side.
The patch is the first big
project Collet has done.
Though he is a senior next
year, he has only started in
the visual communication
design courses, having taken
only 100 and 200 lower-divi-
sion courses.
He came to Western after
serving in the military as a
combat photographer and
videographer. After starting
out majoring in chemistry
and mathematics, he decid-
ed his passion lay in the arts.
“I looked at the programs
that Western had that would
strengthen my skills in pho-
tography and video, and I
thought that pursing graphic
design would only benefit
me becoming a more well-
rounded multimedia artist,”
Collet said.
Chiles said she would
make sure he got one of the
badges, once they were
made, to add to his portfolio.
“It’s pretty cool to be a part
of Western history now, hav-
ing that impact, that’s all I
got to say,” Collet said.
WOU renames rec center in Peter Courtney’s honor
Itemizer-Observer staff report
MONMOUTH — It’s a building he
dreamed of — and now it is named after
him.
Western Oregon University’s recre-
ational building, completed in 2011, is
now the Peter Courtney Health and
Wellness Center. The university held a
short ceremony in honor of Courtney —
Oregon’s Senate President and long-
time WOU employee — Saturday morn-
ing before the university’s graduation.
At WOU, Courtney served as an as-
sistant to six university presidents and
during that time, he advocated for the
center to be built. He retired in Decem-
ber after working 30 years at the uni-
versity.
Search continues for KVCS teachers
KINGS VALLEY — Kings Valley Charter School is looking for a
new high school math teacher and first-second grade teacher.
Those applying for the math position must be a “highly qual-
ified” teacher in Oregon for high school-level math. The appli-
cation deadline is Friday.
Those applying for the elementary position must have a
teaching license and meet highly qualified status for elemen-
tary teachers. Deadline is June 26.
For more information about salary, qualifications and how to
apply for both positions, contact: People Sustaining Kings Val-
ley (PSKV), 541-231-5444 or email pskvcontact@gmail.com. Ap-
plications are to be sent to PSKV at pskvcontact@gmail.com.
Summer meals locations listed online
POLK COUNTY — Families looking for locations serving free
summer meals for students 18 and younger can now find that
information online.
Meal site addresses and serving times can be found at:
http://www.summerfoodoregon.org/.
Lunch, and at some locations, breakfast and dinner, are avail-
able to any child ages 18 and younger Monday through Friday
now until Aug. 28.
Local meals sites include Ash Creek Elementary School, Mon-
mouth (lunch); Falls City High School (lunch); Henry Hill Educa-
tional Support Center, Independence (breakfast and lunch);
Head Start, Independence (breakfast, lunch and dinner); Inde-
pendence Elementary School (breakfast and lunch); LaCreole
Middle School, Dallas (lunch); Lyle Elementary School, Dallas
(lunch); Monmouth Elementary School (lunch); Park West
Apartments, Independence (lunch); Whitworth Elementary
School, Dallas (lunch); Woodbridge Meadow Apartments, Dal-
las (lunch.)
For more information: http://www.summerfoodoregon.org/.
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