TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Official Newspaper
o f the City o f Heppner and the County o f Morrow
Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
U S P S. 240-420
M orrow County’s H om e-O w ned W eekly N ew spaper
Published weekly and entered as periodical matter at the Post Office at Heppner,
l )reeon under the Act of March 3 , 187V. Periodical postage paid at Heppner. Oregon
Office at 188 W Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax (541) 676-9211.
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David Sykes
............................................................................................Publisher
Autumn Morgan................................................................................................... Editor
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Corps approves request for
irrigation water from lake
-Continued from page One fishery issues at the project.
water-based recreation use.
Sport fishing opportunities
may be decreased as the
population o f largemouth
bass and crappie, two popular
warm water game fish spe
cies, are 1 i kely to be reduced
by the proposed drawdown.
However, the small-mouth
bass and bluegill populations
w ill likely increase with
reduced competition from
other similar species and the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW) w ill
continue to stock catchable
trout in the lake annually,
which w ill continue to pro
vide recreational fishing op
portunities.
“The proposed ac
tion includes an earlier and
lower drawdown of the lake
which w i 11 impact the warm
w ater fishery o f the reser
voir by reducing successful
spaw ning o f largem outh
bass and pumpkinseed, and
decreasing black crappie
rearing success.
Lar
gemouth bass and pum p
kinseed spawn in shallower
water and as a result, their
nests may be dewatered as
the water level in the lake
is drawn down during their
spaw ning season. Black
crappie spawn earlier, but the
young fry tend to move to the
pelagic zone which makes
them more susceptible to
stranding than the more dem
ersal fry o f other warm water
species. Consequently, the
lake would likely become a
predominantly smallmouth
bass/bluegill Fishery since
these species spawn deeper
and/or earlier. This appears
to be an unavoidable impact
to these non-native warm
water fish species, though
the severity o f the adverse
impact depends upon how
much water is withdrawn
prior to the end of the annual
reproductive season for these
species (on or about 10 July
each year).
Additionally the Corp
said that “On March 21 the
Corps. ODFW, Oregon Water
Resources Department, and
the irrigators met to discuss
To minimize spawning im
pacts to largemouth bass,
the ODFW recommended
holding the lake level steady
from June 10 to Ju ly 10.
It was also noted that other
factors, such as the ongoing
water quality concerns in the
lake, may impact the overall
health of the fishery. It was
agreed that although irriga
tion w ithdraw als w ill be
required by some irrigators
from June 10 through July
10, the irrigation district will
work to minimize withdraw
als during this period. It was
also agreed that an advisory
group will be formed to ad
dress water quality, fishery,
habitat enhancem ent, and
recreational facilities at the
project. ODFW will continue
annual trout stocking in the
lake and in Willow Creek,
downstream of the dam.”
In an effort to mini
mize the impact on recre
ation at the lake that the
drawdown will cause, the
W illow Creek Econom ic
Development Group (WC-
VEDG) has undertaken an
effort to have the C orps
study raising the lake level
by three feet, thus adding
more water to the lake dur
ing the summer months and
offsetting the effects o f ad
ditional water release.
D a v id S y k e s o f
WCVED has been appoint
ed to head up that effort
and says a request has been
made to the Corp through
congressman Walden’s of
fice. “So far Greg has been
very helpful in getting our
request submitted,” Sykes
said.
A letter was sent to
the Corps through Walden
signed by Les P austian,
Mayor o f Heppner, Nancy
Snider, Pres. WCVEDCi,
Skip M atth ew s, W illow
Creek Park District Board
President, Brian Thompson,
Irrigation Board member.
Willow Creek, Terry Tail-
man, Morrow County Judge,
Representative Greg Smith,
R-Heppner District 57.
School board cuts back north end elementary
music/PE; state ups graduation requirements
-Continued from page One change from the state level,” said that they are working
requires only 22 credits,
also with nine electives. By
2014, how ever, the state
will also require 24 credits
with only six electives, with
some additions not already
included in MCSD require
ments.
C u rre n tly M C$D
requires four English/lan-
guage arts credits, two math
ematics, two science, three
social studies, one PE, one
health, one in a second lan-
guage/arts/career or techni
cal education, one in career
education and nine electives
for 24 credits. For the 2008
and 2009 graduating classes,
the state requires three cred
its in English/language arts,
two mathematics, two sci
ence, three social studies,
one PE, one health, one in
second language/arts/career
or technical education, none
in career education and nine
electives for 22 credits.
For the graduating
classes o f 2010 and 2011
the state will up its English/
language arts required cred
its to four and its mathemat
ics required credits to three
with nine electives. MCSD
already requires four credits
in English/language arts, but
only two in mathematics.
For the graduating
classes o f 2012 and 2013,
the state will add three “lab
experiences/scientific in
quiries” in the sciences and
an additional two credits in
a second language/arts/ca
reer or technical education.
Currently MCSD does not
require the lab experiences
and the state and MCSD
each require one credit in the
second language/arts/career
category. Electives will be
reduced to six.
By 2014 the state
will require that students
com plete three classes in
Algebra 1 and above. Cur
rently MCSD and the state
require two m athem atics
credits with no specifica
tions that those classes be
Algebra 1 and above.
“This is a massive
said Dirksen.
In a d d itio n , “ A ll
students m ust be able to
dem onstrate that they are
proficient in essential skills
w h ich are e m b ed d ed in
existing content areas or
infused throughout the cur
ric u lu m .” T hey m ust be
able to:
-Read and interpret a
variety o f texts and achieve
a reading RIT score o f 236;
-Write for a variety
o f purposes and achieve a
writing score o f 40;
-Speak and present
publicly with speech work
samples;
-Think critically and
analytically with math and
scientific work samples;
-Demonstrate global
literacy through a world his
tory class;
-Apply mathematics
in a variety of settings with a
math RIT score o f 236;
-U se te c h n o lo g y
through “rotation classes”/
senior project;
-Demonstrate civic
and community engagement
through clubs, organizations
or a senior project; and
-Demonstrate career-
related learning standards
through a senior project.
MCSD high school
principals, depending on
their particular school, say
that currently 30-50 percent
o f their students would not
be able to satisfy the require
ments to demonstrate these
essential skills, specifically
pass the reading, writing and
math scores required.
Students will, how
ever, be able to earn credit
for proficiency if they com
plete state career education
standards, senior project
activities, senior portfolio,
exit interview and advisor/
advisee activities. A senior
project, for example, will al
low one full credit in career
education after a student
provides evidence o f meet
ing career-related learning
standards.
M CSD p rin c ip a ls
on ways to satisfy these new
requirements and added that
each high school may offer
slightly different opportuni
ties to achieve that end
“ T h e f r u s tr a tin g
thing is that we really don’t
know what the target is (for
the essential skills),” com
mented Stone.
In other business,
the board:
-heard from Laura
Aviles-Valdez who assists
students at the Morrow Edu
cation C enter alternative
school and some o f the stu
dents she has helped. The
students spoke warmly o f
Aviles-Valdez and teacher
David M elville and cred
ited the program with their
success in achieving their
goals towards completing
high school and looking be
yond to college and careers.
Aviles-Valdez had worked
with the program while she
was employed with Morrow
County Children’s Services
and says she hopes to con
tinue in her new job with
M orrow -W heeler B ehav
ioral Health.
-adopted health edu
cation textbooks.
- a d o p te d a n ew
broadened anti-cyberbul-
lying policy, w ith som e
changes in verbiage.
-viewed a presenta
tion “ Every 15 M inutes”
which was implemented at
Irrigon High School prior
to prom night. The program
was intended to discour
age drinking and driving
by using students, police,
EMTs, school personnel,
other agencies and the com
munity to portray the dire
aftermath o f students’ deci
sions to drink and drive.
-approved a request
for Irrigon High School for
a field trip to Spain during
the 2009 spring break.
-approved a screen
ing committee to find a re
placement for resigning IHS
principal Chris Davis.
-named the follow
ing as board representatives
Don’t ride ATVs in town, city warns
-Continued from page One
ner was not well attended to discuss the
project. City Manager Steve Bogart said
another public hearing might be held on
the ODOT hearing. Heppner Fire C hief
and EMT Rusty Estes said he was against
closing Willow Street because it was used
as a major access between the hospital and
the rest o f the town. “The best solution is
not going to be good for everyone. We need
to think about this,” said Heppner Public
Works Director Brian Harmon.
Harmon also said that a proposal is
being considered that would see an electri
cal generator placed in a water line feeding
the city from one o f its wells. The genera
tor would produce electricity that would
be sold to the local co-op and “might” be
enough to pay the city’s electrical bill. The
water line has pressure reducing devices
that could be replaced with electrical gen
erators.
In other action the council:
-Approved a new contract with
the Morrow County Sheriff’s Department
to provide police protection to the city of
Heppner for the coming year.
-Heard that the school kids “did a
good job” during the Mustang Mop held
last week.
-Discussed removing two to three
spruce trees at the city park. The trees are
causing damage to the sidewalk and the
lawn at the city park.
-Approved a small increase in the
city garbage collection fee. Miller and Sons
handles collection under a city franchise,
and requested the increase because o f
higher ftiel costs.
-A pproved a 3% cost o f living
increase for city employees; okayed an
increase in the w ater and w astew ater
certification pay to $50 per certification;
increased the bottom and base salary for
the public works director position; in
creased by $58.33 per month ($700/yr)
supplemental increase to the merit pay for
the city treasurer.
for district graduation cer
em onies: Morrow Educa
tion Center-D an Daltoso;
Irrigon High School-P at
M cNamee; Heppner High
School-Nancy Vander Does;
R iv ersid e H igh S ch o o l-
Berto Hernandez;
-accepted the fo l
lowing resignations/retire-
ments: Shirley D onovan,
Sam Boardman Elementary
School cook; Chris Davis,
IHS principal; Johanna Da
vis, IHS counselor; M ari
anne Smith, Heppner High
School art and social studies
teacher; Petra Payne from
a position as Talented and
Gifted program coordina
to r at HHS; and Jessica
Campbell, SBE elementary
teacher.
-approved rehiring
classified and confidential
staff for 2008-09.
-approved tw o at
ten d an ce v a rian ces, one
from M CSD to U m atilla
School D istrict and one
from H erm isto n School
District to MCSD.
-learned that MCSD
teacher Gary Hunt will re
ceiv e the C ry stal A pple
award.
-receiv ed the fo l
lowing attendance report:
ACH-346; Heppner Elemen
tary School-191; HHS-231;
IES-123; IHS-313;
RHS-393; SBE-322;
WRE-226; total-2251.
-heard the following
announcements: town hall
meeting, Heppner Elemen
tary, Monday, May 19, 7
p.m.; Memorial Day holi
day, Monday, May 26; MEC
graduation, Thursday, May
29, MEC, Irrigon, 7 p.m.;
Irrigon High School gradua
tion, IHS, Friday, May 30, 7
p.m.; Heppner High School
graduation, HHS, Saturday,
May 31, 2 p.m.; Riverside
H igh School graduation,
RHS, Sunday, June 1, 2
p.m.; last day o f school for
students Thursday, June 5;
board meeting, district of
fice, Monday, June 9, 7 p.m.;
last day o f work for staff
Tuesday, June 10.
Luncheon to be
held to honor
Luke Murray
The St. Patrick’s Al
tar Society will be hosting
a M exican luncheon fol
lowing the 11 a.m. mass on
Sunday, May 18, to honor
Luke Murray who recent
ly graduated from M ount
Angel Sem inary College.
Everyone is invited to stop
by and visit with Luke who
is the first student from St.
Patrick’s Parish to graduate
from Mt. Angel.
Luke graduated with
honors on Saturday, May 10,
with a degree in philosophy
and a GPA o f 3.96. He plans
to continue his education at
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
in St. Louis, MO to study
theology towards ordination
to the Catholic priesthood.
The luncheon will
be
served
at approximately
A “Coins for Cancer” drive was contest in which the winning class will
noon
in
the
Catholic Parish
held at Heppner Elementary School on receive a free Mexican lunch on Monday,
hall.
Monday, May 12. Dr. Betsy Anderson May 19, prepared by Mary Ann Elguezabal.
spoke to students in different classes about The winning class will be announced on
healthy habits leading to a “cancer free” Thursday after the money is counted.
life. The “Coins for C ancer” drive is a
HES holding “Coins for Cancer” drive