Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 15, 2015 13A
Polk County Education
Dallas: New superintendent Athletic fees to increase by
jumps in eagerly, feet first
$25 at Dallas High School
Continued from 1A
“You hear about poverty,
you hear about kids who are
living in gang situations and
I really wanted to know what
kids were having to deal
with,” she said.
Johnstone added she
learned something else, too:
“Kids can come to school
and learn in spite of it.”
One moment stands out.
It happened during her sec-
ond year of teaching.
She taught fifth grade in a
classroom that included
Spanish and English speak-
ing students. One of her stu-
dents had moved from Mex-
ico the year before, living
with her grandparents be-
cause her mother had just
died in a bus crash.
The girl didn’t speak all
the way through fourth
grade, but one day the next
year, she broke her silence.
“I was standing on play-
ground duty and (she)
comes running up to me
and said … “‘I just need you
to know, this is the worst day
of my life,’” Johnstone said.
She remembers being
shocked that the girl was
speaking, but kept the con-
versation going, asking her
why. The girl said it was the
anniversary of her mother’s
death.
“It was this huge opening
and she started talking
about it,” Johnstone said.
Later that year, a classmate
lost his mother in a house
fire. The girl asked Johnstone
to translate for her.
“I just need him to know
that I know how he feels,’”
she recalls the girl saying.
Talking about it still
brings Johnstone to the
verge of tears.
“This is an amazing pro-
fession,” Johnstone said.
“I’m just blown away every
day, you know, that you get
to be part of it.”
Later, as the superinten-
dent in Brush School Dis-
trict, she would have anoth-
er one of those experiences.
Johnstone said she had a
number of conversations
with high school students
facing expulsion who told
her it was a better option
t h a n g ra d u a t i n g . T h e y
weren’t planning on college
and just wanted to start
working. High school classes
wouldn’t help them with
that goal, they said.
In response, Johnstone and
Brush created a program, In-
novative Connection, that of-
fered students options to stay
in school and get internships
or other experience in their
field of choice.
“It’s about making a dif-
ference for them and equip-
ping them with everything
we possibly can so that they
are successful in society on
the path that they choose,
not the one we choose for
them,” Johnstone said.
—
That’s a philosophy she’s
brought to Dallas and has
found it’s a great fit.
“I really appreciated hear-
ing about the collaboration
that we have,” she said, not-
ing that extends to all staff.
“Everybody works as a team.”
She is excited for the con-
tinued success of Dallas
High School’s Extended
Campus program and new
career and technical educa-
tion classes.
Describing herself as a
“nerd” when it comes to ana-
lyzing data, she’s begun to
take a look at results from as-
sessments, searching for
areas that need improve-
ment.
Johnstone said she’s en-
couraged by the involvement
of community members in
the schools in Dallas. She be-
lieves that will be key in
moving the district forward.
“That, in my mind’s eye, is
the way that it should be
working,” she said. “The
schools belong to the com-
munity and the community
needs to be present and ac-
tive in what’s going on.”
—
When she’s not working,
Johnstone said she loves
“hanging out with my great
husband (Bruce) and four
dogs.”
They’ve spent time ex-
ploring the Oregon coast
since moving here in June.
“Holy Hannah, the coast
is amazing here,” Johnstone
said. “It’s beautiful.”
She wants to explore the
rest of Oregon and don’t be
surprised to find her doing
some of that adventuring on
horseback. She has horses —
and an unusual hobby: bar-
rel racing.
“It’s crazy fun,” she said.
“For 18 seconds you have
quite the adrenaline rush
trying to get through that
pattern as fast as you can.”
Of course, all of that ex-
ploring will include getting
to know her new home of
Dallas.
“I’m excited to get going,”
Johnstone said. “I’ll jump in
there and become very visi-
ble within the community as
much as I possibly can.”
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Athletic fees at Dallas High
School will increase for the 2015-16 school
year.
The Dallas School Board voted to raise
the fees by $25 to $150 per sport at its meet-
ing Monday. Caps for individual students
and families were set at $300 and $450, re-
spectively.
The increase could raise about $7,500
per year, according to a recommendation
from Tim Larson, DHS athletic director.
The revenue would be used to offset the
cost of paying more assistant coaches and
an athletic trainer, an addition to the budg-
et the board approved last month.
“I think, especially if we are adding some
amenities — paying our (assistant) coach-
es — we should go ahead and bump it (up)
a little bit,” said board member Jon Woods.
In comparison with other schools in the
Mid-Willamette Conference, Dallas will
now charge the same amount as Corvallis,
Crescent Valley, and South Albany, but
more than Silverton and Lebanon ($100),
Central ($50) and Woodburn, which has no
athletic fees.
Fees to play have not increased since 2003-
04 with they were raised to $125 from $75.
In other business, the district was hon-
ored for being among a small group of local
businesses and organizations that have
been 10-year sponsors of Relay for Life Polk
County.
More meals, storage for
TMS school lunch program
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Tal-
madge Middle School will
get a larger freezer next
year.
Cec Koontz, Central
School District business
manager, said at Monday’s
school board meeting that
the food service budget had
money to increase the stor-
age capacity at the middle
school.
“We’re going to double
the freezer capacity at Tal-
madge, which will be a
huge benefit to them,” she
said. “They serve a lot of
kids there. It’s great to be in
a position to make those
huge investments.”
The high-end freezer will
have a copper condenser
rather than plastic, so it will
last much longer, about 20
years rather than eight or
nine, Koontz added.
The food service depart-
ment is doing well overall,
with higher revenues in
spite of steady enrollment,
she said.
Last year, Central High
School added a second
lunch, which has con-
tributed to increased sales,
Koontz said.
Another success for the
food services department
has been the cooperation
with Dallas School District.
Last year, Dallas signed a
contract to share nutrition
services director Mike Vet-
ter to help run its program.
The partnership has been
good for both Dallas and
Central, Koontz said.
“One of my goals was to
‘leader up’ a few other peo-
ple,” she said. “Mike has a
tremendous amount of
knowledge in his head.”
While he has been work-
ing in both districts, Vetter
has trained people in Cen-
tral School District to take
the reins in the kitchen and
in the administrative of-
fices, Koontz said.
In other business, the
school board:
• Renewed its excise taxes
for 2015-16 and 2016-17.
• Heard about a new elec-
tronic system that Central
will shift to next year. The
district will move from
Eschools to Power School
beginning in August.
Good sportsmanship critical during drought
Hunters: Follow hunting blind regulations, give wildlife access to water this fall
LAKEVIEW, Ore.—Oregon’s drought has wildlife biolo-
gists and public land managers especially concerned for
upcoming pronghorn and other hunting seasons. They
are asking hunters to be especially mindful when placing
hunting blinds and camping near water holes this year.
Craig Foster, ODFW district biologist in Lake County,
notes that some hunters set up several blinds, which can
lead to conflict. “It’s a restricted water year this year and
hunters need to be more considerate,” says Foster. “Don’t
put up blinds too early, be mindful of where you place
them and leave the critters a way to get a drink.”
Fewer water holes is leading to greater competition for
placement of big game hunting blinds. Habituating ani-
mals to blinds by placing them in an area a few days in
advance of hunting season is an accepted practice and
within the rules. However, placement of blinds well in ad-
vance of the season to stake claim to an area is unfair to
other hunters and against land management regulations.
Unattended blinds left on public lands longer than 10
days can be considered abandoned property and are
subject to removal, following a 72-hour notice. “BLM in-
tends to enforce these regulations. After 10 days, we will
tag blinds with a warning that they will be removed after
72 hours,” says Patrick Apley, BLM Lakeview District Law
Enforcement Ranger. “Ideally hunters will voluntarily
take them down. However if necessary, we will remove
the blinds.”
Hunters should also be mindful of where they camp
and follow BLM and U.S. Forest Service regulations.
Camping within 300 feet of water sources is prohibited
on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management
Lakeview District.
“Hunters are encouraged to camp out of sight and
sound of important watering sources for animals, so that
they are not deprived of access to water,” said Lisa
Bryant, BLM spokesperson. “The drought has eliminated
many water holes and those that remain are farther
apart. This can cause additional hardship for wildlife
when they are already stressed by drought.”
E. Lynn Burkett, BLM Lakeview District Manager,
added “The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest
Service welcome hunting on public lands. Good sports-
manship is a proud tradition of Oregon hunters and this
year we are asking everyone to take extra care during our
continued drought.”
Finally, as always, hunters and others in the outdoors
should tread lightly and leave no trace.
The first pronghorn hunting seasons open in early Au-
gust in Oregon. Most deer and elk archery seasons open
Aug. 29.
TROPHY CORNER Come catch, clean, cook crab at ODFW class
NEWPORT, Ore.—Dungeness crab is
one of Oregon’s most prized culinary
creatures. Learn how to catch your
own at two crabbing workshops spon-
sored by ODFW on Aug. 8 and 9.
These one-day family-friendly work-
shops will take place in Newport, Ore.
and will cover everything you need to
know to get your catch from the ocean
to the dinner plate. The $52 registra-
tion fee includes the use of all equip-
ment, instruction/materials and lunch.
Registration for children under age 14
is $12. Workshops both days begin at 8
a.m. and go until 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Dar-
lene Sprecher at (503) 947-6025 or Dar-
lene.M.Sprecher@state.or.us. Register
online for the class at the license sales
page or at a license sales agent.
All participants 14 years and older
must have a current Oregon shellfish
license to participate in the crabbing
portion of this class. The cost is $7.00
for an annual resident shellfish license;
$20.50 for an annual nonresident shell-
fish license, or $11.50 for a nonresident
3-day shellfish license. Licenses can be
purchased online at www.odfw.com or
at any license sales agent.
503
623-7056
Tues - Fri 9 am - 6 pm
Saturday 9 am - 4 pm
468 NE Bovard, Dallas
Donna Zeigler of Rickreall caught this 108 lb. halibut
on June 17, 2015 out of Homer, Alaska with Falcon
Charters
(Big red building behind Wal-Mart)