Ione graduates seniors
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VOL. 116
NO. 23
8 Pages
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Wednesday, June 4,1997
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
LaRue to retire from teaching
Not too many coaches can
honestly say, "It's not whether
you win or lose, but how you
play the game."
lone High School's long-time
teacher and coach Del LaRue can
get away with it-and mean it,
whether it's the game of
basketball or the game of life.
LaRue, 59, who has announced
his retirement from teaching and
coaching at the end of this school
year, says that his goal has been
to make good citizens of his
students and athletes.
"I've never considered myself
to be a great teacher," said
LaRue, who has been teaching in
lone 26 years. "I want kids to
leave my classroom with the
subject matter, all right, but I
, want to give my kids something
so they're good citizens and can
go out into the world. How they
end up as individuals is more
important than the facts. I want
them to be able to make good
decisions."
LaRue says that understanding
kids has been crucial to his
career. "I think it (liking kids) is
important. If you don't like kids,
you're in the wrong profession. I
think that some people don't
understand kids. You kind of
have to get into their minds."
LaRue said that when he first
came to lone, he had planned to
stay only for a short while and
then move on to a bigger school.
But, after living in the lone
community for a while, he found
he was able to get to know his
students and their families better.
"That's the neat thing about
lone," he said. "That's probably
the reason we stayed. I realized I
didn't want to be in a bigger
classroom."
"Bigger isn't always better,"
continued LaRue. "I know our
kids go to college, get good jobs
and are as successful as kids
from bigger schools. That's
important."
Teaching and coaching are
inseparable to LaRue, but
coaching is his real love. "I've
said, if I ever quit coaching, I'd
quit teaching. I enjoy putting
changes together and getting
immediate results. It's more
rewarding. In the classroom, you
don't get those immediate
results."
Over the years at lone, LaRue
has coached basketball (his
favorite) and track and was
assistant football coach for
several years. Through it all he
says he has remained relatively
unscathed by parents, critics and
fans, which is probably an
amazing feat in itself.
"The thing is to try to handle
the kids and be as fair as you
can," he said. "Some parents
understand what's going on. In
The 1997 lone High School graduating class
The motto, "Our greatest glory Taylor and Erick Walters.
and special
consists not in never failing, but awards Scholarships
were
presented
by
in rising every time we fall", set various organizations to the
the tone for the 1997 lone High following students:
School commencement exercises
Steve Allen: Carl Troedson
on Friday, May 30, in the school
Scholarship,$800; lone Youth
gym.
LaRee Anderson delivered the Group, $150; Jason Halvorsen
valedictory address and Luke Memorial Scholarship, $500.
LaRee Anderson: Elks
Swanson, the salutatory address.
Long time teacher and coach, Del Scholarship, $200; Morrow
LaRue, who will retire this year, County Education Association,
was guest speaker. Espindion $ 150; Carl Troedson Scholarship,
"Pete" Cantu lead the Pledge of $800; lone Lions Club, $100;
Allegiance. lone High School Soroptimist International Club,
Principal Dick Allen, Morrow $400.
County School Superintendent Kemmery Bumght: Pat Gillette
Chuck Starr and school board Memorial Scholarship, $250.
member John Rietmann assisted Jory Crowell: 4-H Leadership
in ceremony. The senior class Council, $300; American Legion
gave a special slide show Post #95.
Suzy Heideman: Carl Troedson
presentation.
Graduating seniors include: Scholarship: $800; Senior
Steve Allen, LaRee Anderson, Athlete of the Year.
Brenda Holtz: Blue Mountain
Joe Bacon, Dawn Boor,
Kemmery Burright, Espiridion Community College (BMCC)
Cantu, Jory Crowell, Camie tuition waiver one year; Jason
Memorial
Crum, Patrick Eberhard, Corey Hal vorsen
Ehrmantraut, Jon Garrett, Scholarship, $500.
Stephanie Haguewood, Suzanna Kelly Morgan: Ken Snider
Heideman, Brenda Holtz, Kelly Memorial Scholarship, $1,000;
Morgan, Ryan Nevala, Chuck lone Cardinal Club, $300; lone
Nolan, William Parm, Mindy Youth Group, $150; Jason
Memorial
Qualls, Randolph Scott, Dawn Hal vorsen
Sheirbon, Luke Swanson, Jacob
Scholarship, $500; Carl Troedson
Scholarship, $800; lone Lions
Club, $100; lone Volunteer Fire
Department, $400; Mike
Mathews Memorial Scholarship,
1 000
Will Parm: Agn Comp
Scholarship, $500.
Mindy Qualls: Earl and Hazel
Wilson Scholarship, $250;
BMCC tuition waiver one year.
Dawn Sheirbon: BMCC tuition
waiver one year; Carl Troedson
Scholarship, $800; Ken Snider
Memorial Scholarship, $1,000;
Jason Halvorsen Memorial
Scholarship, $500.
Luke Swanson: Oregon Laurels
Scholarship, $10,000; 4-H
Leadership Council $300;
Cargill, Inc., $200; George
Martm-COSA
Scholarship,
$1,000;
Carl
Troedson
Scholarship, $800; lone Lions
Club, $100; Ken Snider
Memorial Scholarship, $1,000;
lone Youth Group, $150; Jason
Hal vorsen
Memor i al
Scholarship, $500; Senior
Athlete of the Year; Laurel
Scholarship, $10,000; Farm
Credit Service Scholarship, $100
(Pendleton).
$
,
.
Heppner holds graduation
Teacher Del LaRue goes over home work with freshman Brandi
Brantley (left) and Liz Allen.
412 victories on the basketball
the 26 years I've been coaching court. "There have been so many
here, I've had a few parents high spots," he said. "I don't
complain. But, it's been pretty think I could single out one."
good, I haven't had too many
problems." He says that he
suggests that parents who have
complaints should come to
practice. "You need to come to
practice and you need to find out
what's going on. Game time isn't
the whole thing."
LaRue says that his ability to
block everything out except the
game has really helped him. "I go
into the gym and concentrate on
the game. I couldn't tell you if
the other team had cheerleaders
or not. It (yelling from the fans)
doesn't bother me, because I
don't hear it."
LaRue has had only three
technicals to his credit
throughout his career. "I had two
one night, and the other one, I
kind of begged for, because he
(the ref) was doing such a bad
job." The first two were at Fossil
his first year of coaching at
lone—after leaving a teaching
and coaching job at Fossil.
"It just depends on your
philosophy," said LaRue. "I've
always figured that if I got a
technical and we ended up
losing, then I considered it to be
my fault. I've tried to convey to
my kids that their conduct on the
floor could influence the ball
game."
LaRue is reluctant to go on
about his successes, but he has
coached his lone teams to around
One thing he is especially proud
of, in addition to his wins, is his
contribution to the Oregon High
School Basketball Association 1-
A All State Game. Feeling that
the 1-A students needed a 1-A
game, LaRue went to the OHBA
and asked what it would require.
They told him that it would
require a show of interest. So, he
went back home, wrote to all the
1 - A coaches and then returned to
the OHBA. They pretty much
told him, fine, now you can
organize it. And so he did. LaRue
has organized the East team for
all of the five years the 1-A
teams have participated.
LaRue says that after he
retires, he and his wife, Linda,
are not planning to go anywhere
else and she will continue to
work as chief operations officer
at the Bank of Eastern Oregon in
Heppner. "I'm going to take care
of the yard and probably the
house and I've got a 1960
. Thunderbird convertible that I
want to rebuild," he said. "I
probably won't try to find
something else to do until fall. It
(retirement) probably won't set in
until fall when school starts.
Linda is concerned about what
I'm going to do. I'm not the kind
of person who can sit around."
Continued page 2
The 35th annual lone United
Church of Christ Auction and
Barbecue will get underway this
Saturday, June 7, beginning at 10
a.m. at the Willows Grange Hall
in lone.
The auction will feature a
country store, opening at 10 a.m.
with foods, crafts and other
goodies; a silent auction
beginning at 10:15 a.m.; and the
auction beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Bids will open at 1 p.m. for the
auction which includes furniture
and antiques, tools, services and
more. Auctioneers will be Frank
and Gary Bettencourt, Triad
Auctioneers.
The pit-barbecued beef dinner
will be served starting at 12:30
p.m. Cost is $5 for adults, $2.50
for children six-12 years and
preschool children will be
admitted free of charge.
IU CC Auction Saturday in lone
Nicole Van Etta receives her diploma from School Board member Russ Morgan. Waiting to shake her
hand is Morrow County School Superintendent Chuck Starr.
and Anthony and Jennifer Cox, Traci Dickenson,
Thirty-four seniors received graduation
school
board
Russ David Gray, Brent Gunderson,
diplomas at the 1997 Heppner Morgan presented member
diplomas.
Mandi Gutierrez, Stormy
High School graduation held The following members of the Howard.
Chris Jones, Toni
Saturday, May 31, in the gym. junior class assisted in the Kemp, Brian
Koffler, Stacy
Honor speakers jvere Brian ceremony: grand marshals-Josie Launtsen, Brandi
Marshall,
Koffler, Toni Kemp and Traci Proctor and Travis Wilhelm; Frank Martin, Amy Mathews,
Dickenson. Honored guests were
Matteson and Justin Matteson, David Michael,
their former teachers, Jannie candlelighters-Lexi
Lon Moeller, Tiffame Munkers,
Chris
Anthony;
programs-Jessica
Allen, Mark Dowdy and Dave VanWinkle and Annie Hisler; Jend
Ployhar, Lonnie Rill, Jim
Gunderson, teacher Walter ushers-Bnan Bumside, Adam Schlaich,
Eric Schonbachler,
Pilgrim, library tech Ginger Doherty, Miles Hill, Tyson Robby Schultz,
Tellechea,
Bowman and custodian Stub Palmateer. Josh Roy and Cam Nicole Van Etta, Phillip
Rebecca Ward,
Lewis.
Sweeney; and gifts-Katie Nichols Lindsey Waterland, Jeff Watkins,
Principal Ron Anthony and Linsey Ropp.
Damien Wilhelm, Jeff Wilson
presented awards. Morrow
Graduating seniors include: and Rick Worden.
County School Superintendent John Blake, Matt Browning,
Chuck Starr affirmed the Sarah Cimmiyotti, Josh Coiner, Continued page 2
SUMMER TIM E SAVINGS
Farm & Hardware Sale
Sale starts June 5 , ends June 14
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
Lexington 989-8221 1 -800-452-7396