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Queen M ad Childers shines over MC Fair and OTPR
The combination of a nch
family tradition in rodeo, a
positive attitude, a radiant smile,
beautiful brown curls and big
brown eyes make this year's
Morrow County Fair and Oregon
Trail Pro Rodeo Queen Maci
Childers positively shine.
Maci, who graduated from
Heppner High School this year,
is the daughter of Bobbi and
Harvey Childers of lone. Maci
also has a 16-year-old brother
who is a sophomore at lone High
School.
Maci’s grandparents are
Marilyn Schiller, Vey Ranch,
Big Buttercreek, and the late
Bob Schiller, and Cleo and
Marilyn Childers, lone. Her
great-grandmother is Alma
Parke, Pendleton.
Maci was a fair and rodeo
princess last year and a pennant
bearer in 1996. Her family is
well represented as past court
royalty. Her mother's sister,
Bonnie Grant, was a 1976
Morrow County Fair and Rodeo
princess; her dad's sister, Laurie
HEPPNER
imes
Queen
Maci
Childers
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Age: 18 years old,
Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo Queen Maci Childers
a 1998 graduate of HHS
Parents:
VOL. 117
NO. 33
10 Pages
Wednesday, August 19,1998
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Harvey & Bobbi Childers
Activities:
OTPR to feature record number of contestants
Brad Gleason
This weekend's Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo features many PRC A
World Champions and top-15
cowboys
A record 342 Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association
contestants will be on hand for
this weekend's performances of
the Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo.
Top cowboys will compete in
bull riding, saddle bronc,
bareback riding, calf roping,
team roping and steer wrestling
and cowgirls will be featured in
the barrel racing.
The PRC A rodeo kicks off at 7
p.m. Friday, August 21, with
mutton bustin' and grand entry at
7:30 p.m.. Saturday's mutton
bustin' begins at 12:45 p.m. with
the performance at 1:15 p.m. .
The Morrow County Jackpot
Rodeo will be at 1:15 p.m. on
Sunday, August 23. Morrow
County cowboys, cowgirls and
school alumni of all ages will
compete in rodfco events,
including the stick horse race for
the youngest contestants.
Among the world champions
scheduled to compete at the
OTPR is Dan Mortensen,
Manhattan, MT, reigning World
Champion All-Around Cowboy
and four time World Champion
Saddle Bronc Rider. Mortensen
will have plenty of competition
in saddle bronc riding as seven
of the top 10 world leaders are
also entered in the event. This
list includes the Etbauer
brothers, Robert, Billy and Dan,
of Goodwell, OK, two of which
are two-time former World
Saddle Bronc Champions. Billy
holds the world record for
winning $190,257, the most
money won in one year in one
event. Red Lemmel. Mud Butte.
SD, ranked fourth. Rod Hay,
Wildwood, AL, fifth; Jess
Martin, Dillon, MT, sixth; and
Rod Warren, Water Valley, AL.
eighth, are all entered in the
event.
Bareback contestants include
former world champion Clint
Corey of Kennewick, WA, who
earned $111,161 in 1997.
Former local cowboy Rocky
Steagall, currently of Sanger.
CA, and ranked third in the
world standings, will be
competing, along with other top-
ranked cowboys.
These
cowboys will have an added
incentive from The Bank ol
Eastern Oregon who will donate
an additional $250 to the
cowboy who draws and rides the
bounty
horse
at
each
performance.
Top 10 standing bull riders
Robert Bowers, Duchess AL,
and Thad Bothwell. Rapid City.
SD, lead the bull riding field.
Continued page two
Teachers, district still haven't
agreed on contract
•Although school for Morrow
County students will start
Monday, August 31. the Morrow
County Education Association
and the school district have not
yet agreed on a teacher contract.
Morrow County School
District Superintendent Chuck
Starr says that the district and
the teachers do not agree on the
amount of a pay increase for
teachers and the language
concerning the recently enacted
Senate Bill 880. SB 880
eliminated teacher tenure and
puts
more
emphasis
on
performance evaluations in
determining whether teachers
remain on contract.
"The board has made a
generous offer to the teachers to
give them a raise in pay which is
significantly above cost ot
living," said Starr. He also said
that the teachers' contract
proposal included language
which would, "in effect,
eliminate SB 880.”
"The board does not intend to
do that." he said. "They (the
teachers) also want more than
the board wants to offer."
"We recognise that they’re
behind teachers of comparable
district and the board has offered
a contract which would help
them gain some ground," Starr
said.
MCEA spokesperson Dave
Fowler said that the board had
asked to postpone negotiations
until after the summer, but
added, "I think the process is
moving along."
"We've met quite a few times
over the spring and tentatively
agreed on quite a few items,"
Fowler said.
He said that some language
issues were a matter of
interpretation. "Hopefully we
will come up with language that
will meet both concerns," said
Fowler.
Fowler also said that the
salaries of Morrow County
teachers were "typically lower"
than salaries of teachers in
neighboring districts. "We feel
we've taken very minimal
increases due to financial
constraints," he said. "We feel
that some improvements have
been made. We can't catch up
immediately, but we hope to
make some progress in that area.
I don't think we're too far apart.
It's just a matter of fine tuning."
The board and the teachers
plan to resume negotiations after
the Sept. 14 board meeting.
Basketball; volleyball;
OSSOM; FFA; 4-H horse,
sewing, cooking, swine;
National Honor Society;
HHS prom princess
Barrow, was princess in 1978;
and her aunt by marriage, Venna
French Schiller, was princess in
1967 and queen in 1968. Venna
is also Princess Lindsey Ward's
aunt The Schiller family's
involvement in rodeo dates back
to early day rodeos held at the
Vey Ranch. The ranch, which
first ran sheep, then cattle, and
then both sheep and cattle, was
also the site of sheep dog trials.
Maci has been involved in 4-H
cooking,
sewing.
food
preservation, swine and horses.
At lone High School, which she
attended
her
freshman,
sophomore and junior years,
Maci
played
volleyball,
basketball and tennis, was junior
class secretary, a member of
Letter Club and a member of the
National Honor Society.
At Heppner High School her
senior year, Maci played
basketball, helped out the HHS
volleyball team, was a member
of OSSOM and the National
Honor Society. She was selected
as a prom princess at HHS and
received the 1997-98 HHS
citizenship award. She was a
four year member of FFA. Maci
has raised sheep and also helped
out at the Vey Ranch.
Maci, who has worked at
Pioneer Memorial Hospital in
Heppner, plans to attend Blue
Mountain Community College
and then transfer to Eastern
Oregon University at LaGrande
in hopes of becoming a nurse.
Maci's 14-year old quarter
horse. Baby, whose real name is
Chuck's Fritz, is very special to
her, since he belonged to her
grandfather. Bob Schiller, who
passed away three years ago.
"Baby has done excellent this
year," says Maci. "He has been
really good at all the parades and
rodeos and he loves the arena."
Maci says that she has
especially
enjoyed
her
princesses this year. "Lindsey
(Ward) and Bobbie (Rankin)
make everything entertaining,"
she said. "They are up for
anything. I couldn't ask for
better princesses. The pennant
bearers have also put in a lot of
hard work and time this year."
"We had a fun time in Imgon
and we were really happy that
we did so well in the parade,"
Queen Maci enjoyed playing Heppner Mustang varsity basketball
said Queen Maci. "We've done
well at all the parades this year."
The Morrow County queen and
court
won the Irrigon
Watermelon Festival parade
sweepstakes trophy, received a
trophy for the being top in their
category and also a blue ribbon
for the top court.
Another highlight of her reign,
says Maci, was meeting Miss
Rodeo America at Pnneville.
Maci, Lindsey and Bobbie
signed autographs at the mall in
Bend, along with Miss Rodeo
Oregon,
Miss
Rodeo
Washington and Miss Rodeo
America. "Little kids are very
receptive to them," said Maci's
mom, Bobbi. "They're always
coming up and wanting to visit
with the girls."
Maci is grateful for the
support her parents and Bobbie
and Lindsey's parents have given
the girls this year. "The parents
have been great," she says.
"They are so supportive."
Maci says the court enjoyed
the Morrow County Open Horse
Show and the 4-H Horse Show
and is looking forward to this
weekend's Morrow County Fair
and Oregon Trail Rodeo and the
Round-Up, "which is always
fun."
Multi-talented, Queen Maci
had a hand in designing the
official court outfits this year,
which were made by June Jaeger
of
Pnneville, who had
previously
owned
the
Quiltworks in Pendleton. Maci
REGULAR HOURS
Starting August 17th
7-5 Monday-Friday
7-12 Saturday
and her court look especially
sharp in their official outfits.
Maci's is made up of a red,
silky, poly-blend shirt and white
Ultrasuede vest and split skirt,
accented with red fringe and
yellow and red stars. Lindsey
and Bobbie's official outfits are
red. poly-blend shirts and black
Ultrasuede vests and split skirts,
also accented with red fringe
and red and yellow stars. Their
work outfits are silky, black
poly-blend shirts and red Rocky
jeans. A dress outfit, made by
Maci's grandmother. Marilyn
Schiller, consists of a an
Ultrasuede skirt and vest.
W a te rp a rk
to extend
season
The Willow’ Creek Waterpark
will extend its season through
August 28, according to Willow
Creek Park District Board
Member Kim Cutsforth Armato.
The pool was originally
scheduled to close August 24.
Season passes will be extended
to Aug. 28. but the pool will
close at 5 p m. August 24-28.
There w ill be no evening hours
those days.
CLOSED
Saturday, Aug. 22
for Fair and Rodeo
M o r r o w C o u n t y G r a in G ro w ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
For farm equipment, visit our web site i t www.mcgg.ntt
V.