Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2002)
Parade complete with shotgun wedding, St. Patrick, turn-of -century courthouse l 1 B e s a i b ,t J Nanapap*** l-i ü o! J Eu gt ne , OR ')'** ’* Shotgun Wedding VOL. 121 NO. 12 8 Pages Wednesday, March 20,2002 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Board hires Tillamook man for superintendent The M orrow County School Board, at their March 11 m eeting at lone Schools unanimously approved a three- year contract to hire Dr. Jack Crippen as superintendent of the school district. C rippen is currently em ployed with the Tillam ook school district as assistant superintendent, but his position was eliminated because o f budget cuts. Crippen had signed the contract prior to approval by the board. His salary at MCSD will be $92,000 a year The board agreed to hold off on hiring for four teaching positions, earlier recommended to be cut, until more definite figures for state school funding are received from the Oregon Legislature. Also at the meeting, long time district principal and Dick Allen announced his retirement, effective June 26. A llen is currently the principal at Heppner High School and was formerly lone School principal. Heppner Elementary Principal Phyllis Danielson has announced her resignation and is requesting a transfer to an open administrative or teaching position in north Morrow County. The principal position at HES and the assistant superintendent’s position are being cut, also because of budget constraints. Allen, Danielson and present assistant superintendent Mike Keown were recognized for their service to the district. In other business, the board: -heard a report on the pre-calculus class taught by lone School teacher Dale Holland and transm itted to Heppner High School through V-tel. While the V-tel class has some drawbacks, it offers HHS students the opportunity to take pre-calculus where they would not otherwise have the opportunity. The district is hoping to use V-tel to enable lone High School students the opportunity to take an advanced placement English class that is currently offered at Heppner High School. V-tel is a system where students and teachers can see each other and interact via the computer and video equipment placed at each location. -adopted calendar option ‘C \ with a post Labor-Day start and a two-week Christmas break for the 2002-03 school year. School starts for students on September 3. Christmas break will be from D ecem ber 20- January 3. Spring break is from March 24-28 and the last day of school for students is June 11. lone High School graduation is June 6, at 7 p.m.; Heppner High School graduation is June 7 at 2 p.m.; and Riverside High School graduation is June 8 at 2 p.m. The board approved the longer Christmas break after learning that a longer break would enable more Hispanic students to return to school on time from visits to Mexico. The more students who are counted as attending school, the more state monies the district receives. -approved hiring recommendations for licensed staff for the 2002-03 school year as follows (south Morrow County listed only): Heppner Elementary School-Wendy Appleton and Pam Dowdy, second-year probationary teachers. Sue Gibbs and Lindsay Harle, third-year probationary teachers; Mary Ann Elguezabal and Molly Rill, contract teachers; Heppner High School-Appleton, Lucas Casady and K athleen Spinks, second-year probationary teachers, Jason Palmer, third-year probationary teacher, and John Flaherty, Lea Mathieu and Tom Shear, contract; lone Schools- Ryan Rudolf and Tom Shear, contract. -approved non-extension of contract for Kitty Bredemeier, Columbia Middle School math teacher. -heard a bond project report from Nan Hall, who relayed information about the action taken by the Heppner City Council. The city council did not approve rerouting Stansbury Street to accom m odate one district plan for construction at Heppner Elementary School, nor the temporary closure of the street during school hours as requested by the district with regard to student safety. -accepted retirement for Dick Allen; resignation from Phyllis A nderson; and non renew al of assistant superintendent contract due to reduction in force. -approved m aternity/ child care leave for Lorraine Ellis, from her teaching position as RHS music teacher; G abriella Delacruz, from her educational assistant position at A.C. Houghton Elementary School. -approved an administrative decision to allow a student to be transferred from lone Elem entary School to Heppner Elementary School as a one-time exception to policy. -approved surplus property of three bathroom sinks with faucets at the district office and one record player at lone. -heard school funding/ budget projections for 2002-03 from Superintendent Bruce Anderson. -heard the follow ing announcements: end of third nine weeks-March 21; spring break- March 25-29; spring conferences-April 4 and 5; next board meeting, Columbia Middle School, April 8, 7:30 p.m.; first budget committee meeting, district office, April 15, 7 p.m. Heppner team in top 10 in academics The Heppner High School boys’ basketball team was in the top 10 academ ically in the OSAA/Dairy Farmers awards. The team was sixth in the state in 2A schools with a 3.48 grade point average for the varsity players. The Pilot Rock boys’ team was fifth with a 3.51 gpa. The top team academically was Regis with a 3.79 gpa. lone boys win academic award; girls second The lone boys’ basketball team was first in the state for academ ics for 1A schools throughout the state and won the OSAA/Dairy Farmers award. The team had an average grade point average o f 3.71. The Condon boys’ team was ninth with a 3.32 gpa. The lone girls’ basketball team tied with Crane for second place with a 3.86 gpa. First for the girls' teams was Canyonville Christian Academy with a 3.88. Health District meeting A regular Morrow County Health District Board meeting will be held on Monday, March 25, at 7 p.m. at the Boardman Ambulance Hall. The agenda will include a report on February’s financials, budget meetings, a CEO report and an executive session. Oldtime courthouse The float w ith the “Shotgun Wedding” theme by a group calling themselves the St. Patrick's Antiques won first place in the Irish float non-profit category in the annual St. Patrick's Parade held Saturday in Heppner. The float was complete with a bride, groom, father of the bride, audience and shotgun, of course. The Holy Name Society: St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland float, portraying the story o f St.Patrick, from an original play written by Fr. Gerry Condon of Heppner, was second in that category. The M orrow County Courthouse Centennial float, with courthouse staff, judge and sh eriff dressed in period costumes, took first in the Irish Open Class and also garnered the Leprechaun's Choice award. The courthouse is celebrating its centennial this year. Second in that category was Patti O'Pocco. The lone Elementary School, grades four-seven, was first in the bands and musical groups category with the Heppner E lem entary School Band in second place. In the dance or drill groups, the Round-Up City Cloggers took first place and Cub Scout Pack 661 was second. All Star Realty with Butch and Debbie Schultz were first in the antique vehicle category pre-1945. Jim and Rose Donnelly were second. In the antique vehicle post-1945 category, Andy and Donna Anderson took first, with Jim Norene of Heppner taking second. The U m atilla Sage Riders Court was first in the parade/special event car entries, with John Doherty and the Irish Singers, who were also St. Patrick's Celebration honorees, taking second. Hermiston Glass won in the Irish float-com m ercial category; the Heppner Motorcycle Club was first in the Irish bicycle category; the Desert Shrine Club of Hermiston took first in the custom vehicle category; and Heppner Daycare won first in the Irish group-non profit. lone Site Council hears update on construction project The lone Site Council, at its March 13 meeting learned that the lone school bond project is behind but the process is continuing. lone Principal Mike Stuart has the engineering specs and other information in his office. The contract has been let for the new drain field. The tennis court will be on the opposite end of the school building from where it is now. It was noted that a water main will be directly underneath where the tennis court will be. It was not thought to be an issue. There was discussion o f the relocation of the slab of cement for the shot put. It is estimated to be around a year from ground breaking time until completion with the estimated completion date in the summer of 2003. Spring break is March 25-29 and the math contest is planned for April 11. Teacher Darlene M arquardt noted that Karen Wolff from the Morrow County Public Works Department came to her and asked if her students could help design a brochure for Anson Wright and Cutsforth Parks. Students from several of her classes are working on it and the finished brochures will be submitted to the park department on Monday, March 18, after school. The parks department has a meeting on March 19and will select which brochure they like the best and it will go to print as the official Morrow County Parks brochure. The winning brochure maker will receive a reward that will be presented when awards night is held later in the spring. There is the possibility o f additional recognition. Wolff indicated that some school-to- work credit m ight also be appropriate for the project. Assistant superintendent Mike Keown updated the group on what is happening with the Consolidated School District Improvement Plan. The focus is on reading, writing and math skills, and school safety (drug and alcohol prevention) and technology. The goal is to prov ide students with better educational programs to help them meet the state testing. L ast C h an ce For Savings! DANNER BOOT SALE a n d BIG FENCING SALE Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800-452-7396 tqwpflwm mu our wrb titv at www mcQ not lone Schools are about 80 percent complete with the school-w ide plan. Goals are specific to improve scores by certain amounts. Stuart spoke about the DIBBLES test. He says he can now access the DIBBLES site and it can be effectively used to help students, lone teacher Linda Neiffer is attending a workshop on writing for learning math. Marquardt attended a Plato workshop. It w as discussed that lone has an advantage is the fact that the school is smaller and teachers can individualize learning plans for each student based on his actual needs as well as how they fluctuate during the course of the year. Mike Keown also compared the state tests with SAT tests and explained the differences (bell curve with all taking test vs. measurement of indiv idual growth). One powerful thing that is now available is that parents can see the growth of their child even if the child is below the standard. There was discussion of the district teaching positions that might be eliminated. The district has put that on hold until after June when it is known what the state legislature is going to do. The goal is that if any positions have to go, they will be gone by attrition. Then transfers within the district will fill vacant positions. continued page tw o
