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TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 22, 2000 Have compassion, vision, return to five-day week The Official Newspaper of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow Letters to the Editor H eppner Editor's note: Letters to the Editor must be signed The Gazette-Times w ill not publish unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone number on all letters for use by the G-T office. The G -T reserves the right to edit. The G-T is not responsible for accuracy o f statements made in letters. G A Z E T T E -T IM E S U S P S 240-420 In memory of Jimmy Farley Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper Published weekly and entered as periodical matter at the Post O ffice at Heppner, Oregon under the A ct o f March 3 ,1 8 7 9 Periodical postage paid at Heppner, Oregon O ffice at 147 W W illo w Street. Telephone (5 4 1 )6 7 6 -9 2 2 8 Fax (541 >676-9211. E-m ail gt@heppner net or gUti’rapidserve net W eb site w w w heppner net Postmaster send address changes to the Heppner Gazette-Tim es, P O Box 337, Heppner. Oregon 97836. Subscriptions $22 in M orrow C ounty, $16 senior rate (in M orrow C ounty only; 62 years or older); $29 else where David Sykes To the Editor: At a recent meeting where the school board was seeking public input for a tax levy, one question under "challenges" they offered us was "What needs to be done to improve student achievement?" Seated around tables, we were to write our ideas on a large sheet to be given to the board and those present. At our table my answer was to return to a five-day week. This was ignored (two teachers had the pens). Here it can be printed. Initially, the four-days was supposed to save $200,000 (now they claim, $300,000), a very expensive cut, considering the harsh effects it produced. Although it cramped all grade levels, the most crucial was on children kindergarten-third. Children this age simply are not old enough to take or be subjected to that extra long day. At age five-eight, a child gains (or loses) the basic foundation for academic success in grades four-12 and beyond. Here he develops attitude toward school, healthy self-concept and other traits, but probably most important, basic reading skills. A child that cannot read by the third grade will have trouble from then on. He cannot be computer competent, cannot fill out a job application (much less prepare an effective resume'), is more likely to be a drop-out, and will probably never know the joy ...........................................................................................................................Publisher Apnl Hilton-Sykes.................................................................................................«••■ Editor On the HEPPMER W EBSITE: www.heppner.nel • Start or Change a Subscription • Place a Classified Ad • Submit a N ew s Story • V iew Real Estate for Sale • City Council & Planning Minutes • Local Businesses • County Park • Willow Creek Park Reservations • Free Digital Postcards • Senior Housing • and more! Engagements Picka-Shaw To the Editor: In memory o f a successful businessman of many years in Heppner: Jim Farley. I appreciate Jimmy for starting our Heppner St. Patrick’s Cel ebration in 1982. Our whole com munity was sorry that Jimmy could not be here to enjoy it with us. Judging from the number of people on the sidewalks to view the parade, it was the largest crowd ever. It is such good clean fun and entertainment for all ages and is drawing larger crowds ev ery year. Cheers and congratulations to Bob Kahl, who managed the great, long, interesting parade in grand style. Not a break in the line, just the way a parade should roll by. Heppner can be very proud of the young school children’s band. Thanks to the band master and children for what they have ac complished. A marching band is a very important part of a parade, to pep up the crowd. Just what Heppner needs. My wish is that someone would start some kind of a project to raise money to put band uniforms on the band master and his great kids. At my age (91), I’m too old to pro mote the deal, and besides I have a full-time job speaking up for those that can’t speak for them selves, the animals. I appreciate all the churches and organizations who worked so hard to prepare food for the large volume of people who came to visit our quiet little town. May Heppner have this popu lar celebration forever. (s) Lois Winchester Heppner Support your local hospital To the Editor: I would like to say something about your local hospital: I do not live in your community but I work in your hospital. I have seen how important this facility is not just to those who are employed there but to those whose lives have been saved or stabilized in order that they could be safely transferred to a facility with more technology. To lose this hospital could mean the loss of lives and a warm caring place for your sick and elderly to die since there is no hospice here. My intent is to advocate for greater support from you. I have lived in 76 different places in my life and one commonality is that "the grass is greener..." Most everyone thinks the hospital in the next town is better. Heppner is not Hermiston or Pendleton or Portland, but can you imagine what the quality of life would be like for your children, your parents, your grandparents if it weren't here? (Especially with all the accidents from rodeos, snowmobiles, automobiles, sports injuries?) Who better to care for your loved ones than you? Improvements are in the process of being made, but we need dedicated, efficient care givers. If you join the team there will be work but there will also be To the Editor: Reading a newspaper can oft excitement and joy and a sense of fulfillment in making the times be detrimental to one's difference in someone's quality blood pressure. Especially if it's of life (or in the case of the difficult to understand the terminally ill, the tender farewell reasoning behind some actions. As I understand it the school called death). I give you food for board was legally compelled at thought. (s) Shannon McDonald, RN the March meeting to approve Stanfield extension of teaching contracts for next school year including some of the positions that were previously scheduled to be cut. "Swallowtail Jig". The Otherwise these teachers could performers represented eight not be hired. But Catch-22 is that different towns and all were there may not be any money to dressed in coordinating green and fund those positions. And whose to say that if a $1 black outfits. The young fiddlers were one of million five-year levy passes, the 12 elementary entries in this school board will honor such a year's competition. There were commitment. It certainly leaves more than 50 entries overall in those teachers in a precarious position as well as high school six different age categories. The "Little Bit o' Irish" Fiddlers students who like to plan ahead received $100 for their first place for classes. How much trust can the public finish. A vocal duet in the college place in this board, when the division, Heather Pearson and school board chairman publicly Spencer Hull, claimed the $500 grand prize. The local fiddlers are now getting ready to play in the The American Legion and Oregon State Fiddle Competition Auxiliary will meet Monday, in Salem on Saturday, April 29. March 27, to celebrate the They will present a concert in Legion's 81st birthday. The meeting will be held at the Heppner in early May. Assurance needed that school district spending prudently Fiddlers win Kapers division Barb Picka and J.J. Shaw The parents of Barb Picka and J.J. Shaw have announced their engagement to be married. Barb is the daughter of Grace and Ed Picka of New Prague, Minn. J.J. is the son of Linda Shaw, Heppner, and John Shaw, Condon. The bnde-elect graduated from New Prague High School in 1988 and Mankato State University in 1992. She is employed by Northwest Technical Institute, Eden Prairie, Minn., as a math instructor. The groom-elect graduated from Heppner High School in 1989 and the University of Idaho in 1994. He is employed by Thermo King Corporation, Bloomington, Minn., as a test engineer. The couple lives in Savage, Minn., and will be wed at Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, on June 24,2000. The couple became engaged on a recent rock climbing vacation at Smith Rock in Central Oregon. Ms. Picka didn't dare say "no" with Mr. Shaw holding the rope to rappel off the 350-foot tower. Briggs-Barrett Phyllis M. Briggs, lone, and David K. Barrett, lone, announce their engagement to be married. The bride-elect is the daughter of Don and Lam Briggs, Pendleton. She is a homemaker. The groom-elect is the son of Betty Waterberry, John Day. He is employed with Lexington Auto Body in Lexington. The couple plan an April 1, 2000, wedding at the lone Legion Hall at 3 p.m. Friends and family are invited to attend. "A Little Bit o' Irish" Fiddlers took first place in the elementary division of the Kiwanis Kapers Competition in Pendleton on March 11. The group, directed by their teacher, Peg Willis of Pendleton, included six Heppner area students: Alex Carlson, Eric Jepsen, Kate Kendrick, Blaine Maley, Seth Morgan and Brynna Rust. The entire group of 18 fiddlers, string bass, guitar, and drum, performed an Irish song entitled Oops What a difference one little letter makes-it can even change one country into another. This year's Wee Bit O' Ireland Celebration Parade Marshal Bill Mitchell informs us that he has never been to Iceland, but he has, however, been to Ireland several times. The Gazette-Times, justifiably, has endured more than a little bit of kidding during the St. Patrick's festivities. We apologize for our very non-St. Patrick's boo-boo in the March 15 issue of the newspaper. As he suggested, maybe we were finally giving the local Scandinavians their due. of reading a good book. Two years into the four-days here, the state tests on third grade reading showed that virtually every school in Oregon on the four-days was lower than before and were also below the state average. Our school board was presented with this information directly from the state department and with over 200 signatures of people wishing the five-day week and willing to display their names to the public, in the Heppner area alone. The board ignored us, their chairman even ordering one of our spokesmen to sit down. Now, just take a look at the state test scores for fifth grade. Finally, we deceive ourselves to think that all the administrators, teachers, parents and school boards (supposedly representing the county at large?)—all the king's horses and all the king's men—can stress, disrupt or change the natural physical and mental development of children five-eight with impunity. Sadly, the punished are our children who are at our mercy. The four-day-week is Morrow County's acceptance of one version of child abuse. How can we improve student achievement? One important way is to have the compassion and vision to return to the five-day week. (s) Jane Rawlins Heppner stated that the reinstatement of one teaching position at lone was for "political reasons." Although he reiterated that a small school requires a certain staff level, the focus doesn't appear to be on the quality of education. It seems more like a blatant strong- arming of lone area voters and others concerned about the quality of education. Adequate health care facilities and good schools are the core of our rural communities in south Morrow County. Higher property taxes on top of rising fuel costs and other operating expenses is not a happy thought for rural property owners in this agricultural-dependant area when commodity prices are below par. While farmers and ranchers continue to tighten their budgets, they need to be assured that their tax dollars are being spent prudently. (s) Merlyn Robinson Heppner Legion, Auxiliary plan meeting I t ’ s G T ood o L ive I n Methodist Church basement with potluck at 6:30 p.m. Cake and ice cream will be furnished by the Auxiliary. Members are welcome to attend. O regon Reason If 77: SCHEDULED POWER OUTAGE There’s a bank here that would happily answer all your questions about IRAs. (Even the really silly ones.) Saturday, March 25 • Olex Area Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative has a power outage scheduled at the Olex Substation, Saturday, March 25, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. for maintenance work. A G O O D Thank you for your patience. I E ligible Actually, almost everyone is qualified to invest their retirement dollars in an IRA. Even people who are over 70'/2 years of age can make contributions. The real question is which kind of IRA Reenergization will occur when the needed maintenance is completed, which could be earlier than 6:00 p.m. This will include all consumers served from the Olex Substation, encompassing Mikkalo Lane, Upper Rock Creek, Lower Rock Creek, Baseline Road, Cedar Springs Road, Highway 19, Barnett Road, French Charlie Road, Four K Road, and Shutler Flat areas. m P L A C E T O L IV E . F or A n IRA? - if any - is the right one for you. Our friendly people are more than happy to answer that or any other burning questions you might have. Why not stop in some time soon and ask away. G O O D P L A C E T O Klamath ftt fallirai W d ht honored. Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender We regret any inconvenience this will cause: however, it is very important we complete this repair work. l \ I 11 ITM u w I I I V M \i\ N I id I I, s 4 I I - S40" B A N K
