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FOUR - Hcppner Gazcttc-TImc». H rppnrr. Oregon W rdnnday. Maixh I. 1989
Open letter to Doyle McCaslin
The Official Newspaper of the
City of Hcppner and the
County of Morrow
».
To the Editor
This is an open letter u> Mr Doyle
McCaslin. Morrow County School
Superintendent
Dear Mr McCaslin:
How dare you threaten me
I support my hushand. and I
helieve in him Whatever dccismn he
makes, he makes with my blessing.
So. how dare you write me a per-
sonal letter threatening me. or using
"scare tactics" to influence my hus
band's decision concerning the im
pending strike
When did we become so familiar
(hat you can address me by my first
name ’ I have only seen you twice,
and the first lime I had to introduce
myself to you The second time, you
walked past me on the street and
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The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
M orrow C ounty’s Home-Owned Meekly Newspaper
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U 8 P S 240-420
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David and April Sykes, Publishers
Are board members interested in
stopping .strike?
Letters to the Editor
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To The Editor
This week ihc staff at Russell Oil
Company were sitting around
discussing the contract problems bet
ween the Morrow County School
District Hoard and the Teachers
Union We came up with a solution
maybe not as eloquent as Stalford
Mansell's, but effective, we believe
none the less First get rid of the paid
pnifessional negotiators on both
sides This is a local problem and wc
can solve it without Willamette
Valley labor Attorneys If you think
these guys arc helping, then
remember whal the 1.000 I neixls ol
Oregon cost the Port ol Morrow
S econdly, wc need a single
f rench would he a good candidate
because he has been in the district a
long time and is level headed Take
l-arry French along wiih Dwayne
Carroll, another level headed guy,
anti stick them in the back mom of
the Lexington Tavern with a gallon
of whiskey. No one would he allow
cd in or out until the whiskey is gone
or the problem is solved It is our
guess that these Iwo guys coukl solve
the problem
Yours very truly,
(s) Donald E. Russell
Steven P Doherty
Carol A Marchck
Dale Baker
William I Elio
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REPAIR
A R E B U IL T
R IM S
ROLLERS
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s R E R IM S P R O C K E T S
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Oil company offers solution to contract
negotiations
spokesman lor the leachers 1-arry
✓ NEW
R A IL S
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expressed your concern about our
children's safety and why are the
'teachers calling the strike"’ W hy arc
the negotiations at a standstill with
NO ONE listening?
Your letter also suggested (quite
subtly I must add), that we should
keep our children home during the
strike Do you really think disconti
nuing our children's education
because the teacher chtxise to walk
out is really in ihcir best interest'’ I
alvi (ound it quite appalling, (hat you
would want us. the parents, to ques
lion our administrator's abilities to
hire quality substitutes If they are
to he questioned in this fashion,
maybe we should have looked a'
their ability to hire "quality" per
maneni teachers of (he present
I have the utmost respect and ap
preciation for the job most teachers
do They must be cxxnpcnsatcd for
(he effon put fonh Hut m this situa
turn, more must be taken into con
sideration lhan just the best interest
of our teachers Do not forget the
best intcrcsi of our children' Wasn't
that why you wanted to (each in (he
first place?
Also, don't forget that when this
is settled, and it will be settled, you
will be left to answer for your ac
tions long alter your Union represen
(alises and mediators have left town
Thoughtfully yours
(s) Kathy Moore
I* O Box 12
Boardman, O r>97HIK
IMHIUARKIAGI
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Woman disappointed at handling of
issues
To the Editor
Dear Teacher»:
I have been a supporter to your
cause for many months I believe
most teachers deserve more pay than
(hey are receiving in Morrow Coun
ty. You are, aiter all. the people we
are entrusting the future of our
children to.
but I must tell you. I have been
really disappointed with the way
these issues have been handled You
arc being represented by a Union
that has your best interest at heart,
right? Hut what about the best in
terest of our children? What about
whal is best for ^furrow County and
i t ’s resid en ts? O ther m ajor
employers in this county have been
forced to lay many people off. and
make major cutbacks in wages and
benefits to those who remain Your
employer is not cutting back your
wages, they arc offering increases
(no matter how sight) Your benefits
have not been reduced, they arc he
mg frozen where they are currcnl-
ly If the premiums arc raised, ask
your union to look for a company
with lower premiums
The voters have turned down the
school budget many time* in recent
months The economy is such thal
ihey arc about taxed out Yet, you
choose this time to push to a strike
situation for such large increases
This to me does not make good
sense.
I would also like to address the let
ler I received yesterday The letter
OW N CABS &
P R E S S U R 1 Z E R U N IT S
FREE
Estimates
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✓ TRACK PRESS IO TURN
O R R E P L A C E P IN & B U S H I N G S
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B&C REPAIRS, INC.
422 7418
422-7408
IONE. OREGON
LOOK OUT!
NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION
Last week wr ran an ad asking people to donate Hems lor a fund
raising auction Proceeds fmm the auction are to be used to help
finance the Si Patrick’s Day weekend celebration ant) activities
So far wr have only received a couple of the items locally We
have v in e items donated by celebrities but thal will only comprise
a small part of the auction
To support a good cause, look around the house, in (he garage,
in the basement or the closet and sec what yx>u might find li can
be something new. something used, something big. or something
small, an antique or a unique, a collectible, memorabilia, or some
type of service
Wr would like to have all items by March 14 so we van prepare
an auction list for distribution Please contact one of the following
pcttplc and we will gladly see that your donated item is picked up
Thanks tor >our support
Pat Sweeney 67K-9226
M ark h rin lrr 989-8572
C harlie Anderson 676-5182
Jerrs Heals 676-5240
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never even nodded your head So
you see. we aren't even nodding ac
quaintances. and arc not likely to
become so
We have lived in Hcppner and
worked here since 1965 I suspect
we will be here long after you arc
gone We have never had a super
visor or superintendent interfere
with our personal life I have never
interfered with my husband's job. so
what makes you think you can in
terfere with my job as a housewife
and spouse
I understand a similar letter from
you was mailed to all the spouses of
all the teachers - Shame on you!
Very Sincerely,
(s) Karen L. Holland
TeacheA wife
To the Editor:
Morrow County School Board
members have no interest in stopp
ing a teacher strike They refused to
meet with teachers last Saturday
despite offers to resume talks
Teachers were prepared to offer
them a proposal of 4 2 %. this it less
lhan the factfinder-% report of 4 5%
for cost of living
Here arc souk other facts worth
thinking about:
-budget audit proves there is a
$1,938.000 carry-over in funds
Why does the board say there is no
money’’
-th e current budget includes
$143.279 for teacher salary in
creases This money is there now for
salaries without a tax increase Why
does the hoard refuse to use it?
why does the hoard say wc need
to cut hack on expenses and at the
same time make plans to I) hire a
business manager for the next schtxil
year at a beginning salary of
$35.000, plus full insurance and
fringe benefits, 2) hire an assistant
pniKip.il lor Riverside High .School
for ‘A administrative salary , plus full
insurance and fringe benefits
(1989 90 year)
Multiply these salaries by three
years (number of teacher contract
yean) add insurance and cost of liv
ing raises, you should get a figure
of over $200,000 Are these two
people worth more than all the
leachers now working in the district ’
Why does the hoard feel they can
add two positions with no money for
salaries?
The school district has a current
(Jan 31. 1989 audit) total investment
figure of $4.652.212 14 Four
million dollars of (his total is in cer
tificates of deposit The rest of the
money is in savings and checking ac
counts in various hanks The school
district cannot say they have no
money
Give your teachers the dignity and
respect they deserve There is money
to fund teacher salaries w ithtxit rais
ing taxes Don’t accept run around
answers from board members Get
specifics
Attend the informational meeting
this Thursday. March 2, 7 p m ai
the Irngon Senior Center Call the
strike crisis headquarters af these
numbers 481-2055 and 676-9254
(s) Marilyn Ornelas
Irngon
(s) Jennifer Wade
Boardman
Parent chooses to not send children to
school
To the Editor
Will my children attend regular
classes when the teachers strike this
wm !
1 No
My reasons? Concern for the men
tal and physical safety of my
chikJrcg.
How do I know that the replace
ment teachers are not homosexual,
communist, past felons, drug users,
or sexual offenders ’ They are virtual
strangers to me and this communi
ty . selected because they currently
for "some obscure reason" have
been unable to secure a leas hing job
in any other community in Oregon
They arc "rejects” who have been
selected by the Morrow County
Schtxil Board "in a pinch".
1 personally know a certified
teacher who was ousted from a
school district (in eastern Oregon)
with glowing recommendations
because he is a lousy teacher, and
this was the fastest and easiest way
to exit him from their district It hap
pens every day
Can I trust the responsibility for
my childs' welfare on a day to day
basis to such a person in these cir
cumstances? I can not I will not
Whal percentage of seniors have
been denied graduation in the history
of Oregon based upon absence from
schtxil during a teacher strike'’ Zero
percentage
I have a parental obligation to my
children Placing them in the hands
of substituic leachers in this situation
is not in their best interests I would
be in fact subjecting them to
unknown factors that could nsk their
physical and moral safety
Is the nsk worth it? No
(*) Wanda Tracy
Boardman
In the Public
Service
?
W e've had occasion over the years
to serve in a variety of public offices
Employed as a Deputy Slate Public
Defender, contracted as a trial lesel
Public Defender, elected to a schtxil
hoard and appointed to a variety of state
and local btiards and commissions.
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we've seen the public service from
many angles
We've even been called upon to
serve as a national, stale and local
taxpayer
We've also seen private enterprise
from several points of s tew customer.
en trepreneur, em ployee, ow ner.
___________________
employer
The difference between private enterprise and public servxc. wc think,
is self The private sector run* well when every participant acts on selfish
motives The customer always buys at the lowest possible price he can
find, the entrepreneur always tries to make the highest possible profit The
employee seeks the highest wage for the least amount of effon and the
employer tries to get (he best possible help for the lowest possible salary
Everyone in me private sector acts in their own selfish interest
But it's different in the public sector
Some things can only he done by some form of "public" entity and
cannot be done as well by any private business National defense, for ex
ample. is best provided by an armed force maintained by a national govern
mmt We remember a time when service in the armed forces was an obliga
tion each of us owed for the privilege of living in America, an obligation
readily accepted and honorably fulfilled
And we remember when paying income taxes to support such an armed
force was a patriotic duty proudly performed
We think the difference was "selflessness "
Thai certainly is true about the literally hundreds of folks who spend
their time sitting through thousands of meetings, making tens of thousands
of decisions in the name of the public There must be dozens ot state boards
and commissions, hundreds of city councils, planning commissions, park
and fire district boards and thousands of other committees where citizens
selflessly lend their gtxxl judgement, sound experience anti gtxxl common
sense to pursue the public gtxxl
And wc expect a great deal of them Wc expect them to always make
the "right" dccisxin without ctHisKlcration for their own ccononuc, political
or stxial interests Wc set up elaborate rules to assure their "eth ics," to
prevent their "conflictsof inters!." and to guarantee their accountability
In short, we demand their absolute selflessness
That expectation is not limned to the unpaid, volunteer board and com
mission members It extends to paid public employees as well We expect
much more from a dump truc k dirver working lor the cixinty than one work
ing for a private contractor Because it's our tax dollars that pay them,
wc expect public employees to work harder, longer and to do better than
their private sector counterparts, and for a lower salary. Wc tolerate a
large degree of selfishness in private business, but wc expect absolute
selflessness in the public serv ice, even o f the same people doing the same
kind of work
And after all isn't that the way it ought to be? In a private deal you will
look out for yourself and 1 w ill look out for myself and the better of us
will prevail Bui in a public matter. I expect you to look after the public-
interest (and that includes my own) even to the expense of your own
interest.
As I see it. serving the public interest is a very difficult job. Some folks
are just not up to it, to be sure But we should all thank our lucky stars
for those who try
Why in the world would anyone step up to serve as a schtxil hoard
member in these times of turmoil? I can't imagine. But for at least one
position there arc several candidates
Why would anyone want to serve as a port commissioner or a planning
commission member or in any number of other elective or appointive posi
(tons? Especially with hard issues eilher at hand or just over ihe horizon’
We re happy they are
And public employees? They must either be out ol their mind, or con
siderably more selfless than 1
lace W olff N .D .
advises
Patients In Need of
Record Transfers To
Mail a Dated and Signed
Request to Him at Box 785
Heppner, By March 17th.
What’s a strike worth to you?
To the Editor
These are trying times in Morrow
County. Wc have the "N o rth "
.igainsi the "South" in a whole new
and frightening way It's not the
North end against the .South end,
because in this issue we both arc go
ing to lose, it's not even the leachers
against the School Board, it in realitv
is neighbors against neighbors, and
csen friends against friends I dtm't
honestly believe the wounds from
this " w a r" will heal for quite a
while, and the scars will last forever
Money seems to be the issue, but in
effect il will he children ages 6-18
thal w ill hear the hrunt of the scars
from this present confrontation I
helieve that should a strike be call
ed. the teachers brought in cannot
possibly pick up where the present
educators left nil. as they must first
learn the way s of our system They
won't even know the names of our
children It will he very confusing lo
many students to have someone new,
and even frightening to many of the
younger children
I wonder how many of our
children's qualified educators will
opt lo lease this county that chooses
not lo support them, and I wonder
how much education will he lost in
the prtvess
I personally classify my children's
teachers importance in our lives as
second only to our ckvtor They nur
ture their minds and help to produce
the type of adults that can he an asset
to our community and that wc can
be proud of.
I'm afraid thal the stone thrown by
the lac k of community support is giv
ing to he like a rock in a pool of
water The wases of problems caus
ed by that one stone will go on and
on. How many gtxxl leachers will
we lose? How many friends will be
gone? Whal is it worth to you?
I am one who supports Ihc teachers!
(s) Gail Papincau
C ourt StrtH*t > la rk el
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