é Auction and Steak Feed This Saturday Preparations are in the works and keeping everyone busy getting reading for the annual Booster Club Steak Feed and Auction set for Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Heppner Elk’s Lodge. Numerous auction items have poured in and the steaks have been ordered. D inner tickets can be purchased ahead of time from Hollomon’s or MCGG Tickets are $10 and include steak, salad, bread, potato and dessert. The auction again will have a raffle, penny board and silent auction as well as the main event beginning at 8 p.m. Some noted items in the auction include two gallons of milk a week for a n . i . . i . i i i j l l | | | l l l i i | | i j i ( jj B essie Wetzel! Newspaper University o f Oregon Eugene. OR 97403 Librarv ' Auction items on display at Heppner TV. year, donated by Heppner Family Foods, a diamond plate 5 ,h wheel toolbox, donated by Les Schw ab Tires, a Mexican dinner for 10, donated by the Elguezabal family, along with various Ducks, Beavers and S eah aw k s ticket packages. Visit www.heppner.net for a full list of auction items. School board discusses Irrigon High School parking solutions VOL. 125 NO. 41 12 Pages Wednesday, October 11, 2006 Morrow County. Heppner, Oregon Three new teachers join HES staff Three new teachers have joined the staff at Heppner Elementary School this year. M arianne Smith, wife of A ssistant Superintendent Wade Smith, has joined not only the team of HES. but also of Heppner High School. At the elementary school she is co­ teaching with Cara Osmin, teaching third grade science, social studies and writing, as well as teaching k in d erg arten and third/ fourth grade physical e d u catio n . At the high school she is teaching junior high and high school art and is the varsity track coach. Smith received her b a c h e lo r's and m a ster's degrees from Willamette University. She studied art and general education. Smith said she has always wanted to work with kids and wanted to be a coach so transferring to the teaching position here in Heppner “lended perfectly to both of those.”. Smith came to HES/ HHS after teaching third grade for two years at Sam Boardman Elementary in Boardman. Smith, and husband Wade, and children Cheyenne, 5 and Emily, 2, have lived in Heppner for the past two years. “We were welcomed with open arms. This is a perfect town to raise our children in.” said Smith. In her free time, Smith enjoys spending time with her fam ily, cross- stitching and hunting with her family. At the high school, Smith plans to have the students doing many art projects and will be holding a show at the end of the year to display all their projects. The show will be held at the library and open for the community to see the hard work of the students. Coming to HES from l o n e Community School is M ich e lle Stone. Stone is te a c h in g kindergarten MichelleStone Melissa Coiner Marianne Smith year. HES has two kindergarten classes her job teaching music in this year, with Stone’s class lone, she decided it would be better to teach here in having 15 students. Stone received her Heppner as this is where her degree from Montana State family is and her children University- Northern. This is will be going through school continued page 2 her sixth year teaching. While Stone loved Sheriff’s office investigating possible thefts at mill site Responding to a report from an employee with Columbia Basin Electric, Morrow County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to the old Kinzua Mill Site outside of Heppner to investigate a suspicious male. Deputies searched the mill buildings for the subject and found him hiding in one, said Undersheriff Steve Myren. James Boyd Brown, 39, of Heppner, was arrested on Burglary II x2. Criminal Mischief II, Possession of a Controlled Substance II, Criminal Trespass II x2 and Aggravated Theft I. He was lodged at Umatilla County Jail on approximately $44.000 bail. His vehicle was also impounded. An investigation is ongoing into alleged thefts. “Investigation into other suspects involved is ongoing.” said Undersheriff Myren. / Morrow County School District receives report lower dropout \ Morrow County School District is pleased to announce their 2(X)4-05 dropout data for their three junior/senior high schools. All three schools improved on their dropout rates from the 2003-04 school year. Heppner Junior/Senior High School fell from 2.1 percent to zero percent. Irrigon Junior/Senior High School fell from 2 percent to 1 percent. Riverside Junior/Senior High School fell from 2 percent to 1.7 percent. The district dropout rate was 3.4 percent. which includes students attending the Morrow Education Center. Morrow County School District's alternative school program. All schools, including the district total of 3.4 percent were well below the state average of 4.2 percent. According to Mark Burrows. Superintendent. “ ...our alternative school program has been a great incentive for at-risk students to stay in school. Likewise, our board goal to keep students involved in extra and co-curricular opportunities has also helped retain students in our school systems.” <____________________ J ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE: M ONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M. I I . \ ; ’ : 1 ; j M orrow C ounty School Board member Ken Matlack, who is also the Morrow County Sheriff, discussed solutions to a parking problem at Irrigon Junior Senior High School at the regular school board m eeting in B oardm an Monday night. M atlack told the board that people have been parking well into the street near the school for sporting events and the city of Irrigon has instructed the M.C. S h e rif f’s D epartm ent to ticket violators. Matlack says that the department has been warning people in the stands, but that also causes traffic problems when fans leave the event to move their vehicles. “It's difficult to be a good host when you have to go into the stands and get people to move their vehicles,” Matlack said. M atlack said that people attending the games should have sufficient parking, but the sheriff's d ep artm en t has to cite people in violation. “It’s a big problem and I don't like the num bers o f people cited,” he said. M atlack o utlined one solution to the problem in which a three-foot cable near the football field could be moved 12 to 15 feet, a 10- foot sidewalk installed the length of south First Street (which was included in city o f Irrigon plans), which would then allow 25 feet to be desig n ated for angle p arking, which could “double the parking." He suggested that perhaps the sch o o l’s booster club be approached for funds for installation of the sidewalk next year. School S u p erin ten d en t Mark Burrows said that a donation from the district “seems reasonable." Irrigon Jr./Sr. High Principal Tom Crane said, however, that he thought there might be a better solution to the problem. Also discussed was the possibility of getting the city to relent on enforcement. Additionally. Matlack mentioned the need for a gate at the field for security as well as to improve gate collections. M atlack also brought up the need for the sheriff’s department to be leadership and teachers that able to communicate with work hard." In other business, the the district concerning kids board: under 18 who get into -learned from trouble with drinking, drug Burrows and A ssistant use or other issues. As it stands, Matlack says that the Superintendent Wade Smith s h e r iff's departm ent is of a scheduled professional prohibited from disclosing day Oct. 13, which will give such inform ation about teachers in each grade level underage kids to the schools. structured time to share "It s really problematic," said ideas and collaborate at Matlack, who added that sessions all over the district. State Representative “Greg Smith said that some lone and some Smith has been a great teachers advocate in changing the law Hermiston teachers would so that law enforcement can also attend. -adopted resolutions work with schools to hold opposing ballot measures 48 kids accountable.” In light of and 41, which they maintain a recent beer party involving Irrigon students, both would result in a dramatic underage and those over 18, loss of funding for the state including at least seven and the district. Burrows Irrigon High School football said that he w ill draft a mailer players, two soccer players to inform district patrons of and one baseball player, the effect of those ballot Matlack reminded students measures on the district, but that they can get into trouble stressed that the mailer will just by being at a party, even be informational only and if they are not drinking. He will not be an attempt to also said he was try ing to get influence their vote. The the juvenile department to board can take a stand on the impose the same sanctions issue, but administration and on kids who get into trouble staff are prohibited. -heard a complaint as the schools do. from form er district In a related issue, employee Noe Melendez Matlack brought up the need for after school programs to concerning an issue where a prevent kids from joining crosswalk at Sam Boardman gangs. He said, however, Elementary School was left that the $1 million insurance unattended and the school’s liability policy required by phone unanswered. Principal the district for groups to use BJ Wilson apologized for the school facilities has been problem and said it was due prohibitive. "My concern is to a school photographer that w e're so concerned running late. Board member (about lia b ility ) ...w e ’re Berto Hernandez said that ham strung. People who his wife had also complained want to get involved can't about the issue, but added afford the insurance." "More that he felt the issue had been people would be inclined to resolved. -learn ed from help if we didn't have such a Burrow s that district restriction," he added. "I don’t agree with having a enrollment was up to 2274 million dollar insurance from earlier reports. -learned that the policy before people can use lone School District joined the b u ild in g ." District 30 other districts, including financial officer Rhonda Lorenz said that the policy the Morrow County District, was designed to protect staff in support of a mail-in vote and students from liability for Oregon School Board elections. during school activities. The A ssociation Proponents believe it will board tabled further assist those from rural discussion on the issue. districts who may not be able Also at the meeting to attend OSBA meetings. Burrows revealed that the Currently voting is only d istrict has another “exceptional” school. A.C. conducted at the meetings. -learned from H oughton Elem entary Burrows that the district is School has joined Heppner "m oving ahead on Elem entary in receiving pay for exceptional marks. "Results p erfo rm an ce like this don't just happen by administrators." An expert accident," said Burrows, continued page 2 who cred ited “ good End oÇ iîiidiïcii d o s e Oiffc Heile! PHOEHIX BAJSBEeOES V,«5’ o n lÿ $ 4 2 6 _ ^ (Limited to stock on hand) Morrow County Grain Growers L e x in g to n 9 8 9 -8 2 2 1 • 1 -8 0 0 - 4 5 2 -7 3 9 6 For farm *quipm*nt, vhlt our wtb tit* at www mcRg n*t