lone scores "exceptional" on state report
S e s a l o '.7e 1 1 ■? 11
U of ì Newspaper L i b r a r y
L u j J i i : ' . OU 9 7 4 0 3
Judie Laughlin retires from Heppner TV
started a new business as a
"Stampin’
Up"
senior
demonstrator. The business
involves all kinds of stamps
which can be used to create
cards and decorative items for
everything from birthdays, and
holidays to memory albums. She
holds workshops to demonstrate
the stamps and materials
Classic Car
Cruz-In added
to St. Pats Day
Judie Laughlin
Judie Laughlin, a familiar
face at Heppner TV off and on
since the 1950s, almost slipped
into
retirement
without
recognition. . . almost.
Laughlin, 60, who retired
from
Heppner
TV
last
November, began working parti-
time at the TV office while she
was still in high school. Her
family had moved to Heppner
from The Dalles in 1954 and her
father, Carl Spaulding, was
instrumental
in
bringing
television to the Heppner area.
He served as secretary-treasurer
of Heppner TV and she worked
in the office, helping with
customers and billing.
After graduating
from
Heppner High School in 1958,
Laughlin attended the University
of Oregon for a year and then
returned to Heppner to marry her
"best friend," Butch Laughlin.
Laughlin
worked
for
Columbia Basin Electric Co-op
for five years before returning to
the TV office in 1964. Laughlin
says she has "done everything at
Heppner TV except be a
lineman."
She
has
been
secretary-treasurer since 1985.
Prior to that she also completed a
year-long stint as secretary for
the Morrow County Judge.
"I enjoyed Tom Springer so
much and I have learned so much
about computers from Tom
Rawlins," commented Laughlin
about her employment with
Heppner TV. (Springer, who
recently passed away, owned
Tom’s TV and worked with
Heppner TV and Rawlins is
currently
cn .ployed
with
Heppner TV.) "I miss the people
who came into the TV office, so
now I come down town every
day to get my mail so I can
visit."
Laughlin doesn't plan to
spend her retirement in the
rocking chair—she has already
The Heppner St. Patrick's Day
Celebration has added the first
annual St. Paddy's Cruz-ln for
Sat. March 17.
Classic car clubs and
individuals are invited to bring
their cars and be in the parade,
and then display their cars
downtown during St. Patrick's
Day Celebration Saturday, says
Cruz-In organizer Dick Sargent of
Heppner.
Each participant in the Cruz-In
will receive a small plaque with
winners in each category
receiving a larger plaque. There
will also be two overall
categories: Leprechaun's Choice
and People's Choice.
Entries for the Cruz-In must be
received by March 12. For more
information
contact
Dick
Sargent at 676-9621 or the
Heppner Chamber of Commerce
at 676-5536.
M ustang boys
and girls head
to district
The Heppner High School
boys' varsity basketball team will
play in the Columbia Basin
Conference district tournament
this Friday, February 23,
beginning at 3:15 p.m. at the
Pendleton Convention Center.
The boys will play either
Sherman County or Stanfield.
The Mustang girls' varsity
team will play in the district
tournament on Friday at 7 p.m.
vs. Weston McEwen.
The winners of the Friday
games will play on Saturday,
Feb. 24—the girls at 1:30 p.m.
and the boys at 3:15 p.m.
An awards presentation and
selection of all stars will follow
the Saturday games.
Cost is $5 for adults and S3
for students for each session (two
games. An all-day ticket for
Friday is S8 for adults and $5 for
students. Cost for a pass for three
sessions is S I 2 for adults and S7
for students.
available. Laughlin says that
there are stamps for "everything
imaginable, from pretty to
funky."
Laughlin is also active in
supporting the annual St. Patrick
Celebration and in the St. Patrick
Church. She has done the St.
Patrick Church bulletin every
week since Father Gerry Condon
became priest at the church.
She and her husband enjoy
attending high school and Blazer
games, which she says is easier
now since she has a more flexible
schedule.
Laughlin has three children,
Tami Berthold, Mosier, Lottie
Holcomb, Madras, and Shane
Laughlin, Heppner, and three
grandchildren, Jarren, 21, who is
in the Navy, Nick, 16, and Wes,
14.
St. Patrick’s Day
schedule on the
Internet
A complete schedule of events
for this year's St. Patrick's Day
Celebration is posted on the
Internet at www.heppner.net.
Meeting set
on lone
north/south
road
An important meeting
concerning the future of the lone
north/south road has been
scheduled for this Friday. Feb. 23
at 7 p.m. at the lone High School.
Several politicians including
Greg Smith, Bob Jensen and Ted
Fernoli are scheduled to be in
attendance. Local county court
members and Port of Morrow
board members will also be on
hand. The public is invited to
attend.
At issue is the possible closing
of the road from lone to north
Morrow County used by
employees of the Coal Fired
plant and other north county
businesses, who live in south
county and commute.
Community leaders say the
road also needs to be left open
because proposed development
lri north county is going to create
jobs that future workers may
wish to commute to from lone.
The road is threatened with
closure because part o f it is
located on private property which
will soon be purchased by the
Nature Conservancy.
Local people fear the
conservancy will close the 2.5
miles of road on its property, and
thus shut off an
important
connection and public route
between north and south Morrow
County.
The Morrow County School
Board heard a report from Mike
Keown, assistant superintendent,
on the state-issued school and
district report cards at its regular
meeting February 12.
Keown reported that lone
Schools
received
an
"exceptional" rating; Heppner
High School and Sam Boardman
Elementary School received a
"strong" rating and Heppner
Elementary
School,
A.C.
Houghton Elementary School,
Columbia Middle School and
Riverside High School all
received a "satisfactory" rating.
According to the report
issued by the state, lone School
was rated strong in student
pe r f o r m a n ce ,
showing
improvement over time, with
students consistently performing
better than comparison schools
and the state in reading, writing,
math multiple choice and math
problem solving.
In the area of student
behavior,
which
shows
attendance and dropout rates,
lone bested state standards each
year since 1996-97 and showed a
zero percent dropout rate,
earning an exceptional rating in
that category.
In school characteristics,
lone received an exceptional
rating, with 100 percent of the
students taking state tests, vs. a
state rate of 98 percent.
lone students scored lower
that the state average in SAT
scores and the number of
students tested. The staff at lone
averaged four more years of
experience and four more years
in the district than the state
average.
Heppner High School was
rated
strong
in
student
performance,
sh owing
improvement over time. Heppner
High School students in grades
eight and 10 scored higher in
reading, math multiple choice
and math problem solving than
comparison schools and state
averages, but lower in writing.
Student behavior was rated
exceptional with a higher
attendance rate than the state
average and a significantly lower
dropout rate.
HHS
received
an
exceptional rating as to student
characteristics with 100 percent
of students taking state tests vs. a
98 percent state average.
SAT scores for HHS
students were close to the state
average and higher than the
national average and a greater
percentage of the students took
the tests.
HHS staff had two years
less experience and two years
less experience in the district
than the state average.
Heppner
Elementary
School was rated strong in
student performance, showing
improvement over time.
HES students in grades three
and five were below comparison
schools and the state in reading,
writing and math problem
solving, but slightly above in
math multiple choice.
Student behavior was rated
strong with HES above the state
average in all years since 1996-
97.
HES was rated exceptional
in school characteristics, with
100 percent of students taking
state tests vs. 98 percent for the
state.
In terms of staffing, 22
percent of HES teachers had a
master's degree compared to 46
percent for the state. HES
teachers averaged 14 years of
experience, the same as state
averages, but had two more years
experience in the district.
Sam
Boardman
Elementary School was rated
strong in student performance,
showing improvement over time
SBE students in grades three
and five were equal to state
standards and above comparison
schools in reading, above
comparison schools, but below
the state in math multiple choice.
significantly below comparison
schools and the state in writing
and slightly below comparison
schools and the state in math
problem solving.
SBE received a satisfactory
rating m student behavior with
attendance higher than state
averages since 1996-97.
SBE received an exceptional
rating in school characteristics,
with 100 percent of the students
taking state tests compared to 98
percent statewide.
Fifteen percent of SBE staff
has a master's degree or higher
vs. 46 percent statewide. SBE
teachers had three years less
experience and three years less
experience in the district than the
state average.
Riverside High School was
rated satisfactory in student
performance with improvement
over time.
RHS students in grade 10
were above comparison schools,
but below state averages in
reading, writing, math multiple
choice and math problem
solving.
RHS was strong in student
behavior, although showing a
lower attendance rate than the
state average since 1996-97. The
RHS dropout rate was slightly
lower than the state average in
1996-97, double the state average
in 1997-98, slightly above in*
1998-99 and down to 5.3 percent
in 1999-2000. No state average
was available last year.
Riverside
was
rated
exceptional
in
school
characteristics with 95 percent of
the students taking state tests, vs.
98 percent state-wide.
Riverside students scored
below the state and national
averages in SAT scores and
below the state in percent and
number tested.
RHS staff averaged four
more years of experience and
four more years in the district
than state averages.
Columbia Middle School
received a satisfactory rating in
student performance, with the
school showing improvement
over time,
CMS eighth-grade students
scored above comparison schools
and only one point below the
state average in reading. They
scored below the state average,
but only one point below
comparison schools in writing.
CMS was below the state in math
multiple choice, but slightly
above comparison schools. CMS
students were below both the
state and comparison schools in
math problem solving.
CMS
received
an
unacceptable rating in student
behavior, with their attendance
rate falling below the state since
1996-97.
CMS
received
an
exceptional rating in school
characteristics, with 96 percent
of the students taking state tests
compared to a 98 percent state
average.
Fifty percent of the
instructional staff at CMS has
earned a master's degree,
compared to 46 percent state
wide.
Teachers at CMS have three
fewer years of experience and
five fewer years of experience in
the district than the state average.
A.C. Houghton received a
satisfactory rating in student
performance with the school
improvement declining over
time.
ACH students in grades
three and five were below
comparison schools and state
averages in reading, writing,
math multiple choice and math
problem solving.
The school was strong in
student behavior, with the
attendance rate above state
averages since 1996-97.
ACH
received
an
exceptional rating in school
characteristics, with 99 percent
of students taking state tests,
compared to 98 percent state
wide.
Twenty-eight percent of the
teaching staff has received a
master's degree or higher,
compared to 46 percent state
wide. ACH teachers average one
year less experience and one year
less experience in the district
than the state average.
In other business, the board:
-heard a report from the
Union-Baker ESD and the
alternative education teacher on
the alternative ed program at the
Morrow Education Center.
-heard a report on the
structuring of the bond measure.
-heard a report on small
school funding.
-heard an update on the
progress of the "Yes for Kids"
bond campaign
-approved a proposal from
the Union-Baker ESD to offer
driver's education to eligible
Morrow County School District
students.
-approved
resignations
from: Justin LaCoss, A.C.
Houghton
El e m e n t a r y
kindergarten
teacher;
Lori
Bulow,
Sam
Boardman
Elementary English as a second
language ed assistant; Tanya
Morris, Columbia Middle School
part-time food service clerical
assistant; Elaine Vandecar, CMS
school
secretary;
Joyce
Whitbeck,
ACH
part-time
assistant cook.
-approved employment for
Michelle Pollentier, SBE one-on-
one special
ed assistant;
Runnisha McNamee, CMS part-
time food service clerical
assistant,
replacing
Tanya
Morris; Maria Lomas, SBE ESL
ed assistant, replacing Lon
Bulow; Virginia Garcia, ACH
special ed onc-on-one assistant;
Angela Anderson, ACH ed
assistant,
replacing
Gladys
Landon.
-agreed to present two
calendar options to the staff for
their preference.
Option A called for a pre-
Labor Day start with one week-
plus at Christmas. Teacher
inservice and workdays would be
heldTuesday-Fnday, August 21-
24, with classes beginning on
Monday, August 27, Christmas
break from Friday, December 21,
through Tuesday, January 1,
spring break Monday through
Friday, March 25-29, the last day
of school Friday, May 31, and
the last day for teachers Tuesday,
June 4.
Option B calls for a post-
Labor Day start and one week-
plus at Christmas. Teacher
inservice and workdays would be
Tuesday through Friday, August
28-31, with the first day of
school on Tuesday, September 4,
Christmas break from Friday,
December 21, through Tuesday,
January 1. spring break Monday
through Friday, March 25-29, the
last day of school Thursday, June
6, and the last day for teachers
Monday, June 10.
-acccepted the first reading
of a district attendance policy,
which was revised to comply
with the law.
-heard
the
following
announcements:
OSEA
negotiations, March 5, 7 p.m.,
CMS; next board meeting,
March 12, 7:30 p.m., district
office; OSEA negotiations,
March 15, 7 p.m., district office;
OSEA negotiations. March 22, 7
p.m., SBE.
lone boys
head to state
The lone Cardinals Boys
Varsity will head to the 1A state
tournament on Wednesday,
February 28, at Baker City.
lone will play North Powder
at 3 p.m.
The
Cardinals
earned
second place in the Big Sky
tournament by edging out
Condon, 56-53. Billy Gates
clinched the win by making a last
minute three-pointer.
E<w£tj G w M m hl
GARDEN SEEDS ARE HERE
Morrow County Grain Grow ers
Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396
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