School district plans to reveiw drug/alcohol policy
HEPPNER
imes
VOL. 116
NO. 38
8 Pages
Wednesday, September 17,1997
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
W ork begun on Heppner grade, high schools
Construction underway at Heppner Elementary School.
Excavation work is underway
in preparation for adding
classrooms at both Heppner
Elementary School and Heppner
High School.
HHS principal Ron Anthony
says that excavation at the high
school was begun before school
started to prepare for the
construction of an art classroom.
The lower hall will be lengthened
and a 42x30 art room will be
added on. The addition will
include a clay area, a kiln area
and a general classroom to
accommodate 20-30 students.
Anthony says that other minor
projects at the high school will
include: bringing bathrooms up
to ADA standards and making
the building more in line with
ADA
recommendations;
carpeting hallways upstairs and
down; installing a new wireless
sound system in the gym; making
gym backboards electronically
retractable; and, if money
remains after the projects have
been completed, repaving with
asphalt.
This summer acoustical tiles
were removed from the hallway
and new lights were installed.
Acoustical spray was applied to
the ceiling in the gym. Anthony
said that the carpeting and
acoustical spray will help cut
down noise.
Construction is expected to be
completed by May of 1998.
Work will be completed
simultaneously at Heppner
Elementary, where seven
classrooms will be constructed.
Heppner Elementary principal
Bill Karwacki said that workers
have broken out rock, but will
not have to excavate as much as
they anticipated, and have sawed
doorways in the upper and lower
halls. Plans are to build an
extension of around 120 feet. The
school's main office will move
down to the other end of the
school and the old office will
house an office for the school
counselor, a small meeting room
area and office space for the
speech therapist and psych
ologist, which are currently
housed in the former junior high
building. Karwacki said that only
cafeteria will remain in that
building.
Completion is scheduled for
May 1998.
Remodeling of the former
multipurpose room at HES was
completed the day before school
started. The multipurpose room
now houses the school library
and two computer labs.
Construction on that project
began in August.
Ramsay-Gerding, with offices
in Pendleton and Corvallis, is the
construction company.
Genealogical
Society meeting
The Genealogical Society will
meet Wednesday, September 24,
at 7 p.m. at the Morrow County
Museum.
Those interested
in tracing their family history
are invited to join this group.
This meeting will include
information for basic research
and start people climbing their
family tree.
For more information call the
museum at 676-5524.
Christian Church
plans classes
The First Christian Church in
Heppner is offering a Josh
McDowell series on absolute
values. The senes will look at
Biblical absolutes and teach
parents how to pass them on to
their children.
The class will be held on
Sunday at 9:30 am. at the
church, 275 Gale Street.
For more information, call
676-9209.
A W A N A club
to begin year
AWANA club year will begin
Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the
Lexington Baptist Church from
6:30 to 8 p.m. and will continue
at the same time on Wednesday
evenings until April 29.
Children in kindergarten
through sixth grade are welcome
to attend. Club activities include
various games around the
AWANA came circle, working in
handbooks, and Bible stones.
AWANA is a nondenommational
Bible-based club sponsored by
Lexington Baptist Church.
Leaders from the Heppner First
Christian Church, Chnstian Life
Center, and Episcopal Church
are also involved.
For more information call
Loren Unruh at 676-9873 or
Lexington Baptist Church at 989-
8555.
A Morrow County School
Distnct committee has been
formed to review the distnct's
alcohol and drug policy.
In the organizational stages
now, the committee, announced
at the district board meeting
Sept. 8, will eventually seek
public input.
Committee members include:
A dv isory
C om m ittee
representatives Kathy Neal,
Boardman/Irrigon,
George
Naims, Heppner/Lexington, and
Jim McElligott, Ione/Lexington;
school representatives Kevin Fry,
Columbia Middle School
principal, Ron Anthony, Heppner
High School (HHS) principal.
Dale Conklin, HHS athletic
director, Josh Roy, HHS student
body president. Dean Robinson,
lone High School (IHS) athletic
director, Jake McElligott, IHS
student body president, Larry
French, Riverside High School
(RHS) athletic director, and
Rachel Sebastian, RHS student
body president, and school board
representatives Russ Morgan and
Dwayne Carroll.
Also at the meeting, the board
accepted and appropriated a one
time $219,680 classroom needs
grant from the Oregon
Legislature and a $9,600 drug
and alcohol prevention grant.
The classroom needs grant
may be spent on classroom
supplies, textbooks, computers
and software and the funds may
be spread out over several years.
The distnct plans to spend
$30,000 of those funds this year
for new Spanish and new
calculus textbooks. Next year
they will use the funds to
purchase new social studies
books, which could "easily
amount to $100,000," said
superintendent Chuck Starr.
The $9,600 grant will be used
to purchase "Here's Looking at
You 2000" drug and alcohol
intervention kits.
In other business, the board:
-heard an enrollment report
from superintendent Starr.
As of Sept. 9, the district has
2,123 students, 22 more than last
year on Sept. 8.
Enrollment declined at south
end schools and increased at
north county schools.
Enrollment at Heppner
Elementary on Sept. 9 was 229,
compared to 233 last year;
Heppner High School/Middle
School enrollment was 223 this
year, compared to 231 last year;
lone's enrollment was also down,
143 this year, compared to 151
last year. Other enrollment
figures are as follows: A.C.
Houghton Elementary, Irrigon,
308 this year, compared to 293
last year; Columbia Middle
School, Irrigon, 375 in 1997 vs.
360 in 1996; Riverside, 435 in
1997 vs. 430 last year; and Sam
Boardman Elementary, 410 this
year, compared to 403 last year.
Total enrollment was 2123 on
Sept. 9 this year, compared to
2101 last year on Sept. 8.
Enrollment at district schools
on the first day of school was
2160, up 72 students over last
year's first day enrollment of
2082.
-approved reconsidering the
district's fuel bids. The board
voted to rescind July's action of
accepting the bids. Instead, the
district will get three quotes,
from Devin Oil, Morrow County
Grain Growers and Russell Oil,
each time they plan to get a load
of fuel and will accept the lowest
quote. Starr said that the district
gets two to three loads a year at
each facility.
-approved transfer for Mari
Gordanier from part-time
educational assistant position at
A.C. Houghton to library
technician position;
-approved temporary teacher
contracts for 1997-98 for; Dale
Johnson, HHS math, David
Connor, HHS science, Lynn
Harmonson, HHS vo-ag, Donald
Parks, RHS music, Anthony
Pupo. CMS P.E.
-approved extra duty contracts
for Harmonson, HHS FFA
advisor; Parks, RHS choir and
pep band; Juan Elguezabal,
Heppner Junior High (HJH)
football coach, HHS assistant
baseball coach; A1 Trachsel, HJH
assistant football coach; Pedro
Torres, RHS head soccer coach;
Phil Hibbard, RHS assistant
soccer coach; Tone Philippi,
RHS assistant volleyball coach;
Donna Neighbors, CMS assistant
volleyball coach; Pupo, David
Peters and Ray Godin, all CMS
assistant football coaches; Darin
Presto, CMS assistant basketball
coach.
-approved employment for
classified employees: Maria
Mendoza, and Elva Rangel, Sam
Boardman Elementary (SBE)
part-time English as a second
language (ESL) assistants; Lon
McCombs, ACH part-time ed
assistant; Kelly Bond, part-time
CMS custodian;
Shelly
Salisbury, CMS part-time special
ed assistant; Maria Rodnguez
and Guadelupe Colin, CMS
part-time ESL assistants; Merry
Brannon, HES part-time special
ed assistant; Cynthia Tallman,
HES part-time special ed
assistant.
The next board meeting will
be held at Heppner High School
library at 7:30 p.m.
County earns state fair honors
Morrow County was recog
nized at the Oregon State Fair this
year by special awards in wheat
exhibits and county exhibits.
The Morrow County booth re
ceived a third with Harney and
Polk counties first and second.
The Morrow County exhibit was
prepared by members of the Port
of Morrow through the Morrow
County Tourism Committee,
which is a volunteer group of lo
cal people.
Wheat exhibit awards were
given to Kenneth Smouse in club
wheat, spring wheat, awn wheat
and awnless wheat. He also re
ceived the special award pre
sented by Pendleton Grain Grow
ers for the most points according
to placements.
Vem Fredrickson had the best
individual wheat exhibit in dark
Northern spring. Bill Jepsen re
ceived awards for dark Northern
spring wheat, soft wheat and bar
ley.
Larry Palmer received an
award for his wheat sheaf.
Following are the results for
the 1997 agriculture/horticulture
dept, of the Oregon State Fair:
Country Pride Exhibits: Lot 1
County Pnde-third, Port of Mor
row, Boardman;
Commercial Grain: Lot 3 Any
Other Barley-second, Bill Jepsen,
Heppner;
Lot 7 Hard Red Spring Wheat-
first, Vem Fredrickson, Imgon,
second, Bill Jepsen;
Lot 9 Soft White Wheat-first,
Kenneth Smouse, lone;
Lot 10 White Club Wheat-first,
Kenneth Smouse;
Lot 11 Any Other Wheat-first
Kenneth Smouse, second, Bill
Jepsen, third, Kenneth Smouse;
Sheaves: Lot 5 Awned Wheat-
second, Larry Palmer, Heppner;
Lot 6 Awnless Wheat-first,
Larry Palmer;
Sheep Division, Class 401
Montadales: Lot 1 Montadale
Yearling Ram-third, Loyal Bums,
lone; Lot 1 Senior Ram Lamb-
fifth, Loyal Bums; Lot 3 Junior
Ram Lamb-second, Loyal Bums;
Lot 4 Pair Ram Lambs-third,
Loyal Bums; Lot 5 Yearling Ewe-
ninth and twelfth, Loyal Bums;
Lot 6 Pair Yearling Ewes-second,
Loyal Bums; Lot 7 Senior Ewe
Lamb-eleventh, Loyal Bums; Lot
8 Junior Ewe Lamb-first and
sixth, Loyal Bums; Lot 9 Pair
Ewe Lambs-third, Loyal Bums;
Lot 10 Young Flock-fourth,
Loyal Bums; Lot 11 Get of Sire-
third Loyal Bums; Lot 13 Best
Pair-third, Loyal Bums; Lot 11A
OSF Get of Sire-first, Loyal
Bums.
Art Council plans activities
By Nova Rietmann
This fall and winter the
Morrow County Arts Council
have planned several activities.
The board members, Don
Eppenbach, Shelly Rietmann,
Barb Orwik, Dave Kendnch, and
Ann Murray, hope that everyone
is excited about what is planned
and that people are interested in
participating.
Tumbling classes will
start September 19. For
information call Cindy Sumner at
989-8514.
Artist Jonna McKay will
offer Media Visual Arts classes
starting September 19, for ages
4years to third grade and high
school. The classes will teach
sketching, water color, acrylic
and charcoal. Call 422-7191 or
989-8459.
Mark and Astrid Bruno
are offering art classes in lone.
The classes offer stone carving,
sculpture, copper sculpture, clay,
oil painting and water colors.
There is a class for people 13-18
years old. And, if there is
interest, there will be a class for
adults as well. Call Mark and
Astrid at 422-7305.
On October 6 and 7
classical guitarist James Russell
Hunley will perform in Morrow
County. Monday, October 6, he
will play at Beecher's restaurant
in lone and on Tuesday, October
7, he will be at the Dodge City
Inn in Boardman. Performances
start at 7 p.m. and the tickets will
be $8. For more information
call 422-7243 or 422-7191.
A fund raiser for the arts
council on October 11,8 p.m. at
the Heppner Elks. Preston and
Morgans' Singing, Dancing, and
Comedy will perform. Tickets
will be on sale September 15.
Call 422-7243 for more details.
On October 30 The
Saballa Consort, a return "by
demand" Jazz Band will perform
at 7:30 p.m. in The Heppner
Middle School auditorium.
The arts council is
working with the Oregon East
Symphony Rural Outreach
Program to schedule concerts in
Morrow County. They hope to
have concerts in Heppner,
Boardman, lone and to have
concerts in the schools. They're
being assisted by the Morrow
County Unified Recreational
District.
In January the arts
council will have another fund
raiser—an authentic Mexican
fiesta with authentic Mexican
food and music. It will be held at
the Woolery House in lone.
To join or renew
membership, payment is $20.
Send it to P.O. Box 274, lone OR
97843, or call 422-7191 or 422-
7243.
Court try-outs
slated for
Sept. 21
Girls interested in being on the
Morrow County Fair and Oregon
Trail Pro Rodeo Court are invited
to try-outs Sunday, September
21. starting at 1 p.m.
Applications must be returned
to the fair office by Friday,
September 19, at 3 p.m.
Applications are available at area
high schools.
For more information, call the
fair office, 676-9474.
Everyone is invited to attend the
try-outs and see who will be
selected to be Morrow County's
ambassadors for the coming year.
Order your Danner Boots NOW
for hunting season: 20% off of the reg. list price.
Ask for availably. Sale good through Oct. 3rd.
MORROW COUNTY GRAIN GROWERS
Lexington 989-8221 1-800-452-7396____________________