Heppner Day Care begins school year
with new outlook and new staff
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Bessie Wetzell Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
Day Care board (Mack Row L-R): Merry Brannon, Tiffany McCurry, Nikki Coe and Nicole
Mahoney; (Front Row L-R): Cari Scrivner and Brandi Sweeney. Not pictured: Ruth Shaw.
VOL. 125
NO. 36
8 Pages
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
N ew Year, New
Start. New Opportunities...
is the slogan of the Heppner
Day Care and Preschool this
year. A new staff, along with
Merry Brannon, and a new
board o f directors give a
fresh outlook for the future
of the Day Care.
Brannon is staying
on as the director o f the
facility. Brannon has been
with the Day Care for eight
years. “1 am really excited
that Merry has decided to
continue
as Director, she has
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Day Care employ ees: (L-R): Merry Brannon, Lela McDaniel,
Cyde Coil, Autumn Morgan
Ballard appointed Morrow County DA
Elizabeth Ballard is sworn in as the new Morrow County District Attorney by Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Wallace.
After the resignation of District Attorney David C.
Allen, Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed Elizabeth
Ballard, deputy district attorney, to serve the remainder of
Allen's term, before beginning her elected role of DA in
January 2007. Ballard was sworn in on Thursday. Aug. 31
by Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Wallace.
Ballard won a three-way race in May, against John
Ballard of Hermiston and Valerie Doherty of Lexington,
for the position of district attorney.
Allen resigned from his position early to make a
move to Bend where he will resume practicing law. He
served in private practice for three years before being
elected Morrow County District Attorney in 1998. Allen's
family had moved to Bend a few week's previous to his
resignation so that the children could start school at the
beginning of the school year.
Past Heppnerites to come to life for visiting cyclists
"We see it as a quasi-
historical m usical dram -
edy," Doris Brosnan answers
when asked to explain the
“ D inner-at-the-C em etery
R ep erto ry
T h e a tre ”
production set for Sept. 10.
R etu rn in g
in
v ig n ettes from previous
Theatre productions, local
and visiting actors will bring
to life several historical
figures from 1903 and 1904
Heppner, as they take the
stage at the* dow ntow n
S ham rock this com ing
Sunday.
Reprising his role a
fourth time as Mayor Frank
Gilliam is Cliff Green. Joe
L indsay
retu rn s
as
photographer-w ith-an-eye-
for-detail Mike Galloway.
Interpreting Thomas Murray
Spencer, who was a frequent
visitor to Heppner in 1903,
is Dan V anSchoiack.
N ew com er Julie Rowell,
K athryn
H o sk in s’
granddaughter, comes all the
w ay from Beaverton to join
the cast, so she can portray
her great g ran d m o th er
G ertru d e
C raw fo rd .
Traveling from Roseburg to
recapture the personality of
Edward Ashbaugh is Mike
Healy, who was raised in
H eppner. Janet G reenup
takes on a new role for this
production, as she becomes
the
th eatre
g ro u p 's
in te rp re ta tio n o f M abel
Ayers, a prominent woman
in 1903 H eppner. Al so
appearing on stage, as Molly
Reid, is Nancy Gochnauer.
and she will be joined by her
“girls" May Flemming. May
McKay, Ida Smith. Bertha
O ’Neill, and Dotty Carlson,
played by Nancy Vander
Does. Jodi Chapa. Kolleen
Chapa, Nici Apperson and
Robin B re d fie ld . N ot
c o in c id e n ta lly , an o th er
historical figure. Sheriff
S h u tt. played by Pat
Sweeney, will appear on
stage at about the same spot
in the production.
A dding
the
a p p ro p ria te
m usical
ambience to the dram-edy is
M cM in n 's
O rch estra,
historically a 1903 Pendleton
musical group familiar to
Heppner citizens. McMinn is
played by Louis Carlson,
who is joined by orchestra
members Sarah and Alex
C arlso n , Karl B laeuer.
Cameron Anderson. Laura
McElligott, Gayle Arbogast
and Myrna Van Cleave.
Co-producer Sharon
Harrison further explains
a lot of experience and the
kids love her,” said Day Care
board member Cari Scrivner.
The new head
teacher at the preschool/day
care is Lela M cD aniel.
M cDaniel com pleted her
degree in early childhood
education this spring at Blue
M ountain
C om m unity
College in Pendleton. “We
are grateful to have her on
staff this year and she is
really eager to take part in
curriculum and working with
the children,” stated Tiffany
McCurry, board secretary.
Also new to the staff is
Autumn Morgan. Morgan
and her husband Troy, the
new m ath teach er at
H eppner High School,
moved to the area from
F lorida. She had been
working in the school system
in Florida for the last couple
of years and wanted to find
a job where she would be
able continue working with
youth. Cyde Coil, a junior at
Heppner High School, will
be at the center after school
and on Fridays as an aide.
She will also be assisting
with preschool as part of a
w ork-study
program
through the high school. The
board is really excited to
have Coil on their team: she
tarings a lot of babysitting
experience to the job.
An all new volunteer
board was created this
spring, consisting of Nicole
Mahoney. President; Brandi
Sweeney, Vice President;
Tiffany McCurry. Secretary;
Nikki Coe. Treasurer; and
Members: Cari Scrivner and
continued page 2
Ruth Shaw. This group has
been
full
force
in
implementing change and
updating the facility. “I am
thrilled to be able to help
Merry and the rest of the
staff as well as the children
of our area and to work to
keep this valuable asset in
our community,” stated Coe.
board treasurer. “We have
had great support from local
people.
paren ts
and
businesses and we rely on
that to continue operating.”
T his
y ear
the
preschool has extended its
days and hours to allow
more time for instruction and
various new curriculums, in
hopes that the children will
be b e tte r p rep ared for
kindergarten. Along with
letters, sounds, numbers,
counting, art and music; they
are adding math, science and
social studies. They also will
be in co rp o ratin g m ore
fieldtrips into their schedule,
a favorite among the kids.
M orrow C ounty H ealth
District has donated “Hands
on Science,” a science based
curriculum that contains
lessons of instruction and all
supplies needed for a full
year of teaching. Brannon
said she is grateful for the
donation is looking forward
to implementing the new
curriculum.
T here are still
preschool slots available for
three and four year olds, as
well as daycare openings for
infants and children, call or
stop by the Day Care Center
for more information. The
Day Care wishes to express
their sincere gratitude to the
community for their support.
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