A4 The BulleTin • Thursday, July 29, 2021
Dean Guernsey/Bulletin photos
ABOVE: Second graders drop paper helicopters they designed over a target on the ground Tuesday at Sum-
mer Blast, a STEM-themed camp at Barnes Butte Elementary School in Prineville.
LEFT: Third grader Zeke Oelkers, right, participates with classmates in daily Squad Games designed to build
sportsmanship and have fun.
School
Continued from A1
She hired 25 high school stu-
dents to be “squad leaders” and
assist classes, along with more
than 60 teachers and instruc-
tional assistants from around
the school district.
“When you have students
saying that they don’t want this
to end, they wish they could
Fraud
Continued from A1
McClean was first licensed
with the state Construction
Contractors Board in 1999.
After his license was revoked in
2014, McClean Brothers Con-
struction continued operating
under his brother’s license.
Glen McClean’s contractor
certification is no longer ac-
tive, though he has not been
charged with a crime.
Prosecutor Marc Miller, who
took over the case this year,
outlined the state’s accusations
against John McClean. But be-
fore he did, Miller acknowl-
edged victim concerns with the
state’s handling of the case.
“I think they are under-
standably a little bit shocked,
dissatisfied and unhappy with
this work that was done,”
Miller said. “I accept that. Nev-
ertheless, that work was done.”
According to Miller, Mc-
Clean would often ask clients
for draws of thousands of dol-
lars once they were under con-
tract. He transferred money
around various accounts and
spun stories to his business
partners to explain missing
funds. When he would fail to
pay subcontractors, they would
respond by attaching liens on
the homes of his clients.
In one instance, McClean
submitted a $7,750 draw re-
quest from client Haydon Con-
roy to purchase and install cab-
inets for Conroy’s new home.
But McClean didn’t order the
cabinets, nor did he transmit
the funds to his vendor for the
order, Miller told the court.
The cabinet vendor, Level
Best Cabinets, and several oth-
ers placed liens on the home
and, ultimately, Conroy and his
wife lost their “dream home” to
foreclosure before it was com-
pleted.
live like this, that’s pretty awe-
some,” Zistel said. “In educa-
tion, I really believe that when
you can capture their excite-
ment about what they’re learn-
ing and it’s purposeful ... then
you connect the dots with the
children.”
Jennifer Hancock, the cur-
riculum coordinator for Sum-
mer Blast, said the program is
based off acknowledging stu-
dents virtues and creativity by
leaving directions open ended.
“So here’s the constraints
that you’re going to work un-
der, here’s your equipment and
here’s the criteria of what we’d
like you to create,” she said. “So
it’s very purposeful to build in
the reading and the art and the
science and the mathematics
that go with creating something
with engineering and design.”
Tommy and Alverta King
also lost their entire nest egg
to McClean, who they said is
adept at spinning stories and
playing the victim.
“Really, he’s the ultimate
conman,” Tommy King told
the court. “I’ve never had a
more dishonest or dishonor-
able man in my home.”
Though the Kings were
frustrated with a lack of
buy-in from authorities, they
said they were motivated to
stick with the case because of
Faye Every and Smith, two el-
derly women whose finances
were ravaged as a result of
trusting McClean.
Around 2014, Smith was
suffering from terminal can-
cer. McClean had promised
that her home would be done
by the time she completed
chemotherapy, King told the
court. But when the time
came, Smith’s house was no-
where near finished and Mc-
Clean was unreachable to
Smith.
“That’s the lowest thing
I’ve honestly ever heard of,”
Tommy King said.
Most of the victims ad-
dressed Ashby without notes,
totally familiar with the facts
of the case. Every’s son read a
letter she wrote as she sat be-
side him and wept.
In summer 2012, Every’s
husband had recently died, so
she bought property in Red-
mond so she could live closer
to family. John McClean con-
vinced her he was the one who
should build her new home,
she wrote to the court.
“Since that time, my life has
been a horrible nightmare,”
she said. “I wouldn’t be here
today if I had listened to my
family, who begged me to fire
him. But I was a trusting soul,
and afraid too.”
McClean incorporated
used materials into Every’s
home, which was supposed to
be all-new construction. He
forged documents, performed
shoddy work and allowed
“one delay after another,” until
workers ultimately walked off
the job, Every wrote.
Finally, in late 2014, a differ-
ent contractor completed the
home. Shortly after, Every’s
neighbor, Janelle Smith, asked
if she would like to attend a
meeting Smith was organizing
with McClean’s victims.
“The heartache and stress
from dealing with this has
caused a large rapid decline in
health,” she wrote. “Now and
CLOCK SERVICE & REPAIR
urally to them, and so those
students always suffer the most
when you have irregular years.”
Melissa Dunagan was pick-
ing up her kindergartener and
first grader from Summer Blast
on Wednesday afternoon, on
the second to last day of the
program.
She said her children, who
attend Crooked River Elemen-
tary School, were behind be-
fore starting the summer pro-
gram. Now, they have not only
caught up, but they learned
to have fun while reading and
learning, she said.
Dunagan said the experience
has given her more hope for
the upcoming school year.
“They rave about the sci-
ence and the math and what
they get to do,” Dunagan said.
“They both want to read.
They’re definitely more enthu-
siastic about learning, whereas
when everything was distance
learning, nobody wanted to
do anything. I think this was
a great opportunity for every-
one.”
Ruby Snider, a Crook
County freshman who was
hired to work at the program,
said elementary school stu-
dents often tell her the pro-
gram is the best kind of school.
“They say that they love us,
they love it, and that they don’t
want to go back to regular
school because they love sum-
mer school so much,” Snider
said.
Zistel argues that the school
district does not need to stop
giving kids an opportunity to
learn like this, and that it could
help improve student profi-
ciency in math, writing and
reading, which is where ele-
mentary students have strug-
gled the most.
The school district said
Summer Blast was geared to-
ward helping students catch up
in reading, writing and math,
especially after the learning lost
during the pandemic.
During a July school board
meeting, the district reported
that only 51% of students in
K-8 are proficient in reading.
Although there has been small
improvements over the years,
math and writing also still re-
main a struggle with 63% pro-
ficient in math and 53% profi-
cient in writing.
Scott Cooper, the chair-
man of the school board, said
during the July meeting that he
was disturbed by the reading
percentage.
“While that is actually prob-
ably continuing to trend up-
ward a little bit, I don’t want
to be board chair of a district
that can only get half of its kids
across the line at the end of the
year,” he said.
The school district said there
will continue to be a strong
emphasis on improving read-
ing, writing and math in the
upcoming school year.
Crook County Superinten-
dent Sara Johnson said the
impact the pandemic had on
learning and classroom struc-
ture resulted in schools not
being able to make the same
progress as in a normal year.
“For some kids, it was great
and they excelled,” Johnson
told The Bulletin. “But there’s
a group of kids who school
doesn’t necessarily come nat-
then there are times when I
wish my lord would take me
to my heavenly home.”
At this, Every’s adult son
glared at McClean and re-
marked, “Makes you feel
good, don’t it?”
McClean’s eyes stayed star-
ing forward.
McClean was joined in
court by several members of
his family. Upon conclusion
of the hearing, he removed his
sport coat and was led away by
a deputy to begin serving his
jail term.
“I had agreed to build
those homes,” he said in a
brief statement to the
In addition to jail,
court. “I tried to off-
McClean was ordered
set some of the cost
to serve three years
by doing the work
probation. A condition
himself. I ended up
of his probation will
failing. For that, I’ll
be paying restitution
always be regretful
to his victims, which
and sorry.”
Ashby said he would
McClean
A factor in Mc-
hold McClean to.
Clean’s sentence was his lack
Ashby thanked the group
of a prior criminal record.
for recognizing Smith’s contri-
Several victims expressed
butions to the case and “digni-
frustration with Oregon’s sen- fying her memory.”
tencing guidelines, which
“The bottom line is you did
were devised to ensure unifor- not treat people right,” Ashby
mity in sentencing, but which told the defendant.
e Reporter: 541-383-0325,
in this case led to an unequal
gandrews@bendbulletin.com
outcome, they said.
e
Reporter; 541-617-7854,
nbales@bendbulletin.com
OBITUARY
Floyd Dominick Jr.
April 03, 1941 - August 18, 2020
Floyd Dominick Jr. graduated from North Marion HS
in 1958, studied engineering at OSU, married Judy
Elgin, and sett led in Quartz Hill, California. They have
2 children. He was a contracted fl ight test engineer for
the US Army in the aero-space programs.
Aft er reti rement, he relocated to Bates Butt e outside of Bend, Oregon and
married Jane Traglio, of Chico California. He contributed to the local paper the
Bend Bulleti n, followed politi cs and developed the property.
Floyd passed peacefully, at his mountain top home, on August 18, 2020. He is
preceded in death by his parents Floyd and Mary Dominick of Hubbard Oregon
and his sister Marilyn Wells.
Floyd is survived by his children Michael Dominick of Texas (Landine) and Molly
Patrick of Pitt sburgh PA and 4 grandchildren. Randy Dominick, Rose Dominick,
Amanda Patrick, Russell Patrick as well as his brother Richard Dominick (Julia)
and his sister Patricia Johnson.
A memorial will be held on July 31st, 2021 at his home 12-3 pm.
TIMESMITHY
Marvin Davidson || 541-241-0653
61419 S Hwy 97, Suite Q • Bend • Behind Richard’s Donuts
A donati on to the Humane Society of Central Oregon or Judicial Watch in lieu
of fl owers, please.