Veterans honored at HHS ceremony
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\ 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
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