FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 16, 2003
lone board meetin C continued from page one
eligible and welcom e to apply
to attend school in the lone
School District. The following
s te p s a r e n e c e s s a r y f o r
a p p lic a tio n : 1) A p p ly fo r
a d m is s io n
to
th e
su p erin ten d en t o f the lone
School D istrict; 2) M ake a
fo rm al w ritte n re q u e st o f
re le a s e fro m th e M o rro w
C o u n ty S c h o o l D is tr ic t,
(Form s are available from the
lo n e S c h o o l D is tric t.) 3)
S tu d e n ts m u st be in good
standing in the prior school
year to receive lone School
D i s tr i c t
a p p ro v a l
fo r
a d m is s io n . lo n e S c h o o l
D istrict reserves the right to
accept/reject students based
upon the availability o f space,
reso u rc es,
p e r s o n n e l,
appropriate program s and a
positive review o f the student’s
e d u c a tio n a l r e c o r d s . 4 )
S tu d e n ts w h o are g ran te d
adm ission, but have not been
released from the M orrow
County School District, will be
charged tuition in the amount
o f $50 p er y e a r w ith full
scholarships available to all
students from the lone School
Foundation.
♦Nonresident
S t u d e n ts - a n o n r e s id e n t
stu d e n t is d e fin e d as o n e
w h o s e p a r e n t o r le g a l
guardians do not reside within
the boundaries o f the lone
S c h o o l D i s tr i c t , u n le s s
otherw ise provided for by the
L e x i n g to n / P in e
C ity
A ttendance policy or by law.
The lone School District m ay
enroll nonresident students as
follows: 1) By written consent
o f the affected school districts,
T h e s tu d e n t b e c o m e s a
“ resident p u p il” o f the lone
S c h o o l D is tr ic t, th e r e b y
a llo w in g th e lo n e S ch o o l
District to receive State School
Fund m oneys. 2) By
u n i l a te r a ll y a d m ittin g a
nonresident student with tuition
/th e am ount to be determined
on a c a s e - b y -c a s e b a s is )
w h ereby neith er district is
eligible for State School Fund
m o n ey s. T h e lo n e S chool
D istrict m ay deny reg u lar
s c h o o l a n d a lte r n a tiv e
p r o g ra m a d m is s io n to
nonresident students w ho are
under expulsion from another
d is tric t. T h e lo n e S ch o o l
D istrict shall deny regular
school
a d m is s io n
to
nonresident students who are
under expulsion from another
school district for a w eapons
policy violation.
♦Inter-district
Transfer o f Resident Students-
T h e lo n e S c h o o l D is tric t
B oard m ust approve inter
district transfer o f a resident
student. All requests m ust be
subm itted in w riting to the
S u p e r in te n d e n t w ith a
com plete explanation o f the
reasons for the request. lone
School D istrict w ill w ork to
facilitate the best educational
experience for each child.”
-discussed the issue o f
division o f M orrow C ounty
Unified Recreation funds. The
funds had been divided pier
capita, which am ounted to 7-
3 /4 p e r c e n t fo r IS D b u t
M c E llig o tt s a id th a t h e
d is c u s s e d th e iss u e w ith
M CURD and it was agreed on
June 26 that funds will be
d iv id e d a c c o rd in g to th e
num ber o f athletic teams each
school has. 1SD anticipates 22
percent o f M CU RD funds for
the 2003-04 year,
- a p p o in te d
a
committee, consisting o f Lisa
R ietm ann, Jerry R ietm ann,
G eorge M urdock o f the ESD
and Joe M cElligott to follow
th r o u g h c o n c e r n in g th e
division o f assets betw een
M C S D a n d lS D .
- r e c e iv e d
th e
p ro p o se d 2 0 0 3 -0 4 bud g et
w ith an estim ated budget o f
$ 1 ,5 3 4 ,8 7 5 , in c lu d in g a
$ 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 e n d in g fu n d
balance. Board m em ber John
R ie tm a n n s a id h e w a s
extrem ely pleased that the
lone School D istrict could
o f f e r a p ro g ra m to lo n e
students com parable to the
one offered by the M orrow
County School District
- h e a r d fro m lo n e
teacher D uane N eiffer, who
voiced concern that a special
education position w ould be
filled, rather than a junior high
science position. The special
ed p o s itio n , h o w e v e r, is
contracted through ESD, while
the science teaching position
w ould be funded through the
lo n e S chool D istrict. ISD
Board m em ber A nne M orter
replied, “Let’s give us a break
here. Let us get our feet on the
ground.” (A meeting to discuss
the school schedule, which will
also im pact the budget, is
planned for this w eek at lone
U n ite d C h u rc h o f C h ris t
building.)
-postponed setting a
regular m onthly meeting date
until the board members could
be polled.
-discussed the issue o f
h ir in g a s u p e r in te n d e n t.
G eorge M urdock suggested
that the district put o ff hiring a
permanent superintendent until
next fall to allow tim e for a
search, and in the m eantim e,
h ir in g
an
in te r im
s u p e rin te n d e n t. T h e IS D
B oard d e c id e d to proceed
w ith the search in hopes o f
finding a superintendent as
soon as possible.
Pie Contest to
be held
City votes to
outlaw ‘jake’
brakes
Did Irrigon receive empty promises?
MC Fair
premium books
now available
M orrow C ounty Fair
premium books are now being
d i s t r ib u t e d
th r o u g h o u t
M orrow County. B ooks can
be p ic k e d up at H ep p n er,
lone, Irrigon and B oardm an
P o s t O f f ic e s , th e O S U
Extension Offices in Heppner
a n d B o a r d m a n , M o rro w
C o u n ty G ra in G ro w e rs in
L e x in g to n ,
B o ard m an
P h a rm a c y a n d at th e F air
Office in Heppner.
The M orrow C ounty
Fair will be held Aug. 13-17.
This y ear’s them e is “M orrow
C o u n ty : T ru e to th e R ed,
W hite and Blue.”
COPY PAPER Ream or
Carton
Heppner Gazette-Times
Marriage
Licenses
Wedding - S a turd ag, August
2
Jessica Van W in ld e & Joseph M c H a ne q
Wedding - Saturday, August
9
K im h e rlq Becher & B re n t G underson
Wedding - So fu rd ag, August
23
Editor's note: Letters to the Editor must be signed. The Gazette-Times w ill not
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letters for use by the G -T office. TheG -T reserves the right to edit. Th e G -Tisn o t
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T he sound o f a tru c k ’s
“ja k e ” b rakes co m in g into
tow n early in the m orning, or More letters page 2
any other time for that matter,
is going to be a thing of the
p a s t, th e H e p p n e r C ity [Editor’s Note: This letter was
Council ruled M onday night. read at the M orrow C ounty
Because o f their loud noise, School District board meeting,
the council voted to outlaw the July 14,2003.]
use o f exhaust or jak e brakes To the Editor:
in the city lim its o f Heppner.
First I w ould like to
T he council took the action say welcome to the new Board
after hearing a complaint from m em bers. I am one of the
H e p p n e r r e s i d e n t V e rd e people that w orked tirelessly
Hager at last m onth’s council to get the construction bond
meeting.
passed for M CSD . T hough
A large percentage o f trucks w e w ere deeply concerned
use their ja k e brakes w hile about the crow ded conditions
coming into Heppner from the at A .C . H oughton, m uch o f
south, on the H eppner-Spray o u r m o tiv a tio n w a s th e
highway.
p ro m ise o f h av in g a H igh
T h e la w take-- e f f e c t School returned to Irrigon.
im m ediately, how ever, signs A nd that prom ise w as m ade
will not be posted for a while. b e f o r e th e e le c ti o n ; n o t
The city limits ofHeppner starts o f f i c ia ll y b u t in p r iv a te
about w h ere the N o re n e ’s conversations. N ow w e are
property is on the H eppner- being told that this Board is not
Spray highway.
bound to honor promises made
In o th e r b u s in e s s a t by form er B oards. I do not
Monday’s meeting the council: w ant to think our votes w ere
V oted to re le a s e city bought with em pty promises,
deputy Jam ie Rietm ann from but the ev id en ce certain ly
H eppner patrol duty w hen a points in that direction. This is
suitable replacem ent can be not the first broken prom ise
found. County deputies sign Irrigon has endured. Forty-
a “contract” w hen they begin four years ago Irrigon w as
to patrol Heppner saying they promised a new high school in
will stay on Heppner patrol for three years if they w ould loan
three years. The city contracts their children to Boardman for
w ith the county for police that period o f tim e. That w as
p ro tectio n so all p o lic e in lie num ber one.
H e p p n e r a re s h e r i f f ’s
R ecently, ex -b o a rd
deputies.
m em ber G ary F rederickson
R ie tm a n n a s k e d to b e s ta te d th a t h e c o u ld n o t
released into the regular county im ag in e future bo ard s not
sheriff patrol so he could gain honoring a prom ise m ade by
m ore e x p erien ce in police past boards. T he fact is that
work. “Heppner is a very quiet fo r 44 years every Board has
tow n w ith very little crim e. I done ju st that including the
am not gaining the valuable B oard Mr. Frederickson was
experience I w ill need in m y a part of.
career. In order for me to gain
In 1999, the people o f
th is e x p e r ie n c e a n d b e Irrigon w ere told that if the
challenged in m y jo b I need to bond passed the district would
be som eplace w here there is b e a b le to b u ild a n e w
a heavier call load and m ore elem entary school in Irrigon
crime investigations,” he wrote and no longer need to house
in a le tte r to th e c o u n c il th e six th g ra d e s a t C M S ,
requesting to be released from freeing that school to becom e
H eppner patrol. T he c o u n c il« a 7-12 facility. O n M ay 15,
u n a n im o u s ly a p p r o v e d 2000 , election day, w e w ere
Rietm ann’s request.
told by the Superintendent and
A h o m e m a d e pie
contest will be held July 25,
as p a rt o f th e C e le b ra te
H e p p n e r festiv itie s. Pies
should be taken to Sherrell
I n s u r a n c e , M a in S t.,
Heppner, between 8 -10 a.m.
A first place w inner
w ill re c e iv e a $100 g ift
certificate. The second place
winner will receive a $50 gift
certificate.
A pie auction will be
held at 6:15 p.m., at Heppner
C ity Park.
T h e c o n te s t is
s p o n s o r e d b y S h e r r e ll
Insurance and the H eppner
C ham ber o f C om m erce.___
S a r a G re e n u p & Tqq k Cam pbell
Letten to the Editor
June 30: M ic h a e l
K aye, 50, Freehold, N J and
K e llie L y n n H ill, 4 8 ,
M cConnellsburg, PA.
some M CSD Board members
that the stipulations had been
m et and a high school w ould
be returned to Irrigon. Lie
num ber two.
A t th e M a y 2 0 0 3
meeting John Rietmann, Larry
N elson and B urke O ’Brien
re f u te d e v e ry e x c u se fo r
delaying the opening o f Irrigon
H igh S chool. Dr. C rip p en
offered the information that this
move could be made in late fall
or early w inter o f 2003. Still
four Board m em bers voted no
to o u r h ig h school. T h ese
Board m em bers did not offer
one fact to justify their position.
T hey based their decision on
a v a r i e ty o f “ w h a t i f
questions.
W h a t i f w e lo s e
programs? Apparently the only
person to look into this matter
is Bruce Anderson and he said
that w e absolutely w ould not.
I f H eppner can offer calculus
then certainly Boardm an and
Irrigon can.
W hat i f the d istrict
JO H N ’S PLACE
DINNER AND
A MOVE SPECIAL
Purchase any large
coupon
ind
for a movie rental for 5 0
it The Video Store, Heppner
(any movie rental,
only 50* with couponl)
217 North Mein * Heppner
JOHN’S PLACE
67 6-9 1 58
MAIN NTRECT,
HEPPNER
Serving Heppner Lexington A lone
t
f
c a n n o t a ffo rd th is m o v e ?
A gain, B ruce A nderson did
the m ath and concluded the
cost o f educating the Irrigon
a n d B o a r d m a n c h ild r e n
involved would be the same as
it is now. F o r years M C SD
board m em bers sent m oney
e a r n e d b y I r r ig o n a n d
B o a r d m a n c h il d r e n to
H eppner and lone. A lm ost a
m illion dollars a year. I find it
amazing that at no point did the
Board m em bers from Irrigon
su g g e st th a t so m e o f th at
m oney be used to reinstate our
h ig h sch o o l. A t th at tim e,
B o ard m em b ers w e re still
e x p e c te d to re p re s e n t th e
entire zone they w ere elected
to serve. It m akes m e w onder
ju st how m any years Irrigon
has been under-represented.
O n A pril 14, 2003,
the B oard voted to m ake an
exception to the board goal o f
e q u ity an d allow H ep p n er
E lem entary to exceed their
funding level by $ 190,000 for
the 2003-04 budget year. This
w as done because as Julie
W eikel sa id , “O n e o f o u r
schools cannot live within their
budget.” C annot or w ill not
because they know that if they
w ant som ething an exception
can be m ade for them . A gain
n o t o n e b o a rd m em b e r
suggested that enough m oney
be allotted to start Irrigon high
school. I have no objection to
t h is m o n e y b e in g m a d e
a v a ila b le to b u s H e p p n e r
k in d e r g a r t e n
c h ild r e n .
H ow ever, I do w onder w hy
su c h a n e x c e p tio n to th e
b o a r d ’s g o a ls c a n n o t be
considered for the return o f our
ch ild ren . T h a t co st w o u ld
certainly be m uch less than
$ 190,000.1 think it is tim e to
sto p h id in g b e h in d b o g u s
stipulations and admit the real
reaso n s to deny us a high
school.
The kids don't want it?
The Irrigon kids did not w ant
to go to school in B oardm an
in 1959 b ut that d id n ’t stop
w hat the adults decided. We
talk to m any, m any kids that
w ant to go to school at hom e.
They can see the advantages
o f eliminating the 26 mile round
trip to school. If you are a child
o f low -incom e parents, and
m any Irrigon children are, you
can afford little connection with
R iv e r s id e b e y o n d th e
classroom. Could it be that the
p e o p le t h a t m a k e th is
statem ent talk to the children
o f Irrig o n m o re th a n th e
people o f Irrigon do?
Another w eak excuse
for denying Irrigon w hat is
rightfully theirs is, there is no
interest in Irrigon in reinstating
a high school. W ho is the
author o f this nonsense? It
certainly isn 't the people who
gathered 1200 signatures o f
people w ho want to see a high
school returned to Irrigon. I
m ight add th at w e did not
c a n v a s a ll o f Irrig o n . We
thought 1200 names would be
impressive.
We
have
been
accused o f having a one-issue
mind set. That is such an unfair
a n a ly s is o f o u r s itu a tio n .
Imagine the impact rem oving
your High School would make
o n y o u r c o m m u n ity . The
negatives are endless. O ur
o n e - is s u e
m in d
set
encom passes a m ultitude o f
disadvantages. It seem s that
the biggest fans o f denying this
comm unity a High School are
the communities that have one.
If not having a High School is
such a desirable state perhaps
B oardm an w ill v olunteer to
m ove Riverside to Irrigon for
44 years. W e h av e a high
school willing and waiting.
We h av e also been
told that only a few old ladies
in Irrigon w ant the high school
returned. Let m e m ake this
perfectly clear. T his old lady
represents six adults and three
children that I am related to. I
also represent m any parents
and children that simply do not
h a v e tim e to a tte n d ev ery
School Board m eeting and so
rely on m e to speak for them .
So keep this in m ind. Every
tim e you see m e stand up and
speak to you, I am not alone,
I am a crowd. I know that the
sam e thing can be said for
ev ery old lady that stands
before you to demand equality
for their com m unity. It m ight
also interest you to know that
w ithout the old ladies in this
county there w ould be no new
schools being built. It was the
old ladies that got the bond
passed.
W hen
M C S D ’s
B o a rd d e n ie s th e Irrig o n
taxpayers the sam e privileges
the other communities enjoy it
is f o r o n ly o n e r e a s o n .
Because they can. They have
becom e so com fortable with
the discrimination that Irrigon
parents and children endure
they do not recognize how
truly shameful their treatment
has been for n e a rly h a lf a
century.
We w ant a definite
starting date for our high school
to be announced in the near
future. If this is not done, we
w ill know that using em pty
p ro m ises is an a c ce p tab le
m ethod o f getting voters to
pass a bond. H ow ever, I can
guarantee it w ill never w ork
again. We will also know that
this district has no m ore need
for Irrigon than it did for lone.
Perhaps the tim e has com e for
B oardm an and H eppner to
h a v e th e d i s t r i c t a ll to
themselves.
Until our High School
is o p e n e d w e w a n t th e
p r a c tic e o f d u m p in g o u r
athletes along a major highway
in th e m iddle o f th e night
stopped. If a coach schedules
practice on Friday or Saturday
we want activity buses to pick
up our athletes and take them
to B oardm an. H as anyone
ever bothered to find out how
m any o f our children are left
o u t o f R iv e r s id e ’s sp o rts
program because o f this elitist
system ? N o child should be
left out b ecause they cannot
p r o v id e
th e ir
ow n
t r a n s p o r ta tio n . W e w a n t
activity buses to be available
to o u r children so they can
e n jo y all th e b e n e fits and
functions Riverside offers. We
w ant a program to help low-
incom e parents m aintain a
reasonable relationship w ith
their ch ild ren ’s teachers. We
w a n t th e s a m e a c c e s s to
R iverside H igh School for
every student. It is tim e for
M C S D to exhibit the sam e
ethics and morals w e are trying
to instill in ou r children. In
short, M CSD should provide
Irrigon's parents and children
the sam e o pportunities the
p a r e n ts a n d c h il d r e n o f
Boardman take for granted. Is
the B oard only interested in
providing financial equity? In
an area that is prim arily low-
income, true equity can never
be accom plished w hen m uch
o f th e student b o d y ’s only
connection w ith the school is
class time. If true equity is too
expensive to insure, then your
only course o f action is to
separate the high schools as
soon as possible. After all this
is th e U n ite d S ta te s o f
America, and no child should
be left behind.
(s) M eredith DeHaven
Irrigon
PCU STO M
BANNERS
Heppner Gazette-
Tim es
676-9228