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
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