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lone School District eligible for thousands in federal funds Bessie u'atzall U o f 0 N t i * 3 p a j a r Library Eugene, OR 97403 50 < HEPPNER imes VOL. 122 NO. 51 8 Pages Wednesday, December 17,2003 Santa makes appearance Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Town and Country award nominations due Time is flying by and Town and Country, scheduled fo r Ja n . 15, 2 0 0 4 is ju s t around the com er. W ith the th e m e “ H e p p n e r fo r A ll Seasons" and the return ofThe Slob Sisters, it should be a fun evening. The annual Cham ber aw ards will be presented at th a t tim e . C o m m u n ity m em bers are encouraged to get nominations in immediately for M an, W om an, C itizen- Educator, Youth, B usiness, and L ifetim e A chievem ent Kael Osmin sits on Santa's lap during Stroll Heppner Thursday, a w a rd s. T h e re a re m any, many, deserving people in the Dec. 4, while mom, Staci and sister, Shayna watch. area, som e behind the scenes and som e out in front, all m aking a difference in the quality o f life in the W illow Creek Valley. The nomination forms a re s im p le a n d m a y be obtained by calling Kuhn and S p ic e r o r th e H e p p n e r C h a m b e r o f C o m m e rc e . D eadline for nom inations is Tuesday, Dec. 23. Heppner streets adorned for holiday season Annual Lighting Contest to be held this weekend City workers, (L-R): Troy Simmons, Brian Harmon and Randy Sample, hang wreaths along Main Street in preparation for the holiday season. C o lu m b ia B a s in Electric will be sponsoring the annual B u s in e s s and Residential Lighting contest this y e a r r e p o r ts C h a m b e r E xecutive D irector C laudia Hughes. Gift certificates will be given by Colum bia Basin and are redeemable for electricity. Four awards will be given with two fifty dollar certificates and tw o tw e n ty - f iv e d o lla r c e r tif ic a te s a w a rd e d for: Residential categories- Reason fo r th e S e a s o n , M o s t S p e c ta c u la r a n d K id 's F a v o r ite a n d B u s in e s s . Judging will take place on D ec. 18 th ru 20, so k eep those lights twinkling. ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. T h e lo n e S c h o o l B oard has learned that the newly-formed district may be eligible for thousands o f dollars o f federal Title funds. The board, at their regular meeting M onday night, heard from M ic k e y O d in , U m a tilla - M o rro w E S D a s s is ta n t superintendent, who told them that ISD could qualify for thousands o f dollars from the follow ing federal program s: T itle I (A ) to im prove the a c a d e m ic n e e d s o f th e disadvantaged; Title II (A) to prepare, train and recruit high quality teachers and principals; T itle II (D ) to e n h a n c e education through technology; Title IV to provide safe and drug-free school communities; T itle V (A ) to p ro m o te informed parental choice and in n o v ativ e p ro g ram s, and Small and Rural Achievement Programs. ISD Board m em ber Jo h n R ie tm a n n , a fo rm e r M o rro w C o u n ty S c h o o l Board m em ber, com m ented, “ Som e o f us w ho have been around a while” were told that lone w ould not qualify, but now find otherwise. After investigating the is s u e w ith th e O re g o n D ep artm en t o f E ducation, O din said that she w as told that the d istrict’s Free and Reduced Lunch data would be used to determine the amount o f federal funds the district would receive the first year, but a census w ould be conducted to obtain m ore accurate data th e fo llo w in g year. O d in estimates that the district could receive between $ 10,000 and $30,000 for 2003-04, w hich she recom m ends the district se t a s id e . F o llo w in g th e c e n s u s , O d in s a id sh e b eliev ed the d istrict could receive as m uch as $30,000- $60,000 for 2004-05. The census is already in process, as o f Nov. 18, and could take from one to four m onths, she said. O d in to ld th e ISD Board that to qualify for Title I (A ) lo n e ’s calculated census poverty factor must reach six p e rc e n t, w h ic h , she says, “ tra n s la te s to a n e e d for approxim ately 10 students in census poverty". “The Oregon Department o f Education has taken a rough estim ate based on Free and R educed Lunch counts and believes that lone will likely reach this figure,” Odin said. B e c a u se lo n e w ill q u a lif y u n d e r th e R u ra l E d u c a tio n A c h ie v e m e n t Program w hen the district makes its application in 2004- OS, it will have the authority to “flex" any funds they are given for Title II (A), Title II (D), Title IV, Title V (A) and Title VI (B). In other words, the district may u se th e fu n d s to su p p o rt activities that are authorized by any o f the Title program s, including Title I (A), said Odin. In o th e r b u s in e s s , acting superintendent George M urdock o f the U m atilla- M orrow ESD told the board that the district has continued to receive inquiries about the p r in c ip a l/s u p e r in te n d e n t opening, with the deadline for applications set for Jan. 16. M u rd o ck also told the b oard that the art and S p a n ish ro o m s are in the process o f being com pleted, th e w in d o w p r o je c t is scheduled to start on Friday and a list o f buildings and grounds projects is in the process. In other business the board: -learned that Oregon State School Superintendent Susan C astillo follow ed the recom m endation o f Judge Frank Yraguen in the division o f a s s e ts a n d lia b ilitie s b etw een the lo n e S chool D istrict an d the M o rro w County School District, which amounts to an approximately $ 1 0 2 ,0 0 0 p a y m e n t from M C S D to IS D . -heard a report from Principal Dick Allen who said that enrollment is remaining at 150 s tu d e n ts . H e a ls o credited the many volunteers with com pletion o f various projects around the school. Allen said that the boiler is still malfunctioning and there is still no heat in the cafeteria. He said that the boiler project has been p la c e d o n th e “ im m e d ia te ” list. B o a rd m em ber John Rietmann said that the board m ay opt for a one-tim e levy to fond a new heating system. He estimated that the system would have to be replaced within five to 10 years. -learned from A llen that around 10 percent o f the students are out with the flu. -ap p ro v e d co s p o n s o r s h ip o f te n n is betw een lone H igh School and Heppner High School. -approved policies on N o n - D is c rim in a tio n , D istrict N utrition and Food Services, Child Nutrition and Reimbursable School Meals and M ilk Program. -received a letter o f thanks from the M orrow - U m atilla E SD staff, w ho re c e iv e d fru it b o x es and wreaths from the lone School District. -le a rn e d from the A nne M orter o f the Pool Holiday Worship Services St. Patrick’s Parish schedule: Dec. 24: C hristm as C a r o ls , 8 :3 0 p .m .; C a n d le lig h t P ro c e s s io n , Blessing o f the Nativity Scene and Vigil Mass, beginning at 9 p.m. Dec. 25: Blessing o f N ativ ity S cene, 11 a.m .; C h r is tm a s M a ss a n d Christmas Carols. St. William's Parish schedule: Dec. 25: Blessing o f N ativity Scene, 8:45 a.m.; C h r is tm a s C a r o ls a n d Christmas Mass. H epp n er U nited M e th o d ist C h u rch schedule: Dec. 24: Candlelight W orship, w ith C h ristm as carol singing, 7 p.m. C h r istia n L ife Center schedule: Dec. 21: C hildren C hristm as Program , 10:30 a.m. lo n e U n ited Church of Christ: Dec. 24: Candlelight Worship, 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. C om m ittee that the pool is in fairly good shape, but som e valves will need repair. A w alk-through o f the pool is scheduled for Jan. 14. - le a r n e d th a t th e Student Success Committee is up a n d ru n n in g a n d h a s planned a panel discussion on college for juniors and seniors w ith the help o f recent lone alumni. A meeting for parents and students about college applications and scholarships has been planned for Dec. 22. - le a r n e d th a t th e district has received a matching grant from Wildhorse to build a community greenhouse at the school. - in d ic a te d th e ir support for the tax levy to fund O regon schools. R ietm ann told the board that if the levy goes dow n the school could lo s e a ro u n d $ 1 1 7 ,0 0 0 , approximately the cost o f two teachers. -heard from Murdock that the district has a projected ending fund balance o f around $ 3 0 2 ,0 0 0 , c o m p a red to a beginning fund balance o f $ 1 7 7 ,3 4 0 . T h a t e n d in g balance had not incorporated th e $ 1 0 2 ,0 0 0 iff p a y m e n t expected from M CSD in the assets and liabilities settlement, and m onies from a facilities grant w hich has yet to be applied for. -heard a presentation by the students o f lone teacher Barb Collin, which included th e a re a s o f m ath, so cial s tu d ie s a n d c ra fts a n d a recitation o f “Twas The Night Before Christmas". - le a r n e d th a t th e board is waiting to hear back fro m th e te a c h e rs in th e negotiating process. -learned that the lone School Christm as program is scheduled for this Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. -rescheduled the next meeting for Monday, Jan. 20, Martin Luther King Day. G-T closed for Christmas The H eppner Gazette-Times offices will be closed Thursday, Dec. 25 and F rid a y , D e c . 26 fo r th e Christmas holiday. Offices will reopen on M onday, Dec. 29 at 9 a.m. The Gazette will also be closed Thursday, Jan. 1, 2004, for New Years. We will reopen Friday, Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. We w ish everyone a s a fe a n d h a p p y h o lid a y season. Heppner business receives bomb threat Friday night, Dec. 11, a call cam e in from G D ’s R estaurant and lounge that a bom b threat had been written on a chalkboard in the ladies’ r e s tro o m . B o th s h e r i f f ’s deputies and H eppner Fire w ere called to the scene. B e s id e s G D ’s, businesses next to them were ev acuated. A lso, residents living on the G D ’s side o f St. Patrick’s Senior C enter were evacuated to the other side o f the building. The threat turned out to be unfounded and business r e tu r n e d to n o r m a l the following day. OFF AISLE! EVERYTHING IN THIS AISLE MUST G0I li l K M l M u £ \ B m U , U C t n m O w n lM n , C m u l\in f, P a in t, a n d MUCH, MUCH M O W Shop F a tty F ar B a st BmUctianl Morrow County Grain Growers Lexington 989-8221 • 1-800*452-7396 ft V farm equipment, »fait our web »Ite at www m<ot n** t
