lone School Board gives preliminary
go-ahead for gym bleacher project
Bessie « t l /c
By April Sykes
Health Dept, begins H1N1
school vaccinations
for bids on the project.
Board member Bink Ramos
abstained from voting on
the issue.
The lo n e H igh
School gym floor instal
lation has been completed
and its current bleachers no
longer lit w ith the enlarged
gym floor, so the board
opted to replace rather than
rework the bleachers.
The flooring had
to be replaced following a
storm which caused rain
seeped through the uncom
pleted roof and destroyed
it. The board opted to in
crease the size of the floor
at that time, which made a
bleacher redo of some sort
a necessity.
The board also de
cided to proceed with some
second tier projects that had
not been completed previ
ously with bond measure
monies.
T he b o a rd r e
marked on lone School’s
“o u tsta n d in g " ranking
in the state school report
cards, but expressed some
concern with the school’s
writing scores. They di
rected Superintendent Karl
Ostheller to research the
results in order to find out
if the writing scores were in
error, a reporting glitch or
something the district needs
to address further.
The board agreed to
The Morrow County Health Department has been moving into the schools to
begin administering the HIN1 or “Swine Flu" vaccines.
So far 618 doses have been given in the schools. Below are the totals given
out so far and the proposed schedule in the next two weeks.
Heppner, lone and Lexington
‘plans’ presented to public
The lone School
Board Monday night gave
the go-ahead to move the
gym bleacher project up to
priority one and advertise
Eugene, w
VOL. 128
NO. 46
10 Pages
Wednesday, November 18. 2009
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
By David Sykes
SCH O O L
DATE
SC H O O L POP.
# D O S E S G IV E N
lone School Dist.
11/12/2009
165
99
Heppner Elementary
11/12/2009
196
95
AC Houghton
Sam Boardman
1113 2009
11/13/2009
265
324
195
186
Irrigon Elementary
11/18/2009
198
Morrow Ed. Center
11 18 2009
70
Windy River
1118 2009
218
Heppner High
11 23/2009
224
Irrigon High
11/24/2009
336
Riverside High
11/24/2009
428
TOTAL
2424
575
The Health Department has also gone into the Head Start programs in Irrig-
on and 2 in Boardman where a total of 43 injections were given. The lone Preschool
and Heppner Daycare have attended the H 1N 1 clinics in their local schools.
After the schools are finished the Health Department plans to begin hold
ing regular clinics and giv ing out the vaccine to the high risk portions of the general
public.
Following is the high risk population that will begin receiving the vaccine
after the schools are completed.
-Pregnant women
-Household members and caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age.
-Anyone 6 months through 24 years of age.
-Persons age 25-64 years who have health conditions associated with higher
risk of complications from influenza.
-Healthcare workers and law enforcement.
“We are receiving vaccine one week at a time, and are subject to the allocations
the state parcels out." Morrow County Public Health Director Sheree Smith told the
Heppner Gazette-Times Monday.
Smith said that the Health Department would be returning to the different
schools the week before Christmas break to give the required second doses to children
nine years and younger.
Hoffert bags big bull in Heppner Unit
fl
proceed on the school's five
year charter renewal and
will hold a public hearing
at the district’s December
board meeting. The charter
will expire in January.
In other business,
the board:
-heard a presenta
tion from Michael Lasher
with the Umatilla-Morrow
Educational Serv ice District
about a possible merger be
tween the Umatilla-Morrow
ESD and the Union Baker
ESD. The lone district con
tracts with UMESD for
educational and support
services. Lasher told the
board that the state legis
lature is urging reduction
o f the number o f ESDs
and UMESD is consider
ing proactive measures. He
said that a merger would
bring both advantages and
disadvantages, including a
$250,000 to $450.000 defi
cit on the part of the Union
Baker ESD. Lasher said
that “much of the $250,000
to $450,000 would disap
pear”, primarily in reduc
tion o f services and the
elimination of duplication
in staffing.
-pointed out that
the school’s website is not
current and directed ESD to
update it.
-heard from board
member Lisa Rietmann
who advised that the district
do a "much better job" of
getting items in the news
papers.
-received the fol
low ing financial update: the
district received $121.609
in basic school support
and $4.692 in State Fiscal
Stabilization Funds from
the Oregon Department of
Education in October; some
special revenue funds are
overspent-the federal REAP
Fund, the food serv ice fund,
the pool fund, extracur
ricular fund, miscellaneous
fund and IDEA fund. Ac
cording to the report all
funds will either be reim
bursed or have transfers to
cover the deficit balances.
The miscellaneous fund
w ill receive Science Grant
monies.
- le a r n e d from
Lasher that school funding
for the current school year
will be sufficient with ad
ditional financial support
from "Stimulus Funds" and
state “Rainy Day Funds,"
but he cautioned that next
year's funding projection
is not so rosy. "Next year
is likely to be worse." he
said. "Let’s not think about
that," retorted board Chair
Joe McElligott. Lasher re
minded the board that the
ESD is also affected by
state school funding cuts.
i See ¡ONE SC HOOL DIS
TRICTPage SEVEN
Newly completed strategic plan provides vision
to communities in the Willow Creek Valiev
By David Sykes
A new Strategic
Plan, laying out the aspira
tions and concerns for the
communities of Heppner,
Lexington and lone, has
been completed and was
presented to the public
Monday night.
Some of the goals
for Heppner include: in
creasing the am ount of
rental housing, retaining
and developing small busi
nesses, retaining medical
services, promoting tour
ism, maintaining programs
and quality of education
in the schools, expanding
use of the public library,
maintaining and upgrad
ing the city water system,
streets, etc., and planning
for a population of 1,600
people.
The Heppner goals
also focused on quality of
life issues such as provid
ing “diverse, wholesome
and fun recreational ac
tivities, and maintaining
a neat, clean and attrac
tive community. The plan
goes on to list other goals
to pay for the ideas, but is
instead used more as a road
map and vision for the fu
ture. It can also be used as
an aid in procuring grants
•See STRATEGIC PLAN
Page SEVEN
such as maintaining strong
law enforcement, support
for seniors and youth and
training and recruiting new
community leaders.
The plan does not
provide answers on how
Mustangs to play in state
quarterfinal game
Jordan Hatfield intercepts a pass in Saturday \ game against
Monroe. The Mustangs defeated Monroe 33-0. Heppner w ill
play their next game on Saturday, November 21. against
Kennedy in Mount Angel. -Photo by Sandi Matthew*
Body found in Irrigon field
On Thursday, No
vember 12, the Morrow
County Sheriff's Office
discovered the body of 29
year old Eric Chairez San
chez of Hermiston in a field
east of Irrigon.
A utopsy resu lts
tion w here the deceased
was found are consistent
w ith the death being the
results of hypothermia."
The Morrow Coun
ty Sheriff's is still investi
gating.
will not be complete until
toxicology reports are re
turned to the State Medical
Examiner. According to the
Morrow County Sheriff's
Office, "The condition of
the deceased, the weather,
his clothing, and the loca
Gazette-Times to close for Thanksgiv ing
The Heppner Gazette-Times will be closed on November 26 and 27 in obser
vance of the Thanksgiving holiday. The office will re-open on Monday, November
30. at 9 a.m.
A L L NEWS AND ADV ERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Tyler Hoffert. IK. of Hernmton shot this hull on October 2‘> around Brush Creek in the Hep
pner Unit. After graduating from Hcrniiston High School, he plans to join the Marines and will
attend boot camp in August 2010. He is the son of Sandra Bice and Steve Hoffert of Hcrniiston,
and the grandson of (>lcn and Joyce Ward of Heppner. Contributed Photo
The Heppner Gazette-Times wants to see pictures o f your
trophy animals from this hunting season. Stop by to have
your picture taken, drop off photos, or email them to
editor@rapidserve. net.
1
We will be closed for Thanksgiving at all locations
November 26,27, and 28 <
Have a happy holiday!
M o r r o w C o u n ty G r a in G r o w e r s
Lexington 989-8221 * 1-800-452-7396
For f»rm equipment Tlilt our w»b site ai
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