Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2001)
Veterans honored at HHS ceremony £ ; 110 ft 0 t 2 • 11 U of 0 M o w s p a p a r L i b r a r y Eu r j n o , Oii 9 74J3 \ eterans stand solemnly for the Star Spangled Banner at a ceremony in recognition of their serv ice at Heppner High School November 7. VOL. 120 NO. 46 10 Pages Wednesday, November 14,2001 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Advisory committee frustrated The Heppner-Lexington Advisory Committee came out of their regular meeting November 7 frustrated as to their purpose with regard to the Morrow County School District bond project. The group, as other advisory committees within the school district, was charged with the task of recommending to the school board the path of action for the bond construction for their area. At the previous meeting of the Heppner- Lexington Advisory Committee, the group heard input on two options—1) vacating Stansbury Street in front of Heppner Elementary School and rerouting the street and 2) leaving the street, but making modifications to it to make the street safer for students. The committee asked the architectural firm, Barber Barrett Turner Architects, Inc., to return to the Nov. 19 meeting with plans and estimated costs for both options. The city of Heppner had earlier indicated that they would not approve vacating Stansbury Street. The advisory committee, however, learned at their meeting Wednesday from Nan Hall, project manager, that the board conveyed to Barber Barrett Turner that safety was their primary concern, which Hall took to mean that the board favored vacating Stansbury Street. Committee Chair Mark Rietmann, obviously irate and frustrated, told Morrow County School District Superintendent Bruce Anderson, "We're getting the runaround here." Anderson retorted that he hadn't come to the meeting to be "personally attacked." Anderson reiterated to the advisory committee that while the committee may make a recommendation to the school board, it is the board, and not th; advisory committee, which will make the final decision as to the direction of the bond project. Committee members also objected to district staff members having "private" meetings with the architects concerning the bond projects. "I have a problem with staff meeting with the architects," commented committee member Diane Kilkenny. "It should be a public meeting." "I'm disgruntled with staff having personal, private meetings with the architects," added committee member Mike Armato. Committee member Virginia "George" Naims disagreed, saying, "I don't see it as a personal meeting." She added that she felt that the school district staff was "disrespected" when they spoke in a previous advisory committee meeting and said she did not blame them for being reluctant to speak out in public. Anderson responded that it was "normal procedure" for the staff to add their input directly to the architects. Anderson also reported to the committee recent problematic developments with regard to the Irngon middle school bond project. According to Anderson, the city of Irngon and Morrow County have indicated that they will require substantially higher quality and more extensive roads to the proposed new middle school if they were to grant construction permits. Anderson said that if the school district is forced to build the roads required by the city and the county, there would be no money left over for construction of the school. "There simply isn't enough money to build the roads and build the buildings," said Anderson. Anderson said that $600,000 had been set aside for the Irngon site development, but if the roads were built to city and county specifications, only around $100,000 would remain. Kilkenny inquired if monies are earmarked for each individual project or if funds were put in one pot for the entire bond project. She also expressed concern that if construction for the north end schools progresses ahead of the south end construction and monies are not sufficient, the latter projects might not receive funding to proceed. "Will they take our money?" asked Kilkenny. "This whole issue that someone is after your money. . . They probably wonder that about you, too," countered Anderson, who had commented that he had "had enough personal abuse for the evening. Anderson also chided the committee for not proceeding with their bond project recommendation as rapidly as required, considering the time line. He reminded the committee that bid documents for the construction projects must be ready in February. Anderson further reminded the group that they must recommend a committee member to be appointed to the superintendent search committee. Names must be turned in by November 30. The advisory committee agreed to appoint a member to the search committee at their next meeting on Nov. 19. In other business, the committee: -Saw an architect's design for the proposed Irrigon and Boardman middle schools, which would originally house fifth and sixth graders. Anderson said that the schools, which were designed to hold 200 students, could later be expanded with six additional classrooms as the two communities continue to grow. He said that the middle schools would not have principals on site, but would rather have head teachers who would be in charge. The schools would also have a scaled-down cooking staff. -Heard a report from Heppner High School Principal Dick Allen, who said that the high school was considering enabling parents to access students' grades via computer with a special access code. He said that the school was also planning to implement an automated dialing system to inform parents when students were absent for one or more classes. Allen told the committee that Heppner High School now has only 118 students. If the student population drops to 115 or less, the school has the option to go down from 2A to 1A sports classification. Library Board to address questions There are no questions this week concerning the proposed Heppner city hall/library project. Several questions being addressed by the library board will be answered in the coming weeks. Local veterans were -Melvin Hammons, Air 46; Gary Richards, Navy chief honored by Heppner High School Force and Army National Guard. petty officer, USS Lexington; students at a touching ceremony Korean War; Gene Hall Air Jane Richards, Army sergeant Wednesday, Nov. 7. Force staff sergeant, European Intelligence Unit Signal Corps, The ceremony, organized Theatre, WWII, 1942-45; Jerry Pentagon, 1955-58; Brian by teacher Karen Beck, drew Hamer, Army Spec. 4, Germany, Rietmann, Army sergeant, 1981- men and women veterans from 1964-66; Francis Hebert, Air 88; Creston Robinson Army Air World War II, the Korean War, Force, infantry sergeant at the Force, Pacific, 1944-45; John the Vietnam War and the Gulf Battle of the Bulge, WWII, 1941- Renfro, Army specialist, War as well as those who served 45; Edward Hiemstra, Army Air Germany, 1957-60; in peace time. Force, physical trainer, WWII, -Tom Sly, Navy tech. After the "Star Spangled 1943-46; H.S. "Doc" Huber. 2nd class. Aviation Electronics, Banner" by the Heppner High Army Reserve office, Air Force Alaska and South America, School band and a presentation captain, 1943-44, 1946-1948; 1951-55; Luvilla Sonstegard. Air of flags by the American Legion Monika Hunter, Army sergeant Force buck sergeant, Korea, Color Guard, HHS Student Body E-5, 1984-88; 1949-51; Gene Sonstegard, Air President Shelley Rietmann led -Wilbur Jackson, Army Force staff sergeant, Korea. the assembly in the Pledge of PFC, 1952; 1949-69; George Steagall, Army Allegiance. Three students, Jon - William Kenny, Army PFC, Europe, WWII. 1942-45; Bennet, Leland Rill and Sam Van sergeant, Korea. 1951-52; Glen Smith, Navy Seaman 1st Liew, read a history of Veteran's - Stub Lewis, Army class, Pacific Fleet, Okinawa, Day and the HHS senior English Private, Korean War, 1953-54; WWII, 1942-45; Clayton Sweek, class presented a choral reading. Randy Lott, Army Air Force B- Army corporal, Korea, 1950-52; HHS teacher and coach 24 pilot, flight officer, 1943-46; Michael Sweek, Army sergeant, Greg Grant then read a roll call -Carl Martin, Army Washington National Guard, of each veteran's name, rank and major, Germany and Vietnam, 1973-76; David Sykes, Navy tour of duty as each stood to be 1962; Ernie McCabe, Navy petty officer 3rd class, Vietnam. recognized. Seaman 1st class, WWII; Charles 1968-72; After a moment of McConnell, Navy Seaman 1st -Robert Taylor, Marine silence for those who served but class, WWII; Don McElligott, Corps corporal. South Pacific, who are no longer with us, Air Force captain, Africa and the 1943-46; Terry Thompson, Navy student Darren Van Cleave Pacific, WWII, 1942-46; Rod lieutenant, JG, U.S., 1958-60; played Taps and Heppner Murray, Army sergeant. Air -Glen Ward, Navy Elementary third grade students Corps, Germany; Seaman 1st class, 1944-46, Dick of Cara Osmin sang two songs as -James Norene, Army Wilkinson. Army corporal, a gift to the veterans. PFC, 101st Airborne Division, Hawaii; James Wishart. Army The ceremony concluded paratrooper, WWII, 1942-1945; sergeant. Korean War. 1950-52; with the HHS band playing a George Norris, Army buck Mark White. Navy petty officer. rousing rendition of "Battle sergeant, Vietnam, Ken Norris, Pearl Harbor, 1973-76; Hymn of the Republic". Army, 1942-45; -Dave Zachary, Army After the ceremony, the -Vie Oliver, Army Nurse Corporal. Korean War, 1951-52; veterans were treated to lunch Corps, France, WWII. 1944-45; Robert Reaney, Marines master courtesy of the high school. -C.K. Peck, U.S. Navy sergeant, WWII. Korea. Veterans recognized Reserve, lieutenant, 1942-45; (Editor's note: any included: -Lyndale Qualls, Air veterans who were inadvertently -Billy Adams, Marine Force sergeant, McCord Air omitted are invited to call the Corps staff sergeant, Korean Force Base, 1969-73; Gazette-Times, 676-9228, or e- War; -Irvin Rauch, Army staff mail david@heppner.net, so that -Edward Baker, Army sergeant, The Philippines, 1942- you can be recognized.) PFC, Fort McArthur, CA, 1952- 54; Grace Baker, Air Force 3rd class, Donaldson, South Carolina, 1952-53; Leon Ball, Navy Fireman 1st class, South Pacific, WWII; Cecil Barlow, Army-Navy corporal, Japan, 1954-56; Raymond Batty, Air Force 1st lieutenant, WWII - Battle of the Bulge; Donald Bennett, Air Force sergeant, 44th Air Supply Squadron, European Theater, WWII; Harold "Hal" Bergstrom, Navy machinist mate 3rd class, USS Kittyhawk, Vietnam, 1971-75; Roland Bergstrom, Navy Fireman 2nd class, 1944-46; Homer Bowman, Army Pfc. The Philippines, WWII; Betty Jean Brown, Marine Corps Women's Reserve. Pearl Harbor; Joe Burleson, 2nd Marine Division, Armed Amphibian Battalion. WWII; -Herbert Cole, Navy Seaman 1st class. WWII; Francis Connor, Navy YN3, 1946-51; Levi Connor, Army Spec. 4. Germany, 1957-60; -Bob DeSpain, Navy Seaman 1st class, the Pacific and Atlantic, WWII; Ed Dick, Navy Seaman 3rd class Saipan, WWII. 1944- 46; Delbert Dungan, Army sergeant E5, Germany, Vietnam, U.S., 1976-85; -Earl Fishbum, Army Spec. 4, Germany, 1961-63; Ray French, Navy Seaman, U.S. 1945- 46; - Earl Jenks, Army 91st Infantry, Africa and Italy, WWII; -Billy Gentry, Army, Bob Taylor. Bud Batty and Jim Wishart raise the flag before the Veteran's Day Korean War, Germany and Observance ceremony Monday at the Heppner min' park The ceremony France, 1951-53; George featured a color guard of the American Legion, various speakers relating Griffith. Marine Corps corporal, expenences about World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars There was also a reading of the names of the war dead from Morrow County Barbara Hawaii and the Pacific, 1944-46; VanArsdale provided a flyover at 12 noon, and there was a recital of taps and Eddie Gunderson, Army the benediction A reception followed at GD's restaurant in Heppner Heppner corporal. Korean War. 1952-54; Mayor Bob Jepsen arranged for the Veteran's Day Observation Observance held at mini-park 1
