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Exchange student enjoying U.S. visit
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tion.” All the sports in Holland
are run on a club basis and he had
never played club tennis, so he
may have his work cut out for
him.
Rob, who turned 18 in March,
comes from a densely populated
area of Holland His home town
is Koog a/d Zaan, with a popula
tion of a “ couple thousand” . It
is a suburb of Amsterdam,
population 800,000, and in an
area roughly the size of Morrow
County, the population is about
LU J
Rob van't Ent
By Anne Morter
Budget com m ittee passes $14.5
million school budget
The Morrow County School
District Budget Committee ap
proved a $14,549,402 school
district budget at a hearing Mon
day, April 26.'
The budget will now come
before the school board for ap
proval on June 21.
Before approval of the budget
the district cut another $74.456
from the budget. The most recent
cuts were added to over $379,000
in cuts made at the April 19
meeting, for a total of $453,573.
The reductions were necessitated
by reductions in tajies and state
aid resulting from Ballot Measure
5.
Eight special education aides
were reduced to six at a savings
of $31,000 for the district budget;
-planned computer room ven
ting at Heppner High School was
cut at a savings of $8,000. The
computer room will be moved to
another
room
with
air
conditioning;
-a migrant instructional aide
was cut from Riverside High
School at a savings of $11.045;
-a lawnmower was cut from the
district office budget at a savings
of $6.000;
$529 was cut from the Hepp
ner Elementary budget for com
munity service. The money, ear
marked for community service
had not been used the past two
years;
-stage curtains at $2,500 were
cut from the lone High School^
budget; and
-a special education aide was
cut from the Riverside High
School at $15.382. The student
who required the aide will
graduate this year.
‘Staying Alive’ health fair theme
“ Staying Alive” is the theme
of the 1993 Heppner Health Fair
to be held Thursday. April 29
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Saint
Patrick’s Senior Center.
Exhibitors include Air Life of
O regon, Pioneer Memorial
Hospital, Northwest Parish
Nurses, Haven House Retirement
Center in Fossil, Summit Springs
Village Corporation in Condon,
American C ancer Society,
Oregon Together Project, Mur
ray Drugs Inc., the Neighbor
hood Center of South Morrow
County. Elderhostel program and
many others. These exhibits will
be in the dining hall of the senior
center.
There will also be vision
screening and eye pressure test at
Dr. Rolen’s office on West
Willow Street, as his equipment
is too heavy to move.
A video on “ Birds of
America” can be seen at 12 noon
in the lounge or senior sitting
room. “ That ought to interest
bird watchers and would-be bird
watchers,” said a spokesperson.
Other videos compliments of
OSU Extension Service, which
may interest people include:
“ Eating Defensively” , “ Chef
M artin
Y en’s
Chinese
F a v o rite s", techniques for
preparing high fiber, low fat
meals; “ 260 Primrose Lane” ,
exam ines some living a r
rangements and their impacton
older persons; “ Sun Dried Beans
from California” , learn how in
soluble fiber in beans can lower
your cholesteral level; “ Univer
sal Design Kitchen” and “ It’s all
in the Planning” , a design for kit
chens that will enable various
levels of disabled persons to live
longer on their own. These videos
will be seen in the morning before
the bird watchers’ special.
Afternoon videos include
“ Sexuality and Aging: an Inter
view with George and Juliet” , il
lustrates the impact of health
changes, medications, fear and
other influences on sexual func
tioning; “ The Dollmaker” , leant
the importance of taking care of
“ caregivers” ; and “ Best Wishes
Edith and Henry” , a program to
help adult children understand
some of the age-related concerns
and decisions facing families.
Healthy snacks will be offered.
Everyone is encouraged and
welcome to attend.
Preparations still underway for ballfield
It will be easy for Rob van’t
Ent to recall his most vivid
memory of his year as an ex
change student at lone High
School. It would have to do with
a trip to the end zone in a very
foreign game called football for
the rookie punter from Holland.
Rob turned out for football last
season for the Cardinals, and bas
ed on a lifetime of playing soc
cer at home, he got the job of
kicker for the team. In the game
against Wasco County, one of the
first of the year, Rob was feeling
a bit disillusioned by the game in
general. “ I was terribly sore from
running the hill,” said Rob,
referring to the hill behind the
school that lone football players
know well, and he seemed to be
developing a keen dislike for the
game. But it was late in the game
and Rob was sent out to punt
from the 41 yard line. He fumbl
ed the snap, and although he was
quite unsure of the rules, he knew
that he should run for the end
zone, like he had seen on TV.
Once he got there, he followed
his NFL example and spiked the
ball. Unfortunately, he didn’t
realize that his showboating spike
in the end zone might have been
OK in the NFL, it was definitely
not so acceptable in high school
football. According to Rob’s host
father, George Miller. Rob's tale
of football glory continues to
grow. At an exchange student
picnic at Wallowa Lake shortly
after the game, George heard a
slightly different version of the
story involving a very long los
ing streak, a very close game, and
some incredibly last-second
heroics by an inexperienced ex
change student that saved the day
for the home team.
Rob is currently the boy’s
number one singles seed on the
lone tennis team. Just last
weekend, he won the boy’s
singles title at the Helix Tourna
ment. Before he realized that
there are no size classifications at
the state tennis tournament, he
proclaimed that he planned to win
it all. “ I am determined to win
state,” he says with a grin. “ Eve
got a really big mouth and if I
don't, it will cost me my reputa
10 million. Holland is six times
smaller than Oregon but is home
to 15 million people. Rob says
that the eastern half of Holland is
quite sparse while most of the
population is in the western half.
Their “ sparce” may not quite be
the same as our “ sparce”
however. Rob was just a little
shocked when he found out that
he would be going to a school
with 60 kids. His host brother,
Justin Miller, wrote to tell him
this news, and Rob was just sure
that a zero was missing. “ I
thought I would end up in Beverly
Hills, in a school with 2000
kids,” says Rob. Rob was even
more worried about the fact that
his host family were farmers
because the self-proclaimed
“ laziest man alive” thought he
might be forced onto a tractor.
George Miller reports that Rob
studied the exchange student rules
carefully until he found what he
thought was a clause prohibiting
work of any kind. So far, it
sounds like he has managed to
avoid any undue labor on the
farm or otherwise.
Rob has already graduated
from high school in Holland and
is now looking forward to col
lege, possibly in the United
States. He’s hoping that with the
help of football coach, Gregg
Rietmann, he can find a school
that can put his kicking talents to
good use. He intends to study
business on his way to being a
“ really rich guy.” To be a
millionaire, and to be one soon,
is his goal. After college, he must
serve a “ good year” or 13
months in the military
Rob’s family includes two
brothers, ages 19 and 15 and his
parents. His father is a hairstylist
and owns his own shop. His
mother works for the postal ser
vice and also does some hairstyl
ing out of her home. Since being
separated from his haircutting
parents, his host mother, Nancy
Miller has taken over the duty.
She says that she was a little ap
prehensive about it. “ It was a
tough act to follow, but he seems
satisfied with it,” she says.
Rob’s father, Riekus and 15
year old brother Fred, visited Rob
in March and were treated to
many of the local sights. They hit
the Heppner St. Patrick’s Day
Celebration, which Nancy said
she had a hard time explaining.
Riekus is an antique car buff,
though, and was thrilled with all
the old cars in the parade. Nan
cy was even able to arrange a ride
for him in Bob Harrison's Model
T Ford pickup, which was quite
a high-light for him. Fred and
Riekus also visited school and
met Rob’s teachers. They were
especially impressed with the
shop and Rob’s shop projects
since they have nothing like that
in Holland.
One of Rob’s biggest motiva
tions for coming to the U.S. was
to get a driver’s license, and
while his father was visiting he
did just that. Unfortunately due
to a recent law change, he will not
be able to exchange it for a
license when he returns to
Holland as was previously allow
ed. At home, Rob says that it
costs about $1,000 to log the
necessary hours with a private
driving instructor. With a smile,
Rob says that he figures the
government changed the law
simply because they knew he was
in the states to get a license.
Rob has tried many new things
during his stay here, some good
and some not so good. He has en
joyed snowmobiling, football,
basketball, driving cars and dirt
bikes and hunting. He thought
hunting or just walking around
with a gun was really wild. He
says that if you were caught walk
ing around with a gun in Holland,
there’s a good chance “ you
would spend your whole life in
prison.” He has also enjoyed the
different school system and
although he knows “ it is really
uncool to say this,” he likes
school food. Getting the thumbs-
down for a new adventure was
horseback riding. On his first day
in lone, he was introduced to a
horse which promptly ran off
with him. It appears that this will
be the last time he gets near a
horse.
He has experienced many new
things on the Miller’s farm.
Although he has shied away from
getting too involved in field wor,
he has ridden in the big Stieger
tractor. He helped out with the
lambing. On days when Nancy
was late getting home from work,
she could count on Rob having
the new babies penned up with
their moms. She said he doesn't
know it yet, he will be helping at
a branding soon. Says Nancy,
“ he has really changed his mind
about the sparceness. small towna
nd farm life,” noting that Rob has
come to enjoy life here. She said
that Rob and his visiting family
have all been quite surprised by
the openness of this country.
Recently, Rob went on the annual
biology trip to the Malheur
Refuge, which was very im
pressive because of its wide open
spaces.
Nancy says Rob has fit in well
with their family, which also in
cludes daughter Kara. “ He has a
lot of the same interests and a
great sense of humor.” Rob’s trip
was organized by the ASSE stu
dent exchange program. Kathy
Halvorsen. lone is the area
representative.
St. Jude Bike-a-thon set for May 6
By Anne Morter
Sunday May 16 is the date
chosen for the annual St. Jude
Bike-a-thon in lone. The course,
which includes a 22-mile scenic
ride from Ruggs to lone for those
old enough to undertake it and an
in-town route for small children,
will be the same as last year.
Times and exact course details
will oe released later.
The Wheels for Life Bike-a-
thon is for the St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital in Memphis,
Tennesee. Coordinator, Loa
McElligott. reports that past
year’s turnouts have been im
pressive and she hopes to con
tinue that trend. She notes that the
hospital has always been most ap
preciative of the efforts and, in
fact, they were very suprised that
such a small community raised
such a generous amount.
Founded by Danny Thomas in
1962, St. Jude Research Hospital
is the largest childhood cancer
reasearch treatment education
center in America. It is non
sectarian. interracial and provides
medical care for over 3,200 ac
tive patients. Currently, an
average of $215,000 per day is
needed each day to keep the doors
open. These hinds come primari
ly from public contributions.
This year’s bike-a-thon is
dedicated to Brian Martin, a six-
year-old who is being treated for
a malignant growth on his
kidneys. He had a solid tumor,
called a Wilm’s tumor, on his left
kidney. It was removed in June
of 1986 and he did well. His right
kidney became involved several
years later and was treated with
chemotherapy. He is now in
remission and returns to St. Jnde
for regular check-ups. Brian’s
fight is representative of all of the
St. Jude patients.
Pledge sheets will be available
at businesses in lone, Lexington
and Heppner. Participants collec
ting $30 or more will receive a
special St. Jude T-shirt. Those
collecting $75 or more will
receive a sports bag in addition
to the T-shirt. “ The real prize,
though is the pride everyone can
take in giving children a chance
to live a normal life,” McElligott
said.
Refreshments and supervision
will be provided for the riders.
For more information, contact
Loa McElligott at 422-7228.
REAL ESTATE LOANS
John Britt and Danny Wilson move dirt in preparation for the new baseball field at Heppner
High School.
HHS principal Steve Dickenson said that Britt and Wilson encountered some rock, but that
may be able to be taken out with a ripper.,
Dickenson said that the field should be seeded and ready to play on by next year.
The fill was hauled to the high school site from Kinzua
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