TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 8, 2003__________________________________________________________
letters to the Editor
The Official Newspaper
o f the City o f Heppner and the County o f Morrow
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Heppner
G A Z E T T E -T IM E S
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
Published weekl) and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner,
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David Sykes....................................................................................................... Publisher
Katie Wall.............................................................................................................. Editor
Ntwt deadline it Monday at 5 p.m.
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Recommending new city dump
To the Editor:
To th e p e o p le o f
Lexington, Heppner and lone:
I am inviting you to visit
Lexington’s newest attraction, the
M onum ent, at D and A rcade
Street.
It se em s th a t d e b ris,
ro ck s and e tc ., c a n n o w be
dum ped on city p ro p erty by
certain individuals, w ho do not
think the rules apply to them and
w ho do not w ant it on their ow n
pro p erty , o r to d isp o se o f it
appropriately.
This being the case, I am
recom m ending that the next city
dum p should be on B Street.
(s) Bob Taylor
Lexington
School board meeting is important
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Answers to the Mysteries of Education
By Dr. J a c k C rip p e n
M C S ch o o l D istrict S u p erin ten d en t
As we prepare fo r a new year, I wish fo r all o f you to be
able to look back on 2002 and be content with what you
accom plished. I hope that the holiday tim e was one o f
rejuvenation and strength gathering as we face the excitement
o f2003. as well as the difficult decisions it appears it will require
us to make.
W h a t does B allot Measure 28 mean to Morrow County
School District?
Ballot M easure 28 m eans approxim ately $450,000 to the
District. Put another way, that is approxim ately the salary, payroll
cost and benefits for eight (8) teachers. This is money that has already
been put in our budget for 2002-03, and if approved in the special
election this m onth, will be available in the 2003-04 and 2004-05
school years. If M easure 28 does not pass, the district will need to
make up that amount out o f our cash carryover. This will also have a
negative affect on our budgets for 2003-04 and 2004-05.
This is a very im portant election for education as w ell as
other service areas concerning our quality o f life in Oregon. Please
vote! This is too important an issue to be decided by small percent o f
the voters.
W h y d o n 't we stop building and use that money?
The quick answer to that question is that we are not permitted
to do that by law. When a district or agency passes a building levy as
we have, one may only use that m oney for the purposes as written on
the request. T here is very little w iggle room . T he law or O regon
Revised.Statutes (ORS) requires that the money from a building bond
may not be used in the general fund o f the organization.
The district receives its maintenance and operation funds, or
general fund m oney from three sources. A bout 30 percent is from
property taxes, about 70 percent from the state through income taxes,
and 1 -2 percent through other local sources. (Interest earnings, rental
incom e, m iscellaneous incom e, etc.) T he w ay the State School
Funding form ula is set up, if property taxes go up, (the 30 percent)
the m oney from the state, (the 70 percent) goes down. This amount
o f m oney com es to us through an am ount o f m oney per child. They
feel som e areas m ay cost m ore, so the form ula gives us credit for
extra students, known as weighted students.
We had around 2300 average daily m em bership resident
students (A D M r) in school the first o f D ecem ber. We w ere given
credit for around 800 m ore students, bringing our average daily
m em bership weighted students ( A D M w ) to just over 3100 students
for our district. During the up coming legislature, they will talk about
the am ount per child. It will be referring to the A D M w number.
What is teaching to the test and is it good or bad?
in education teaching to the test is generally thought o f as
teaching only that material that one knows will be on a test. W hether
it is good or bad depends greatly on the test. There are program s
available to help students prepare for college entrance tests, for
exam ple, that most feel are very beneficial to the student.
The discussion in O regon around this topic centers on the
O regon State Benchmark Tests given at grades 3 ,5 ,8 and 10. Under
m ost circum stances I do not feel it inappropriate to “teach to the
test” . To understand why I feel this way it helps to know the difference
betw een criterion-referenced tests and norm -referenced tests. A
criterion-referenced test is designed to determine how m uch one has
learned about a subject. A pop quiz, or a test at the end o f a unit is an
exam ple o f a criterion-referenced test. If there w ere 20 questions
and one m issed two, one w ould receive a score o f 90 percent.
A norm -referenced test on the other hand gives a score that
tells how one has done against the other people who have taken that
test. If one received a 90 percent on a norm -referenced test it says
that one did better than 90 percent o f the students that took that test.
It said nothing about how m any one got right or wrong. O ne could
have m issed one or five.
A norm -referenced test is generally norm ed on a national
level. Because o f this, this type o f test covers a very broad range o f
information. They try to cover the curriculum for all fifty states, which
generally m eans they do not cover any one state’s curriculum in any
depth. Prior to Oregon developing their ow n test, the best m atch o f
a national test to O reg o n ’s curriculum w as the M etropolitan
A chievem ent Test, w hich covered 19-20 percent o f O reg o n ’s
curriculum.
O regon's test is based on their Certificate o f Initiatal Mastery
(C IM ) requirem ents that set out w hat one m ust know or be able to
do at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. Since O re g o n ’s tests are designed to
see how well our students have learned the curriculum , it seem s to
me that teaching to the test is teaching to O regon’s curriculum, which
to m e is what we should be doing.
I f you have questions or explanation o f item s concerning
education, please write or e-m ail m e in care o f this new spaper or to
the M orrow County School District office at P.O. Box 368 Lexington,
O R 97839.
O rd er M a g n e tic
D oor Signs H E R E
To the Editor:
The upcom ing School
Board M eeting, M onday, Jan.
13, at 7:30 p.m ., at H eppner
Elem entary School, w ill be a
crucial one, as the groundw ork
is being developed for how w e
will deal with a cut o f a minimum
o f nine teach ers to H ep p n e r
Schools.
W hile additional cuts
m ay very w ell com e from the
State; the current one is in direct
response to the B o ard ’s action
o f f u n d in g “ e q u a l i z a t i o n ”
th ro u g h o u t th e co u n ty . O u r
School B oard m ust answ er the
question o f how they will offer a
c u rric u lu m to o u r s tu d e n ts.
E v e ry o n e n e e d s to see an d
understand w hat w ill be left to
offer our students.
A sk our school board
m e m b e rs to d e s c r ib e th e
schedule and class size changes
that will occur as a result o f their
decision. T he board m em bers
m ust take resp o n sib ility and
present their plan to continue to
offer quality education to South
M orrow County students. They
m ust be held accountable for the
resulting change to our schools.
The actual curriculum /schedule
that we will be left with is not an
issue that will go away. For those
students w ho are in school now,
it w ill affect them for years to
come.
We m ust start m aking
decisions based on w hat is best
for all the students. C ontact the
Board m em bers and com e to the
m eetings. O ffer your input and
watch our Board in action. There
is no tim e to lose.
School Board m em bers
include: Julie Weikel, 481 -2545;
Pat M cN am ee, 922-4786; Gary
Frederickson, 481-6225; John
R e n fro , 9 8 9 -8 1 1 7 ; Jo h n
R ie tm a n n , 4 2 2 -7 1 2 3 ; L a rry
M ills, 6 7 6 -5 5 4 6 ; a n d B urke
O ’Brien, 676-9861.
(s) John and A nn M urray
Heppner
Chamber Chatter
By Claudia Hughes, Exec. Dir.
Our community lost a wonderful friend and Chamber member
to cancer Saturday. Shut your eyes and th ere’s that w ide sm ile and
twinkle o f the eye! Hear his laughter? Tom Sly will live on in so many
memories.
H eppner w as indeed blessed w h e n he a n d Jerri chose to
retire here and immerse themselves in community activities. You could
alw ays count on an affirm ative head shake or T om ’s hand shooting
up to volunteer, be it on the C ham ber B oard o f D irectors, H CC,
W CVED, the Baker-M orrow Partnership, St. Pat’s Celebration, the
Senior Center, his church and more. You could find him researching
community issues, stringing lights on a float, serving meals, marching
in parades, traveling to Salem for rural Oregon, and the list goes on.
H e w as a good friend, a veteran, a great volunteer, respected, fair,
honest, caring, ju st an all-round guy who took us into his heart and
gave his all. The Cham ber and the comm unity will miss him.
A nd life goes on w ith Town and C ountry on the horizon,
and, m ore than ever, it is about community. N ext Thursday, Jan. 16
is the annual event. Tickets are on sale at the Bank o f Eastern Oregon,
Klam ath First, M urrays and the C ham ber o f Com m erce.
The Chamber annual luncheon and installation o f officers will
be Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 11:30 a.m . at A ll Saints E piscopal Parish.
Call 676-5536 to m ake reservations.
D on’t m iss the opportunity to have a chance in the Cham ber
gun raffle. The “gun with a history” is displayed at Heppner Hardware.
The lucky winner will be announced at Town and Country. Proceeds
are part o f C ham ber non-dues income to prevent raising dues and to
enable the C ham ber to continue com m unity enhancem ent and
promotion.
Thought for the week: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing
it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” - Wm. Arthur Ward
SWCD, Weed Board to hold board,
annual meetings
A regular board m eeting o f the M orrow Soil and W ater
Conservation District/W eed Advisory Board will be held Thursday,
Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. at the Pettyjohn Office building in Heppner. Agenda
and discussion items include: Reappointment o f Associate Directors,
Oath o f Office-new Directors, and to assign committee responsibilities
and agency reports.
The annual meeting will follow at 1 p.m. upstairs in the Heppner
Elks Lodge. The meeting is open to the public and everyone is invited
to attend.
______________________
Obituaries
Thomas Edwin Sly
A
rem e m b ra n ce
g athering for the fam ily and
friends ofThom as Edwin Sly will
be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan.
10, at the H eppner Elks Lodge.
Sly, 74, o f Heppner, died
Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003, at his
home.
He w as b o m A ug. 8,
1928, at Bunceton, Mo., to Rollo
and H ildred Sly. He graduated
from B enson Poly-Tech High
School in Portland then attended
and graduated from Oregon State
College in Corvallis.
He m arried Betty Fritz.
T he c o u p le h ad th re e so n s,
Stacey, Skip and Shawn.
Mr. Sly served with the
U.S. Navy from 1951 until 1955.
His professional career
included 30 years with Tektronix
Inc. and K rone and A ssociates
o f C arm el, C A , in v o lv ed in
organizational development.
O n Dec. 31, 1978, he
married Jerri Withington.
M r. S ly s e rv e d as a
tru s te e w ith th e M e th o d is t
C hurch in H eppner and w as a
trustee w ith the H eppner Elks
L odge. H e also helped start,
sp o n so r an d ju d g e th e E lks
A m ericanism Essay C ontest in
Heppner.
He was on the B aker/
M orrow Partnership Board o f
Directors, w as on the C ham ber
o f C om m erce Board, the City
Planning Commission, a member
o f th e C ity S id e w a lk a n d
N eig h b o rh o o d E n hancem ent
te a m a n d th e H a rd m a n
Community Commission.
He had enjoyed fishing
all o f his life and was fond o f his
cocker spaniel, Callie.
S urvivors include his
wife, Jerri Sly; sons, Stacey Sly,
Skip Sly, and Shawn Sly; sister,
Jeannie N elson; stepsons, Tim
Jorgesen and Todd W ithington;
stepdaughter, Teresa Loakso;
and 11 grandchildren. He w as
preceded in death by his parents.
M émorial contributions
m ay be m a d e to P io n e e r
M em orial Hospice, P.O. Box 9,
H eppner, O R 97836.
Sw eeney M ortuary o f
H e p p n e r is in c h a r g e o f
arrangements.
Vernon E. Padberg, Sr.
Vernon E. Padberg, Sr.,
72, o f T illam ook, died Jan. 3,
2003, in T illam ook. F uneral
s e r v ic e s w ill b e h e ld on
W ednesday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m . at
W a u d ’s F u n e r a l H o m e in
Tillamook. A gathering will also
be held at the United M ethodist
Church in Heppner, Friday, Jan.
10, at 1 p.m. Internm ent will be
held at Lexington Cemetery.
Padberg was bom June
30, 1930 in H eppner to John
A rchibald and Susan (A llstott)
P a d b e rg . H e g re w u p a n d
attended school in Heppner.
From 1948 until 1952,
P a d b e rg s e rv e d in th e U .S .
Navy. He was also a graduate o f
O regon Technical Institute in
Klamath Falls.
In 1956 he went to work
for M aBell in Pendleton as an
in staller repairm an. He later
becam e an em ployee o f G T .E .
in Cornelius and then in Tigard.
He retired in 1991 after 20-plus
years. He moved to Tillamook in
2000 .
P a d b e rg is a p a s t
member o f the Sherwood’s Elk’s
L odge. H e w as an excellent
bow ler, and enjoyed deep sea
fishing, playing on the computer
and music. His greatest joy was
spending time with his family.
Padberg is survived by
sons, Vernon Jr. o f Tillam ook,
Douglas o f Gillette, WY., Carl o f
Tillamook, and Jerry o f Lincoln
C ity ; d a u g h te r s , D e b o ra h
Reynolds o f Gillette, WY., Joyce
S p au ld in g o f P uyallup, WA,
K athryn Butz o f Tillam ook and
M a y m a e S e a to n o f F o re s t
G r o v e ; b r o th e r , J. A rc h ie
P adberg o f H eppner; sisters,
Juanita Ross o f H erm iston and
Lola Springer o f Hood River; 21
g r a n d c h ild r e n ,
e ig h t
grandchildren, and num erous
nieces and nephew s. He was
p r e c e d e d in d e a th b y o n e
daughter, Sheryl Ann Padberg.
T hose w ho w ish m ay
m a k e c o n tr ib u tio n s to th e
D o e r n b e c k e r s C h i l d r e n ’s
Hospital.
W aud’s Funeral Home,
T illam ook, is in charge o f the
arrangements.
Hazel Mae Ellis
H azel M ae Ellis, 91, o f
lone, and a lifetime resident o f the
area, died Friday, Dec. 26,2002,
at Pioneer M em orial N ursing
Hom e in Heppner.
A s e r v ic e w a s h e ld
Thursday, Jan. 2 at lone Untied
Church o f Christ, w ith burial at
lo n e’s Pine View Cemetery.
Ellis w as bom M ay 24,
1911 at lone, to Thom as and Ida
H ale G rabill. She was raised in
lone and attended school there.
O n Sept. 3, 1929, she
m arried Edison M organ at lone.
The couple was married for over
20 years before they divorced.
In 1954, she m arried
S te v e n L. W ile s a t M ilto n -
Freew ater. Mr. W iles died in
1958.
She then married Elmer
Ellis at Baker City in 1964. Mr.
Ellis died in 1994.
Ellis enjoyed collecting
cookie jars, shopping, cooking,
sew ing and canning. She was
also a m em ber o f the U nited
Church o f Christ.
S u r v iv o r s
in c lu d e
daughter, Juanita Shultz, and son,
Jim M organ, both o f lone and
num erous grandchildren. She
w as preceded in death by her
brother, Gene Grabill and sisters,
M ary Bristow, A nna Wright and
Helen Keithley.
M emorial contributions
m ay be m ade to the Hazel Ellis
M e m o ria l, c /o lo n e U n ite d
Church o f Christ, P.O. Box 346,
lone, O R 97843.
Sw eeney M ortuary o f
H e p p n e r is in c h a r g e o f
arrangements.
Edwin James Dobbie
Edw in Jam es D obbie,
94, o f the Portland area, died
Dec. 2 0 ,2 0 0 2 , in H illsboro. A
m em orial service w as held Dec.
28, at A loha U nited M ethodist
Church.
D obbie w as bom M ay
2 9 ,1 9 0 8 , in Edm ore, N.D.
H e graduated from the
U n iversity o f N o rth D akota.
D uring World W ar II, he served
in the Arm y. H e w as a high
school science and music teacher
in M ontana and p rincipal in
Heppner before moving in 1959
to P ortland. T h ere he w as a
chemist for Fuller Paint and then
Portland Paint & Lacquer.
In 1941, Dobbie married
Betty Jean Warrington.
S urvivors include his
w ife, B etty Jean; d a u g h te r s ,»
B a rb a ra S m ith a n d S h irle y
Dobbie; three grandchildren; and
10 great-grandchildren. His son,
James, died in infancy.
O rd er
M a g n e tic
D oor Signs
H ERE
Heppner Gazette-
Times
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676-9228
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