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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1999)
FOUR - Happnnr Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 24,1999 Heppner Elementary students write letters to the editor (Editor’s note: The following letters to the editor are from fifth and sixth grade students in teacher Jannie Allen's class at Heppner Elementary School. The 'letters to the editor have become an annual project for the students.) To the Editor: I think everyone should donate Beanie Babies to the Doembecher’s Children's Hospital in Portland. This drive is being held by the lone United Church o f Christ. If you don't know what a Beanie Baby is, you need to get out more. A Benue Baby is like a stuffed animal, except ifs full o f beans. You can find them in almost every Hallmark store and in Condon's Country Flowers. I go to Doembecher’s once every year. I don't need a Beanie because there are other kids that have worse problems than a cleft palate. Last year when I went I saw a girl in a wheelchair. Her mom packed them a lunch and stayed there for about the whole day. Beanie Babies are a great gift to give to someone who is having a bad day. Some kids there have to take one day at a time, not knowing if they're going to live or not. Thursday, March 4, is the last day to give Beanie Babies for the Doembecher Children’s Hospital. If you have one to donate, please call Jannie Allen at 422-7563. (s) Kylee Disque To the Editor: I think there should be lockers at Heppner Elementary School for students in fifth and sixth . grades. We have been told that the hall has to be so wide, for fire safety. I don't think that two feet would matter. If they don't let us have lockers, we would like to have the old couches of Mrs. Allen's in the hallway. The fifth and sixth graders like to sit on the couches and read. Either way, if a fire started, we would be in the classrooms and there are emergency doors in die lower classrooms that lead directly outside. So, I don't get it, why can’t we have lockers? (s) Josh Lankford To the Editor: I think Heppner should have a boys’cheerleader team. In other towns there are boys and girls together on one team and (they) compete against other teams. In an "American Girl” magazine that I was looking through there was a girl named Emily Rose, age 11, from Pennsylvania. She said, T m not going to be a cheerleader for a boys' team until boys come out to cheer for girls! Girls' sports teams are just as good as boys', but boys get all die praise. We should have cheerleaders too!" (s) Chelsey Betsinger To the Editor: The Multiple Sclerosis Walk is coming up Saturday, April 10, 1999. The Walk is to benefit the study for a cure or better medicine for Multiple Sclerosis. There are two walks, a five kilometer and a 10 kilometer walk. The people will meet at die Episcopal Church at 9 a.m. Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic, disabling disease o f the central nervous system. The symptoms may be mild, such as a numbness in limbs, severe paralysis, or loss o f vision. I think that everyone in our community can participate by walking or funding a walker. It is great that we can encourage people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis. I got my information from Merilee McDowell. (s) Lilly Calvert To the Editor: I don't like the cubbies at the middle school because they are too small. I wish we had lockers because you can keep your stuff in die locker. Also you wouldn't have to interrupt classes if you forgot or needed something. I don't like cubbies because they are way too small for all our stuff. (s)Char!een Tallman To the Editor: Hello, my name is Mikel Britt. I think die town of Heppner should put in a miniature golf course. I think this because I like to golf and other people do too. Another reason is that Heppner could make a lot of money and lads would have something to do instead of standing around down town. That's why I think Heppner should put in a mini golf course. (s) Mikel Britt To the Editor: I want to complain about the dogs running around and getting wildlife and livestock killed. A couple of years ago, my mother's sheep was killed by loose dogs and it was one (of) the best sheep she had ever had. Here is a solution to the problem: hire someone to catch the loose animals and if they have a tag, call the people who own them. Please do not be oblivious to this letter. (s) James Van Liew To the Editor: My name is Jennifer Whalen and I am a sixth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about poor sportsmanship at the basketball games. I think the audience should keep their feelings to themselves because it hurts other people's feelings. They should stop booing and yelling at the players because the players know what they did and it already hurts them enough (s) Jennifer Whalen To the Editor, I'm a sixth grader at Heppner Elementary school and I'm writing about the mill closing. I don't think they should close down the mill because lots of people will have no jobs. Most o f the people in Heppner who work there will have to move. The mill is the only thing keeping the town going. After the mill closes and most of the people move in a few years this town will turn into a ghost town. That's why I don't want the mill to close down. (s) Aaron Delveaux To the Editor: My name is Augustin Saenz and I am a fifth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about lockers for fifth and sixth graders. Other kids steal stuff from the little cubbies in our classroom. Then our homework would not get lost. (s) Augustin Saenz To the Editor: I am a student at Heppner Elementary School and Fd like to say something about the coaches who coach Colt Basketball. I really appreciate them taking time to help us players to play our best. I know it might be hard work to teach us and to get us to pay attention to the team. The coaches are really nice and I'd never want to quit playing Colt Basketball. Ifs really fun playing basketball. (s)Stephanie Burkenbine To the Editor: My name is Krista Hendricks and I am a fifth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about people being reckless drivers. People should drive the speed limit and not pass people unless it's clear. If people are late for something they should leave early. If people are drinking they should call a friend who is not a drinker. If there's someone driving in front o f a drinker and the non-drinker looks through the rearview mirror and sees the person behind him swerving and gets scared, that would be called reckless driving. (s) Knsta Hendricks To the Editor: My name is Gordy Wegwerth and I am a fifth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about the mill closing down because I am glad because we can have more trees in the forest. I know many people have lost their jobs but I think it's better for the animals, (s) Gordy Wegwerth $300 for the prizes. We appreciate the Parents' Club for donating the money. (s) Brenda Victorio To the Editor: My name is Riley Wight and I am a fifth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about motorcycle riding. I say we should have a motorcycle track here in Heppner. It should be two miles long and we should be able to ride our motorcycle when we want to have fun. (s) Riley Wight To the Editor: I have a complaint about the noise younger boys on my bus make. The boys think it's very cool to sing the ABCs while making inappropriate sounds. They make the sounds morning and afternoon. I think the bus driver should move them to the front o f the bus until they stop. (s) Liz Orwick To the Editor: My name is Amanda Miles and I'm a fifth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing to encourage people to turn their lights on early in the morning and at night. I see a lot o f people that don’t have their lights on at those two times o f day. It's difficult to see a car coming when it's not quite light or when it's just getting dark. After people read this I hope they will turn on their lights. (s) Amanda Miles To the Editor. I am writing to Heppner High School about the speed bumps. I think the speed bumps need to be painted a different color like bright yellow or white. A lot of people do not know about the speed bumps at Heppner High School. You should paint them bright yellow or white. They will realize that the speed bumps are there. For example at night people come to see the girls and boys play basketball and do not know about the speed bumps until they hit them hard. (s) Heather Lois Yocom To the Editor: I really appreciate the Parents' Club donating the money for the Time Out for Reading program. I was able to get a prize. I got an ant farm. You're great, Parents' Club. (s) Colton Helfrecht To the Editor: I have a complaint about all of the stray dogs around Heppner. These dogs are very skinny. They usually don't bite. The dogs are very dirty. I have seen a black dog, with white spots. It looks like a border collie. It isn't skinny, but is very dirty. Many o f these dogs bark at night and disturb people who are trying to sleep. If you want a dog take care o f it. (s) Heather Rill To the Editor: Hi, my name is Robert McEUigott and I think that there should be more referees at the basketball games in different places, like one up on a high place to have a bird's eye view o f the court and one at each comer o f the court also. If this happened the game would be more fair. (s) Robert McEUigott To the Editor: I have a complaint about teenagers who can drive, speeding down Cemetery Hill. My family lives on Cemetery Hill and if my little sisters were walking on the side o f die road, there could be an accident It is especially dangerous since there has been snow. So please if you know anybody who speeds, tell them to slow down and watch out. (s) Terra Wilson To the Editor: I would like to tell all o f the Colt Basketball coaches how much I appreciate all o f their time to coach and teach basketball. The students appreciate being in the program and being taught how to play the game. (s) Kelly Straley To the Editor: I think the people at the varsity games should stop yelling at the kids if they do something wrong. When they throw it to die other team or when they throw it out o f bounds, many people yell negative things at them. The players are doing their best and need encouragement, not ridicule. I also think the people should stop booing at the referees' calls. (s) Emily Bergstrom To the Editor: I don't think that people should vandalize pickups or cars, schools or hair houses. It is wrong to damage somebody else's property. We had our pickup vandalized on Kenny Road. They broke a window, slashed the tires and broke the stereo. This cost my family a lot o f money, but die vandals weren't caught, so they didn't have to pay at all. (s) Matt Kenny To the Editor: I believe that the judges in D.C. should impeach Bill Clinton because he lies. I especially mean what he did to be in the trial. I also believe that A1 Gore should replace Bill. A1 Gore is a lot more responsible and honest than Bill. That is why I want the judges to impeach Bill Clinton. * (s) Brandon Johnson To the Editor: I am a sixth grader at Heppner Elementary School and I am writing about the problems in Iraq. The world knows that Iraq still has nuclear warheads. The United Nations wants to search for the nuclear weapons, but Saddam Hussein w ont let the UN in. I just hope we don't go to war. (s) Kory Paullus To die Editor: I appreciate the money that the Parents' Club donated for the reading program at Heppner Elementary. Fifth and sixth graders were overjoyed by the great prizes. The Parents' Club donated over To the Editor: I really appreciate the Heppner Elementary Parents' club and Roger and Rita Britt for donating prizes to the fifth and sixth grade Heppner Elementary reading party. I thought that was very nice and they deserve to be recognized. (s) Kelsie McKinney To the Editor: I really appreciate how the Parents Club and Roger and Rita Britt donated all the prizes for the fifth and sixth grade reading party. It was great They deserve to be appreciated. (s) Ceara Honeycutt To the Editor: I get tired o f kids running under the bleachers at die high school basketball games. It makes it hard to concentrate on the games with kids naming and screaming under the bleachers. I think the parents should bring things for the kids to do and keep track of them. If die lads don't watch the games, maybe they should stay home. (s) Jackie Meyer To die Editor: My name is Stephanie Shank. and I am a sixth grader at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about all o f the volunteers that have helped at the Heppner Elementary School. I appreciate Jennifer Waldrep and Mary Jean Meyer for helping us out. (s) Stephanie Shank To the Editor: My name is Derek Shank and I am in sixth grade at Heppner Elementary School. I am writing about the need o f lockers in film and sixth grades. We would have more room to put our stuff. We should have locks on them so nobody can steal anything. (s) Derek Shank To the Editor: I am writing to voice my concerns about die Kinzua Mill. Many families will have to move away because so many people will lose their jobs. What about the businesses? Think about banks for instance. They will lose many accounts. What about the stores in Heppner? They will lose a lot of money too. This will hurt all of the businesses in Heppner. This is definitely a bad it a. (s) Missy Baker To the Editor: I would like the Parents' Club and Roger and Rita Britt to know how much the fifth and sixth graders at Heppner Elementary appreciate the money they donated for the prizes for our reading program. The Parents' Club donated about $300 or more. Roger and Rita Britt donated $50 for prizes. The fifth and sixth grade reading program went on for four weeks. When the students read for *r'> amount o f time they recorded it. After one week the students that read the most in their home room won a book. Almost everyone that participated won a prize. The reading program was a lot o f fun. (s) Laurie Murray To the Editor: On Feb. 7, 1999, one o f the world's greatest leaders died. King Hussein o f Jordan died in his bed at the King Hussein Medical Center. The cause of death was heart failure and non- Hodgkins lymphoma. The funeral for the king was held on Monday February 8, 1999. The ceremonies surrounding the funeral lasted several hours. Hussein's son, Crown Prince Abdullah, has now become King Abdullah, and he took a formal oath o f office at a special To the Editor: ceremony on the day o f his I would like to publicly tell the father's death. Heppner Elementary Parents' The King overruled his brother Club how much we students becoming the next king because appreciate their money donated o f how he had ruled during his to the fifth and sixth grade cancer treatments. reading program. They donated Hussein ibn Talal was only a over $300 for the fifth-sixth teen when he assumed the throne reading party prizes. Mrs. Allen, o f Hashemite Kingdom o f our language arts teacher, was Jordan in 1952. able to purchase great prizes At age 15, he watched the with this donation. assassination o f his grandfather, There were prizes such as a King Abdullah, at a mosque in watch, socks, stuffed animals, Jerusalem. He only saved backpacks, books and much him self when a bullet glanced more. off a medal on his chest. Many students were able to The King asserted his receive a great prize for all their authority in the Middle East in reading time. They were other ways as well, slowly grateful for the items they regaining the prestige he had lost received. among the Arabs by taking (....Your generous donation is positions that often made m uch appreciated- enemies, as well as friends. * (s)JBrianne Jones In 1994, he signed i peace rnoli treaty w ith' Israeli Prime Minister Yizthak Rabin. King Hussein was a great man To the Editor: and I would like everyone in the I think Heppner, Oregon, world to take a moment to should get wrestling for junior remember him, and hope for high through high school. A lot continuing strong leadership for o f people don't like football, Jordan and peace in the Middle East. baseball or basketball but they (s) Ryan Campbell like wrestling. Some o f my friends have taken wrestling at their old school and say it To the Editor: teaches respect and is a lot o f My sister Meghan Bailey is on fun too. I even want to try to the Heppner High School C- wrestle. So if we could get team. The C-team won every wrestling there would be a lot o f game this season. They did very lrids who would take it. So well. Yet there are no people to please try to get wrestling. cheer them on. Sure there are (s) Jode Coil some high School kids and relatives there, but there is not near as many people there as To the Editor: there is at JV and varsity Today there are so many bad basketball games. movies that set bad examples. I The C-team is part o f the high think that all rated Tt' movies school. They should get the should be prohibited from being same support as JV and varsity made. Fm planning on writing a | letter to President Clinton about basketball. this crisis. There are more people at the Sometimes I want to see a grade school Colt Basketball movie until I learn that ifs Tt' games than there are at C-team rated and then I decide that I will games. never want to see that movie. I I would like to ask a question to the local newspaper about C- know it will set a bad example for me and for everyone else Team articles. Why hasn’t there ever been a C-Team game article who watches i t I hope that the girls or boys? They are part of people who read this letter will the high school. I would like to feel the same way I do. (s) Michael Merrill recognize the C-team girls' coach Keelie Keown for doing such a great job coaching them. So next year, give the Heppner High School C-team To the Editor: I think the fifth and sixth girls and boys some more grades at HES should have the support. (s) Madison Bailey right to have lockers. The "cubbies" are way too small and too high. Some students have to step on desks so they can get to their "cubby". To the Editor: I think that Colt Basketball is Hardly all o f our stuff fits in our not as good as it was last year. "cubbies". There is no room on When I play a basketball game I the floor by our "cubbies" cant watch my sister play, because our lunch pails and because most of the time our instruments are on the floor. You would think that if you games are at the same time and spend about one million dollars are in different places. So when my family comes to for a school you could buy some watch me and my sister play lockers. (s) Jessica Wainwright basketball they have to split up. So half o f the time they don't get to watch me play basketball. I think that they should do something about it like change ro the Editor: When die Heppner Varsity is the times of the games. (s) Kyle Huddleston continued next page
