School board turns down request to hire teacher
E F S S 1 E
U
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Y/ETZELL
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N E W s P A P E R
L I 8
EUGENE
97 4
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HEPPNER
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VOL. 114
NO. 46
6 Pages Wednesday, November 15, 1995,
Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
City of Heppner receives two awards
The City of Heppner receiv
ed two awards at the League of
Oregon Cities Convention
recently held in Eugene. The
first award was the "1995 Cities
Award for Excellence". The se
cond was a safety award for
recording no on-the-job injuries
for the fiscal year.
The prestigious "1995 Cities
Award for Excellence" was
given in recognition of outstan
ding community programs that
reduce the cost of government,
improve the quality of life of
the community and increase
the quality of municipal ser
vices, said city manager Gary
Marks.
The league presented the
award in recognition of the
Heppner Coordinating Coun
cil's (HCC) "V ision 2000"
strategic planning process.
Several major accomplish
ments have come from the Vi-
sion 2000 Strategic Plan, in
cluding expansion of the city
fire hall, purchase of a new fire
truck, a new restroom in the ci
ty park, reconstruction of sev
eral city streets and four city
bridges. HCC also executed a
community "g a p " study to
analyze business and consumer
preferences and developed a
Heppner Fact Book. HCC has
also provided conrmunity sup
port for the city's sewer system
improvement project, the Main
Street storefront renovation
project and Main and May
streets reconstruction project
scheduled for 1997.
"The award is really a tribute
to the many individuals in the
community who have been
working hard to improve
Heppner," said Marks.
The HCC includes local citi
zens representing several com
munity organizations, includ
ing the Heppner Economic De
velopment Corporation, Cham
ber of Commerce, City of
Heppner, Morrow County,
Morrow County Health Dis
trict, Library District, Forest
Service, Kinzua Mill, Ministeri
al Association, Bank of Eastern
Oregon and the Port of Mor
row.
The safety award was pre
sented to the city by the Ci-
ty/County Insurance Services
Trust for recording no on-the-
job injuries for the fiscal year
ending on June 30. This is the
fourth straight year the city has
earned the award.
"A ccid e n ts can happen
quickly and can cost a great
deal in pain and suffering,
higher insurance rates and lost
work time," said Marks. "I am
very pleased that our safety
program and our employees
have again earned this award."
Five generations
gather for reunio
Alda Baker, 91 of Heppner,
got a chance to cuddle her
great-great-grandson, Justin
Howey, one year, of Heppner
as several generations gathered
recently for a family reunion.
The family also includes Bak
er's daughter, Delores Wilson,
grandson, Donny Wilson, and
great-granddaughter, Tami
Howey, Justin's mother, of
Heppner.
Mrs. Baker, who has lived in
Morrow County for 50 years,
has 12 grandchildren, 17 great
grandchildren and one great-
great-granchild.
A ld a B aker with g reat-g reat-g ran d so n Justin H o w ey
D& L to collect Toys for Tots
D&L Auto Parts and Repair
in Heppner has teamed up
with the Marine Corps Reserve
to collect Toys for Tots this
Christmas season.
D&L Auto Parts and Repair
is one of over 1,000 Parts Plus
auto stores in 30 states that will
collect toys for needy children
from Nov. 1 to Sunday, Dec.
10. Each store will display
posters, handbills, easels and a
collection box to help make col
lections efforts go as smoothly
as possible and ensure that the
Marines meet their goal of col
lecting over eight million toys.
Stores will accept cash dona
tions, but the program asks that
they be made directly to the
Toys for Tots Foundation.
Monetary donations may be
mailed to the Marine Toys for
Tots Foundation, P.O. Box
1947, Quantico, Virginia 22134.
Parts Plus is an association of
warehouse distributors of auto
parts, with the warehouse
distributors supplying market
ing and merchandise pro
grams, as well as merchandise
to the locally-owned Parts Plus
auto stores. Parts, Incorporat
ed, the largest and founding
member of the association,
began working with the
Marines in September. Mar-
Loc, Jobber's Warehouse and
Motor Mart, three other asso
ciation members, soon joined
Parts, Inc., in supporting the
program.
"This may be the largest ex
ample of independent auto
parts stores joining together
behind this worthy cause,"
said a Parts, Inc. spokesperson.
"The possibility of making a
child smile excites everyone in
these organizations, from
CEOs and store owners to de
livery truck drivers and count
erpeople."
The Marine Toys for Tots
program is nearly 50 years old
and has supplied many a merry
Christmas to needy children.
For more information, call
Chris Sullivan at 1 800
824-7746, ext. 203, Patty Mc
Guire, 1 800 824-7746, ext. 439,
or contact D&L, 676-5009.
punch C ard
tim e again
It's Punch Card time again.
Shoppers can now pick up
their punch cards at par
ticipating businesses, have
their cards punched when they
shop, and then enter to win
$1,200 in gift certificates to be
given away.
There will be four lucky *25
gift certificates winners each
week until Christmas, and all
card entries will be included in
the grand prize drawing for
$600 in gift certificates to be
given away to one extra lucky
person on Dec. 26.
Pick up your punch cards at
these participating area
businesses: Central Market,
Morrow County Grain Grow
ers, Green Feed, The Country
Rose, Murray Drugs, Gardners
M en's Wear, Peterson's
Jewelery, Shoe Box, Coast to
Coast, Les Schwab, Pettyjohn's
Farm and Building Supply, and
Court St. Market.
By April Hilton-Sykes
Heppner Elementary School
parents demanded change for
their children's crowded first
grade classroom. They got
change, all right, but it wasn't
what they wished for.
The parents, concerned
about 33 rambunctious kids in
one classroom, asked admini
strators and the school board to
hire an additional teacher.
Monday evening the board
turned down the request, citing
a lack of funds, and instead
voted to direct administration
to create mixed grade classes.
Only one first grade teacher
was hired at HES this fall,
because enrollment indicated a
class of only 17 students.
However, enrollment grew to
33 students, 26 of them boys.
An aide was hired to assist first
grade teacher, Cherry Webber,
but parents say while that
move was helpful, it was just
not enough.
Heppner Elementary Prin
cipal Bill Karwacki and school
board member Russ Morgan
recommended that an addi
tional teacher be hired. But,
board chair Scott Bauska said
that if a teacher were to be
hired for Heppner, he also had
to consider teachers for Sam
Boardman Elementary School
kindergarten classes, which
also face overcrowding at 28-29
students for each of three
classes, and include children
who do not speak English.
No money was budgeted for
additional teachers, so teach
ers' salaries would have come
from the contingency fund.
$75,000 of the $200,000 con
tingency has already been
spent to hire four aides, three
for the SBE kindergarten
classes and one for the HES
first grade. Hiring three addi
tional teachers would cost the
district an additional $20,000
per teacher for a total of
$135,000 if the classroom aides
were dismissed.
Besides hiring additional
teachers and splitting the
classroom, the board also con
sidered busing students to
lone.
First grade parent Sandi Ford
Day was initially opposed to
mixed-grade classes, but after
speaking with Karwacki Tues
day morning following the
Monday meeting, said that one
option may be acceptable. This
option would entail moving ap
proximately nine students to
different classes. With this solu
tion, disruption for students
and teachers would be held to
the minimum, with a core
group remaining in the first
grade classroom , several
students moving to two second
grade classrooms and several to
two kindergarten classes.
At the meeting Karwacki said
that a plan to implement multi
age grouping was to be started
next fall and said that the
teachers were not yet ready for
such a change. Teacher Joy
Krein echoed that sentiment.
However, following the school
board's decision, Karwacki said
that the plan for mixed classes
would be implemented as soon
as possible.
Board member Russ Morgan
was the lone dissenting vote
against splitting the first grade
classroom.
According to Day, Karwacki
plans to discuss the options
with the involved teachers
before meeting with the first
grade parents Thursday.
Also at the Monday evening
school board meeting, the
board voted 6-0 with Russ
Morgan abstaining to proceed
with contracting out busing ser
vices for Morrow County
schools.
The board and the bus
drivers, represented by Oregon
School Employees Association,
differ on their interpretation of
several issues and negotiations
have deadlocked. .
-The union earlier filed an
unfair labor practice against the
district for contracting services
before negotiations were
completed.
-The board was found guilty
of unfair labor practices, but ap
pealed that decision.
-Each side accuses the other
of failing to negotiate.
-The union maintains that the
district is not honoring the con
tract they signed with the
union.
-The board and union differ
on their interpretation of the
district's earlier proposed con
tract with Mid-Columbia Bus
Service. The board says that
Mid Columbia will pay for the
districts' buses in one lump
sum. The union says that accor
ding to the contract, the pay
ments will be in nine monthly
payments.
-Union members accused the
school board of failing to read
the contract with Mid-Colum
bia. Board Chair Scott Bauska
replied, "It's not the board's
job to read contracts. It's our
job to set policy."
-The board and union differ
on the amount of money to be
saved by contracting out.
-The two sides disagree on
interim bargaining and Senate
Bill 750. The district says that
Marvin Padberg appointed to Port
Marvin Padberg of lone has
been appointed to the Port of
Morrow Commission. Padberg
replaces John Bristow who re
cently resigned from the board,
citing his retirement and health
concerns in his resignation.
Padberg, 51, is a rancher and
life-long lone resident. Padberg
families has lived on the fami
ly ranch since 1870. Padberg
and his wife, Tanna, have three
grown sons, two of whom
work on the ranch.
Padberg was recommended
for the commission spot by a
committee representing the
communities of Morrow Coun
ty and was appointed by the
commission. He will serve on
the commission until the next
port election in 1997. If elected
then, he will serve out the re
mainder of Bristow's term.
The Port of Morrow is
county-wide, with commis
sioners elected at large. Current
commissioners, besides’ Pad
berg, are Dan Creamer and
/ f l M
H
M
B
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Deane Seeger, both Irrigon,
Jerry Healy, Heppner, and
Larry Lindsay, Lexington.
Padberg has been a member
of the Morrow County Plann
ing Commission for over 10
years, serving as chairman for
the last two years. He says that
his service on the planning
commission, experience in
engineering and agriculture
and interest in county opera
tions will aid him in his
appointment.
Padberg says that "keeping
the port viable, attracting
businesses and making sure
that the taxpayers get their
money's worth" are challenges
that face him on the port. He
adds that not having a direct
vested interest in the port,
without political or financial in
terests, may work to the port's
benefit.
Bristow had been a member
of the port since 1986, serv ing
as president for a year and a
half.
C reative C a re Preschool
treats lone businesses
C rea tive C a re students present goodies to Barb and Norm Z eller
of th e lone M arket.
Each fall, the students of
Creative Care preschool in lone
take healthy snacks around to
local businesses. The treats are
a "thank you" for the help and
support the businesses give the
preschool during the year.
This year, the preschool's
group donned "Wild Thing
masks and presented the busi
nesses with pumpkin muffins
as a part of their Halloween
celebration.
The older group learned
about the East Indian holiday,
Dewali, which celebrates the
fall harvest. The children
celebrated the holiday by mak
ing ceramic "lam ps", floor
decorations and ended the
festivities by’ taking harvest pat
tern kabobs to the local busi
nesses.
Holiday Sale
Begins Thursday, Nov. 16th
and« Dac. 1at
Morrow County Grain Growers
_________ Lexington 989-8221
' * *
P
after 90 days the district has the
right to implement their deci
sion to contract out services if
no agreement is reached with
the union.
-The board says that it was
their intent that current drivers
would be offered employment
at salaries equal to or above the
salaries they are currently
making.
-Under the previous pro
posal, employees would be
eligible for insurance under
Mid-Columbia. Their families
could be included at additional
cost to the employees. With the
school district, bus drivers
working four or more hours a
day receive insurance benefits
for them selves and their
families paid by the district.
-The district says that Mid-
Columbia will buy local goods
and services, while the union
says that local businesses will
be harmed by contracting out
bus services.
The board says that the bus
drivers have received notice of
the district's intent to imple
ment contracting bus services.
This means that the drivers'
last day of work as school dis
trict employees would be Dec.
21. According to Chuck Starr,
those who wish to return as
bus drivers January 2, after
Christmas break, would be
working for Mid-Columbia.
1-800-452-7396__________
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