Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1997)
• J - t% #• ' r < U » w » i n<W School board deadlocked over four-day week HEPPNER 50 < imes VOL. 116 NO. 7 8 Pages Wednesday. February 12, 1997, Morrow County Heppner, Oregon The Morrow County School District (MCSD) Board deadlocked three-to-three in a vote to retain the four-day student school week in its regular meeting held Monday, Feb 10, at Sam Boardman Elementary The board tabled the decision until the March meeting when the seventh member of the board will be in attendance Board members Scott Johnson, Russ Morgan and Scott Bauska voted to retain the four-day week, while John Rietmann, Dwayne Carroll and Bill Doherty came out against the four-day week According to board chairman Scott Bauska. board member Gary Fredenckson was away on vacation Those in favor o f the four-day week cited less time away from school for teachers' conferences, workshops and in-service days, students' doctor's appointments and sports, more time for family and extra-cumcular activities such as dance, music lessons, art programs and student jobs and less time spent riding the bus. They maintain that absentees are reduced and students are not suffering scholastically They also say that the $ 150,000 to $200,000 that is estimated to be saved yearly with a four-day week would be better spent on additional teachers and education programs Those opposed to the four-day week say they fear that Morrow County students won't be able to keep up with their peers w ho go to school five days a week, that retention of classroom material, and ultimately test scores, will suffer and that the students mav Heppner Elks Scholarship Winners Announced She has played volleyball four The Heppner Elks Scholarship y ears and basketball her freshman winners have been announced y ear and was on the varsity track First place winners are Brian team three years, taking eighth Koffler and Traci Dickenson, both place in the state high jump Heppner High School (HHS) competition her sophomore year. seniors Second place winners are She was on the cheerleading squad Luke Swanson, lone High School for two years and a member of the (IHS). and Toni Kemp. HHS. and National Honor Society three third place students are Brent years. Gunderson. HHS, and LaRee Dickenson plans to attend Anderson, IHS Oregon State University, majoring in biology or premed with a goal of becoming a pediatrician Brian Koffler Koffler. 18. the son of George and Debbie Koffler. Heppner. is student body president at HHS and was vice president his junior year His freshman and sophomore years, he was student council class representative He has a 3.89 grade point average Koffler is a member o f Wildhorse club. Outdoor Club and International Club He is a three- year letterman in both football and baseball and is on the varsity basketball team This year Koffler was selected as an alternate to the East-West Shrine team He plans to attend Oregon State University , majoring in pharmacy Traci Dickenson Traci Dickenson, 17, the daughter of Steve and Kathi and Steve Dickenson, Heppner, is senior class president and student body secretary at HHS She has been sophomore class representative, freshman class treasurer and OSSOM Club vice president She has a 3 96 grade point average Toni Kemp Tom Kemp. 18. the daughter of Marcia and Gary Kemp, Lexington, is class vice president. Future Farmers of America president. National Honor Society president and OSSOM president this year at HHS She has a 3.96 grade point average. She has been junior class secretary-treasurer, sophomore class president and freshman class representative Her junior year, she was FFA treasurer, OSSOM secretary-treasurer and National Honor Society treasurer Kemp turned out for basketball and golf all four years and played volleyball her freshman and sophomore years The last two years she has kept stats She was also a cheerleader her sophomore and junior years She has been a member of the Wildhorse Club, the International Club, the Outdoor Club, FFA and OSSOM Kemp plans to attend OSU, majoring in international ag/business Luke Swanson Luke Swanson, 17, the son of Jim and Monica Swanson, lone, is senior class president and vice president of the Letterclub His junior year he was National Honor Society president and class vice president. He has a 3 8 grade point average Swanson has turned out for football and basketball all four years and track three years He was named Big Sky Conference Scholar Athlete in 1994 and 1995 and received honorable mention Big Sky All-star for basketball his sophomore y ear Also that y ear he won second at state in pole vault, fourth in 110 high hurdles, sixth in 100 meter dash and seventh in high jump and was selected first team all state in track and field His senior year he was named to the first team all state football team Swanson is a member of the National Honor Society, lone Youth Group and St. William's Catholic Church Brent Gunderson Brent Gunderson, 17, the son of Tricia and Dave Gunderson, Heppner. is student body treasurer and business manager at HHS. He has a 3.79 grade point average Gunderson was freshman class president. He has been a member of the Wild Horse Club all four years, OSSOM his junior and senior years. National Honor Society for three years and is a member of the Outdoor Club He has been a member of the football and golf teams all four years and turned out for basketball his freshman year He has also been a Colt Basketball volunteer This year Gunderson was selected for the East team of the East-West Shrine Game Gunderson plans to attend college to become a certified public accountant Pesticide training set for Feb. 13 LaRee Anderson LaRee Anderson, 17, the daughter o f Glenn and Phyllis Anderson. Lexington, is president of the National Honor Society, editor of the lone High School annual, senior class vice president and president of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). She has a 3 89 grade point average She was also editor o f the annual last year and was junior class treasurer, FBLA vice president and Honor Society treasurer Anderson played volleyball, basketball and track all four years She received all league honorable mention in volleyball in 1995. She was sixth place in 400m relay and 1600m relay at state in 1994, second in the 1600m relay, fifth in the pole vault and sixth in the 400m at state in 1995. second in the 400m relay, third in the pole v ault, sixth m the 200m and eighth in long jump at state in 1996 She is a member of the Lexington Baptist Church OSU Morrow County Extension Service is offering a Core Pesticide Training program on Thursday, February 13, at the Pettyjohn Building conference room in Heppner. beginning at 8 a m Four recertification credits are being offered The training is free to the public and is sponsored by the Morrow County Wheat League For more information about the program or to pre-register call the Morrow County Extension office , 676-9642 or 1-800-342-3664 -receiv ed a preliminary review of not be able to compete m the five- 1996- 97 probationary teachers day -a-week job market They also which include the following HES- stressed that children, especially Shem Matteson, first year, the younger ones, require first/second grades, Sharon repetition and consistency to learn, Moms, second y ear, kindergarten; needs which are not met with a HHS-Chuck Matteson, first year, four-day week, and say that the alternative ed, Glenn Zollner, first longer days in a four-day week year, vo-ag, Ione-Mark Bird, first excessively tire the primary year, business ed, Helen-Marie i students They argue that the initial Marshall, first year, science; decision to go to a four-day week temporary teachers, Shawn was purely financial and, since the Kempas, HHS PE, Ralph Werner, district's financial situation is HES/HHS music, Heather better than it was when the four- H a c k i n g , HES/HHS, day week was adopted, the five- music/Spamsh, and Ron Neighom, day week should be re-instituted HHS/Ione, music/Spanish; and MCSD assistant superintendent probationary principal Ron Mike Keown said that students' Anthony, first year HHS wnting scores have increased each -rev iewed calendar options for year, while other standardized tests 1997- 98 Option A-school starts showed "no significant difference" Sept 2, the Tuesday after Labor in students' scores Day, Christmas break is Dec 22- Meg Murray, Heppner, an Jan 4 (two weeks), spring break is opponent of the four-day week, March 23-27, students' last day is brought petitions with 387 Tuesday, June 9, Option B-school signatures of county residents starts Sept 2. Christmas break is favoring the five-day week Dec 24-Jan 4 (one-plus week), However, a survey of parents of spring break is March 23-27, students attending schools in the students' last dav is Fridav , June district, indicated that a majority 5. of the parents favored the four-day -heard the second reading of a week district-wide staffing proposal for In other business the board the 1997-98 budget, which heard from MCSD includes the addition of 6 5 superintendent Chuck Starr, who teachers and counselors, one .5 announced that he has been time office assistant, two full time diagnosed with rectal cancer He ed assistants, six, 3-1/2 hour ed said that he has begun assistants, one fourth time media chemotherapy and is expected to assistant, one 6 time custodian, undergo surgery in April "The and 7 extra duty computer trainers prognosis is as good as can be at an additional cost of $376.825 expected I'm very optimistic," for the district. said Starr, who added. "This -awarded a bid for Flushometers district and the people who live in for urinals to low bidder Standard it are wonderful" for their support Supply Co., Portland, for - received a report on the $17,650.30 Hermiston Electric & district's dropout rate, which, for Plumbing, the onlv other bid. came Morrow County Hispanic students in at $17.667.11. is more than double the statewide -awarded a bid for interior rate. While district officials painting of the HES gym for dispute the way the dropout rate is $18,050 to sole bidder Michael calculated, they admit, "We still Hannen, Bend have a problem." Heppner High -approved resignation of Jeannie School (HHS) has a 3 47 percent Pershall-Roberts. one-on-one dropout rate for 1995-96; lone High School, 1.69 percent, and special ed assistant at Columbia Middle School; retirement of Dei Riverside High School, 8 73 LaRue, teaching position at lone percent, compared to a statewide Schools after 27 years of serv ice; average of 7.23 percent employment of Brenda Newport, - approved a donation to the one-on-one special ed assistant at HHS vocational agricultural/FFA Houghton and Doreen program from Kinzua Resources • A C DeBoard, one-on-one special ed of 1100 board feet of 2x4 lumber assistant at Sam Boardman -approved a field trip request Elementary from Heppner Elementary School -heard superintendent's reports (HES) principal Bill Karwacki for on bond issue proceeds, bond HES third and fourth graders to project update, postponement of a attend a Smithsonian Institution due process hearing, school exhibit at Portland funding update, and transportation grievance arbitration decision. Morrow County Schools will be closed Monday. Feb. 17 for President's Day The next regular meeting will be O i l IC0 held Tuesday. March 10, at the district office in Lexington at 7:30 Republican Senator Gordon p m . Smith has announced that he will host a grand opening for his East ern Oregon Community Office (EOCO) on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. “The opening of the office marks the first time in memory that Pendleton has been Both the lone Cardinals and the home to a U.S. Senator’s office,” Lady Cards are set to play in the said a Smith news release. The new district basketball playoffs this office is located at 1706 Southwest Friday in Hermiston. The girls will square off Frazer Avenue. “I am eager to have the Eastern against Culver at 1:30 p.m. at Oregon Community Office up and Hermiston High School, and the running,” said Smith. “It will be a boys will also play Culver , this resource to the residents of the area, for the championship at 8p.m. Friday night also at the responsive to their needs and con Hermiston High gym. cerns. I encourage everyone to stop The winner o f the girls game by Saturday and see how our of will play Saturday at 4p.m. fice can serve them.” against the loser o f the Wasco, The Pendleton office will be run Condon championship game to by Liz Lorenzen, who will be be played Friday night. The Smith’s eastern Oregon commu loser is out o f the tournament. If nity representative. Lorenzen will the Lady Cards win both games be assisted by Linda Hamilton, who they will advance to the state will serve as an executive assistant tournament in Baker. 1 If the lone boys win Friday that in the Pendleton office. The EOCO will provide area resi will be their last game o f the dents with an opportunity to voice district tournament and they will concerns over federal agency mat automatically advance to the ters, inquire about legislation, or to state playoffs. If the boys lose Friday against brief Smith representatives on lo Culver they will play the winner cal issues. of the game between Wasco, and as of presstime Tuesday, undetermined opponent. Wasco's The Heppner Junior High School opponent was determined in a sports dessert will be held playoff game Tuesday night Tuesdav, Feb 18, at 7 p m at the when Helix played Echo for the right to go to district. HJHS/HHS cafeteria Smith to open Pendleton Cardinal teams to play at District H J H S dessert Congratulations Customer Appreciation Day Door Prize Winners! 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