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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2003)
M CSB begins search for new superintendent The M orrow County School Board, at its regular meeting M onday night, hired the Northwest Leadership firm to begin the search for a new superintendent following the r e s ig n a tio n o f fo rm e r s u p e r in te n d e n t Dr. J a c k C rip p e n last W ednesday. Northwest Leadership, a job- search com pany o f w hich Umatilla-Morrow Educational Service District administrator George M urdock is a partner, will begin the search by posting the position on the Internet. The Umatilla-Morrow ESD is p ro v id in g a d m in is tra tiv e services and Murdock is acting MCSD superintendent until an interim superintendent can be appointed. M urdock assured the board that while the search for a perm anent superintendent may take some time, locating an interim should be a fairly q u ic k p r o c e s s . H e a ls o stressed the im portance o f hiring an interim, because, he said, M C SD is “a large and com plex school district” and r e q u ir e s a f u ll- tim e s u p e r in te n d e n t. B o a rd m e m b e r K e n M a tla c k suggested that he and another board member fill that interim spot, but Murdock questioned the legality o f that move. In the m eantim e, the board agreed that the building principals VOL 122 NO. 50 10 Pages Wednesday, December 10,2003 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon would be responsible for their buildings and the district office staff for their regular business. M e a n w h ile , at M atlack’s request, the MCSD B o a rd s c h e d u le d a w o rk session for 4 p.m. Wednesday, D e c . 10, p r io r to th e scheduled budget meeting, to w ork on a profile o f qualities desired in a superintendent. T he board agreed to a more h an d s-o n a p p ro ach to the superintendent search, rather than relying on a firm or a comm ittee to select or narrow' the candidates. M urdock estim ated that it w o u ld take several months to receive applications back from those interested in the position. T he bo ard , a lso at M atlack’s recom m endation, discussed expanding the role Nicky Fritz, of Heppner, dressed as an angel on the Oregon Trail Pathfinders float, which took “Best o f J o e l C h a v e z , w h o is em ployed with the district as Community Float.” The Heppner Light Parade was held on Thursday, Dec. 4. Four winners were chosen a teacher in the English-as-a- in the following categories: Best Youth Float- G rieb kids; Best C om m unity Float- Oregon second-language program, to Trail Pathfinders; Best Com m ercial Float- M orrow C ounty G rain G row ers; and People’s coordinator or director o f the program . C havez also has an Choice- Reload Ridge Riders (m otorcycle club). a d m i n i s t r a t o r ’s lic e n s e . Each winner received a $ 100 prize. R iv e r s id e H ig h S c h o o l Principal Dirk Dirksen told the board that if Chavez’ role is to be expanded, another person w ould have to be hired to fill his position. The district is in the process o f hiring additional te a c h e r s a n d a id e s to implement a stepped-up ESL program . The board plans to schedule a special meeting to discuss the issue. T h e b o a rd a ls o clarified an issue o f stipends offered to Spanish speaking educators. The board agreed that the stipends, a hiring bonus am ounting to $2,000, would be paid only to new hires, not those currently em ployed by the district. The board approved changing the south boundary o f the Irrigon attendance area so m ew h at n o rth to H o m e s te a d R oad to acco m m o d ate the L indsay fam ily w hose children have Bessie Wetze il , U o f 0 Newspaper Library E u á o a e , OR 9 ( 4 1 3 Light Parade w inners nam ed traditionally attended Heppner High School. Marci Buschke fro m M id C o lu m b ia B us C om pany told the board that the current attendance area, w hich set the no rth -so u th boundary at the old N elson Road, provides for alm ost equal mileage for the buses to travel— approximately 19-20 miles in either direction. Board member Bam ey Lindsay said that his family has traditionally a tte n d e d s o u th M o rro w County Schools and added that Homestead Road is more logical since it is an actual road and w ould be a straight east- w est lin e. C u rre n tly tw o Lindsay families are the only o n e s a ff e c te d . M u rd o c k suggested that the board revisit the issue because o f a possible conflict o f interest on Lindsay's behalf. A second vote was 6- O to change the attendance a re a , w ith L in d s a y ’s abstention. The board heard from Riverside High School Study Body President Esm eralda L eone, w ho criticized the board's decision to establish a high school in Irrigon, saying that both schools, Riverside H igh S chool and the new Irrigon High School, will be shortchanged in athletics as well as academ ics. She said th a t “ d e e p d o w n in s id e everyone knows” it would be better if Riverside was not split and expressed anger that there w ere not enough gym s to accom m odate all the school athletic team s that will result from the creation o f the new Irrigon school. W hen she asked how the b oard w as going to deal with the problem, Lindsay responded, “ W e’re going to do the best we can.” “That’s exactly what I thought the answer would be,” Leone retorted. Leone also im plied that a m em ber o f the district budget committee made a slur a g a in st H isp a n ic s. L eo n e alleged that the person said that L eone’s opinion d id n ’t m atter because she (Leone) was “young and confused and w ill be pregnant in two years” because “th a t’s w hat those people (Hispanics) do” . In other business, the board: -h e a rd an e n d -o f- project report from Nan Hall o f Heery International. Hall, w ho has been transferred to a n o th e r p ro je c t sin c e the M o rro w C o u n ty b o n d construction project is w inding d o w n , laid fau lt o f som e c o n tin u in g c o n s tr u c tio n problems to the district and to contractors or landscapers, r a th e r th a n H e e ry International, and said that she h a d r e c e iv e d n u m e ro u s com plaints, but had not once b een to ld w h a t b e a u tifu l buildings the district had. Lisa M ittle sd o rf o f B o a rd m a n e x p re s s e d th e com m unity’s dissatisfaction concerning the “pond” that re m a in s at W in d y R iv e r Elem entary in Boardm an. A significant amount o f water has accumulated at the site, which was designed to serve as a c a tc h b a s in . H e e ry h a s repeatedly told the district that lan d scap ers have said the pond will not be an issue once the new grass is established and excessive w atering is discontinued, but the problem still remains. continued page two DA moves forward in investigation M o rro w C o u n ty D istrict A ttorney D avid C. Allen says that his office has sent re q u e sts for and has received financial documents from the H eppner Rural Fire P r o te c tio n D is tr ic t, th e H eppner C em etery District, W illow C reek Country Club and the Heppner Junior/Senior High School Booster Club in c o n n e c tio n w ith th e in v e s tig a tio n o f p o ssib le d is c r e p a n c ie s in th e bookkeeping for those entities. A llen said th at he p la n n e d to m e e t w ith a forensics investigator with the white-collar crimes unit o f the S ta te A tto rn e y G e n e r a l’s D epartm ent o f Justice and is m o v in g fo rw ard w ith the investigation. Allen says he will c o n tin u e to p ro ceed w ith prosecution in this matter. A H eppner w om an, S o n ja M cC ab e, has been linked to the case. Superintendent resigns 4 HJHS students test hot air balloons Dr. Jack C rippen, s u p e r in te n d e n t o f th e M o rro w C o u n ty S ch o o l D istrict since July 1,2002, h a s r e s ig n e d fro m th a t position effective Dec. 3, 2003. The action took place at a special m eeting o f the M orrow C o u n ty S ch o o l Board held in Lexington. The resignation w as form ally accepted by the Board. Dr. Crippen came to th e p o s itio n fro m th e Tillam ook School District w h e re he s e rv e d as the a ssista n t su p e rin te n d e n t. Prior to that tim e, he also served as superintendent in M onroe and Jordan Valley. Dr. C rippen has indicated that he intends to pursue other opportunities in the field o f education. In the m ean tim e, G e o rg e M u rd o c k , s u p e r in te n d e n t o f th e Umatilla-Morrow Education Service District will become the interim superintendent o f th e M o rro w C o u n ty s c h o o ls . M u rd o c k a ls o serves as superintendent in lone. M urdock has been the superintendent o f the ESD since July o f 1999. Prior to that tim e, he spent six years as superintendent o f the Pasco School District in Washington. At a m eeting held M onday, the B oard w as e x p e c te d to c o n s id e r a variety o f options at that time including options for short term le a d e rs h ip fo r th e district as well as a process for seeking a perm an en t replacement. HJHS students watch as their hot air balloons rise. Heppner Junior High School students constructed hot air balloons as part o f a unit on Transportation. Students o f Mr. F o w ler’s period 2 A pplying Technology class have been waiting several weeks for calm weather to launch their balloons; last Monday morning it finally happened. While the flight was brief, all four balloons managed to float for several minutes and land safely on the roof o f the Technology building. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: M O N D A Y S AT 5:00 P.M. 3 0 % O FF A IS L E ! EVERYTHING IN THIS AISLE MUST GO! S elected M u c \ B m U , U C r a iM O w r ifiM i, C c u U tin f, F e in t , a n d M UCH , M UCH MORE! S h op R a tty Far Beat S election ! Morrow County Crain Growers L e x in g to n 98 9-82 2 1 • 1 -8 0 0 -4 5 2 -7 3 9 6 For Hrm equipment. »i»it our web »tte i t w w w .m ca.net .