Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 18, 2003)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - FIVE Town defies school consolidation (Originally printed in Vallejo Times-Herald, article written by Julia Silverman, APJ There are ju st two landmarks on the skyline o f this tiny town in the sprawling high desert hills of northeastern Oregon: a grain elevator and the school. The grain elevator is long abandoned. But when talk surfaced about shutting down the high school and busing students out o f town, the ranchers, wheat farmers and re tire e s o f lo n e, population 350, looked into the future and didn’t like what they saw. School consolidations have begun to seem like an inevitability in much o f rural America, pushed by declining enrollment and states’ need to save money. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has launched a crusade to sell resistant rural residents on consolidation, and legislators in Oklahoma and Michigan have offered payoffs to districts that agree to consolidate. Idaho has just 52 school districts left, down from a high o f 1,110. Oregon, too, is in the grip o f a school funding crisis th a t has fo rced d istric ts statewide to lay off teachers and shut down early. After a spree o f consolidations in the mid-1990s that reduced the number o f school districts by half, new legislation is under consideration that w ould examine the benefits o f even m ore m ergers am ong the state’s smaller school districts. But the residents o f lone, fueled by grit and cash, persuaded the Legislature to allow them to secede from the Morrow County school district and form their own district If G ov. Ted Kulongoski signs off on the plan, only lone will be able to say what happens to its school. There was no word if the bill had yet been presented to Kulongoski; spokeswoman Mary Ellen Glynn did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment. “If this community were to have lost the high school, you might as well take away the businesses, close the doors and call it good,” said Joe McElligott, whose family has farmed in the area for generations. lone has a bank, two churches, a restaurant and not much else. The town o f Heppner, a town o f about 1,400 people some 17 bumpy miles way, would be happy to absorb the lone middle and high schoolers and their state funding. lone residents fear that if that happens they would be left with a town without a center, no place to go cheer for a Friday night football game or a school play, and th e ir c h ild re n w o u ld be sw allo w ed by the larger community. “Do you think a girl from lone w ould ever be elected homecoming queen in H e p p n e r? ” ask ed A nne Morter, an lone parent. “The kids who warm the bench here, they wouldn’t even make the team there.” lone residents were so infuriated by the idea o f consolidation that that some quit going to Heppner to buy groceries, instead driving almost 40 miles to buy food elsewhere. A nd w ith ab o u t $65,000 in donations, they persuaded their state senator to sp o n so r the secession legislation, hired a lobbyist and a lawyer, and started calling and writing letters to other lawmakers. “Several times during the past couple months, our lobbyist called and said, ‘Senator X said he gets it, he’s voting for it, and please don’t send any more messages,” ’ Morter said. T he p o w erfu l C o a litio n of S ch o o l Administrators opposed the secession effort, citing a 2002 audit by the Oregon Secretary o f State’s office that found administrative spending at small schools far outpaced that o f urban districts. In lo n e , sch o o l principal Mike Stuart was concerned that breaking away would leave the new district able to only offer the most b are-b o n es o f ed u ca tio n opportunities. His position has put him at odds with his staff. Congratulations!, ss>tcpfjen Men! University of Oregon- International Studies « Qie me a ¿pardi o? JVatwte’* fine; th at’* a! the teaming, 3 detvte. ~ 3 lohvtt 3 iivuu> ■ ¡ Stuart, a three-year re n te r in a to w n w h ere homeowners o f 15 years still are considered newcomers, plans to leave lone at the end o f June. “I’d like to see a more comprehensive program for students, but I don’t really have any credibility here - I’m not from here, my opinion doesn't matter,” he said. “Even the people that are pushing this will say this is about economic survival in lone,” not about education. While Stuart argues that the curriculum is limited, with just one foreign language and not m any ad v an ced courses, students and teachers counter that the school offers small class sizes and personal attention from teachers. “ I w ill be th e re wherever he turns and looks,” math teacher and football coach Dale Holland said o f a problem student who plays on his team. “I will meet him when he gets off the bus. I will go to his house. 1 will be sitting next to him at lunch. It’s very easy to identify the students who might slip through the cracks - they stick out here like a sore thumb.” There is also a feeling that the school has a deeper meaning to lone. “ In the end, it was about a sense that there would be no community” without a school, said farm er Jerry Reitmann. “Those of us with a history here wanted to make sure the town survived.” St. Pat’s and St. William’s to hold VBS St. Patrick’s and St. William’s Catholic churches will hold a vacation bible school from Monday, June 23 - Friday June 27. Classes will be held at the St. Patrick’s Parish Hall in Heppner and will run from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with Mass at noon. The theme for this year will be: Treasures of the Nile- On E x p ed itio n to Jesus. “Beginning each day at the N ile R iver L anding, our Expedition Team will venture forth to unearth the real treasure hidden in awesome Bible stories, which took place in that land,” said a news release. “In every story, kids will discover that God was preparing for the coming o f Jesus, the greatest treasure of all. T h ro u g h h an d s-o n activities (including Chariots of Fun, Pharaoh’s Phood court, the Craft Bazaar and more), they’ll uncover great truths about the way God works.” The adventure will also include m usic and m a sco t hand puppets. Children in preschool through eighth grade are w elcom e to atten d . P re registration is suggested. Call Kathy Cutsforth, 676-5064, to re g is te r o r fo r m ore information. There is no charge for children to attend. Write-in winners announced Write-in winners of the May 20 special election have been released by the Morrow County C le rk ’s O ffice in H eppner. W inners are as follows: B o ard m an -lrrig o n C o m m u n ity E d u catio n Committee Position #2, four- years-no winner. No candidate filed for the position and none o f the w rite-in candidates acc ep ted the p o sitio n . T w en ty -fo u r w rite-in candidates had one vote each and six write-in candidates had two votes. The school district w ill therefore appoint someone to the position. No one filed for the following positions, but the following write-in candidates have agreed to serve. B o ard m an -lrrig o n C o m m u n ity E d u catio n Committee Position #4, two years-Kellye Rene Finch (two votes), Boardman. Thirteen people received one write-in vote each and nine people received two write-in votes. B o ard m an -lrrig o n C o m m u n ity E d u catio n Committee Position #5, four years-Glena Hoftfnan, Irrigon. Fifteen people received one w rite-in vote each, three received two write-in votes and two received three votes each. lo n e C om m unity Education Committee Position #5, four years-Glenda Taylor, lone (10 votes). Eighteen people received one vote each, one received two votes. two received three votes, one received four votes and one received 10 votes. lo n e C om m unity Education Committee Position # 6, two years-Robert Darrin Padberg, lone (four votes). Eighteen people received one vote, four received two votes, one received three votes and one received four. Heppner C omm unity Education Committee Position #3, four years-Clarissa Jane “CJ” Johnson, Heppner (three votes). Eighteen people received one vote, three received two and one received three votes. Heppner Community Education Committee Position #5, four-years-Marcia Kemp, L ex in g to n (one v o te). Seventeen people received one vote, and two received two votes. Heppner Community Education Committee Position #6, fo u r-y e a rs-R ic h a rd Tem ple, L exington (tw o v o te s). T h irteen people received one vote and one received two votes. Results for candidates on the ballot are as follows: Boardman-lrrigon Community Education Committee Position #6, four y ears-E lizab eth W heeler, 445 votes; lone C om m u n ity E ducation Committee Position # 1, four years-Anita Orem, 347 votes; and lo n e C om m unity Education Committee Position #4, four years-Sarah Carlson, 314 votes. Pioneer Memorial Physical Therapy sees staffing changes P ioneer M em orial Physical Therapy has had some staffing changes over the last few months including some losses and some additions. “The greatest loss was the retirin g o f Judy D urkee- Norris,” says Allan Smith, physical therapist. “We miss Judy, and appreciate the years of selfless service she provided to our com pany and the people o f Heppner. and would like to wish her well with her new career goals.” The additions include Melody Sanchez who is a physical therapist assistant (PTA). She graduated from Hermiston High School and earned her PTA degree from Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. She has been working for Hermiston for nearly three years as a physical therapist assistant at Good S h ep h erd C om m unity Hospital. The new physical th e ra p is t aide is Em ily Southworth. She moved here last year with her family from O reg o n C ity. S hanna Rietmann has begun working during the evening hours for the fitness center. Shari Stahl also helps with the fitness center between em ergency room visits. Starting in July, Brian McQuinn, a physical therapist assistant, will be new on board. He is from Pendleton and recently graduated from M ount Hood Com m unity College. He will be working a few days a w eek at the Pendleton clinic and the remainder of the week he will be seeing home health patients for Pioneer Home Health. During the month of October, Pioneer Memorial Physical Therapy will also be having a physical therapy graduate student from Pacific University to help with patient care. Lori Lytle continues to work at PMPT and is the site liaison for the billing company. She has also taken on some additional responsibility by working in the Hermiston Office. A llan S m ith and Melody Sanchez now cover the Heppner clinic with hours as follows. Sanchez works from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Smith w orks from 9 a.m . until patients are done being seen on Tuesday and Thursday. “And yes, 1 still plan on helping with the football team in the fa ll,” adds S m ith. “ Go Mustangs.” Cardinal Booster Club meets The Cardinal Booster Club met Monday, June 9, at the lone High School library. The tennis team expressed appreciation to the club for the refreshments provided for district and state competitions. Track coach, Del LaRue, also expressed appreciation for donations to the district and state track teams. The club approved a donation o f $100 to the Burright family for expenses incurred as their daughter C am ie receiv es m edical treatment. All supplies left over from the fund raising dinner were given to the club. LaRue has notified H arold R ietm ann o f the changes to the trophy case, from one case eight feet long to two at five feet. Rietmann will work on the case as time allows. D ean R obinson, LaRue, Dennis Stefani and Charity McElligott will make d ecisio n s reg a rd in g the equipment storage building and report back to the club. The ta x -e x em p t process is nearing completion, with the final application form in the mail. K ari M organ is organizing the Deschutes raft trip. The trip is tentatively scheduled for the end o f August. Organizers will meet in June to discuss the details. M elissa LaR ue is seeking a second term on the lone Site C o u n cil. Joe Rietmann and Penny Krebs are also in terested. Two positions will be voted on at the September community meeting. It was suggested that the money generated from the b o y s ’ sum m er league tournament be donated to the track project. Pepsi will be providing new scoreboards for the gym. The old boards will go in the new grade school gym. Pepsi will also provide pop and juice dispensers in the new teachers' room, as well as outside the east high school door. They plan to eventually replace the football scoreboard. The club is planning to honor players and coaches from the 1978 and 1979 state championship football teams at the fall homecoming game. LaRue will be notifying individuals. The club is ordering two dozen hats, six stretch and six adjustable, in both black and red. It was announced that LaRue and his past track teams will be grand marshals for the 4,h o f July parade. The next meeting o f the Cardinal Booster Club will be Monday, July 7, at 7 p.m., at the library. 3 Bedroom home overlooking city We’re Too Crowded” Sale June 20-July 11 *A11 Fabric 20-50% off Every Bolt marked down i t i ____—a-—— Jl» « c wranqier *Quilting Books and Patters- Buy 2 get 1 free JEANS *Quilting Kits- 25% Off nra □ □ B tn m a □ $2" more for 38" & 40" inseam C ttL A M c r P A itfT im t 0 ° Hn -Â .R H S A .J J V J L l AGF. Q u il t s \ Ha. 288 N. Main Street, Heppnor • (541) 676-8282 Family room in basement. $ 1 2 7 ,0 0 0 Living room with fireplace. 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