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Bessie Wetzel I Newspaper l ibrar)
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
lone School superintendent resigns
By April Sykes
lone School Super
intendent Karl Ostheller an
nounced his resignation at
the district’s Monday night
meeting. Ostheller said that
his resignation, received by
the board on March 8 and
effective June 30, would
allow him to “look for a
better fit.” He said he felt
good about the accomplish-
Ostheller resigns as lone superintendent/principal
lone School Dis ward to pursuing positions
trict Superintendent and closer to family,” Ostheller
P rin c ip a l K arl
said. “I appreciate
Ostheller has an
the time, friend
nounced that he
ships and memo-
will resign his po
ries I ’ve made
sition, effective
during my time
June 30, 2010.
in lone. I wish
O sth ell-
the District and
e r ’s an n o u n ce
its wonderful staff
V,S
ment will allow
and students the
the lone School
best o f luck in
Board to begin a Karl Ostheller
their future en-
new superinten
deavors.”
dent search imme
Ostheller
diately in hopes of having a has served as superinten
new administrator hired by dent/principal of the lone
July 1,2010.
School District since July
“I’m looking for 1,2008.
“Mr. Ostheller has
contributed to many suc
cesses in our District dur
ing his time in lone,” said
School Board Chairman Joe
McElligott. “These success
es included balancing the
budget during the economic
crisis in education this past
year and implementing a
school-wide student behav
ior program.”
The School Board
accepted Ostheller’s resig
nation at its regular meeting
on March 15, and is pre
paring to begin the search
process.
Sunday program to discuss protecting
agricultural water rights in Oregon
A group dedicated
to protecting agricultural
water rights in Oregon will
be holding a public meet
ing Sunday, March 21, at 2
p.m. at Hep-
pner H igh
School. The
program
will be put
on by Water
for Life and
is free and
open to the
public. The Helen Moore
program
will cover, among other
things, what can be done
to protect agriculture water
rights in Oregon. The pro
gram is being sponsored by
the Willow Creek Tea Party
Patriots.
According to Water
for Life’s web site “Water
for Life was founded in
1990 by farmers and ranch
ers in Oregon’s Klamath
Basin to represent agricul
tural water users’ concerns
in legislative, legal and
agency proceedings. As
water issues and concerns
began gaining more at
tention, the organization
undertook the creation of
a pro-agriculture group
with the single-m inded
purpose of defending and
prom oting ag ricu ltu ral
water rights. Their vision
was of an organization de
voted specifically to agri
cultural water issues and
to approaching them from
a producer perspective.”
Helen Moore, executive
director of Water for Life
will put on the program
on Oregon water law, the
Integrated Water Resources
Strategy, and potential leg
islative issues for water
users.
The following prin
cipals are also posted on
\
the groups web site www.
waterforlive.net:
1. Promote the pub
lic interest through
good stewardship
of water resources
for the production
of food and fiber.
2. Support American
irrigated agricul
ture as beneficial to
national security.
3. Protect agricultural
water rights.
4. Protect and value
w ater rig h ts as
private property
rights.
5. Oppose the taking
of private property
without just com
pensation.
6. U phold the doc
trine o f Prior Ap
propriation.
7. Prom ote respon
sible management
of watersheds.
8. A c h ie v e q u a l
ity results through
consistent, honest
forthrightness.
9. Respectfully listen
to divergent opin
io n s, but nev er
com prom ise our
principles.
A lso from th e
groups web site: “Water
for Life fulfills our mission
to prom ote agricultural
water rights in a variety
o f ways. Specifically, we
conduct our work through:
Advocacy: Water for Life
acts as a watchdog for ag
ricultural water users. We
work closely with agricul
tural producers and repre
sent their interests during
various agency meetings,
hearings and workshops.
We defend the public in
terest in legal proceedings
and lobby in opposition to
policies or legislation that
would adversely affect agri
cultural water-right holders.
Promotion: Water for Life
sponsors and is integral in
drafting legislation, admin
istrative rules and policies
that benefit and protect
the interests o f agricul
tural water right holders.
Education: Water for Life
seeks to educate the public
and particularly the agri
cultural community on the
development of adminis
trative rules, legislation
and policy affecting water
right holders. Our staff
and directors participate in
various meetings, proceed
ings and events to inform
people of the important role
irrigated agriculture plays
in the community and our
economy as a whole.
“Water for Life,
Inc. is a 501(c)(6) non-profit
organization that is funded
by dedicated membership
o f charitable corporate,
individual and associate
donations. Many, but not
all, of our members hold ag
ricultural water rights, and
represent a w ide spectrum of
commodity groups, includ
ing beef cattle, dairy cattle,
hay, nurseries, potatoes,
cranberries, onions, wheat,
sheep and others. Members
receive our quarterly news
letter and inform ational
updates in addition to effec
tive representation on water
issues. Most importantly,
our members are playing an
active, integral role in pro
tecting their water rights.”
The Willow Creek Tea Par
ty Patriots is a local non
partisan group promoting
freedom o f opportunity,
fiscal responsibility, lim
ited government and free
enterprise.
his tenure. (See additional
story, page 1.)
Board chair Joe
M cElligott thanked O s
theller for his service to the
district and said that the dis
trict would begin the search
for a new administrator im
mediately with the goal of
having a new administrator
on board on July 1.
During the meet
ing, the board agreed to
base their budget on a con
servative statewide school
budget estimate o f $5.8
billion, which would net
around $ 1,483,883 in 2011
state basic school support
with an estimated student
population o f 170 ADM
(average daily member
ship). Based on a conserva
tive $5.8 billion state bud
get, the district anticipates
$6,559 per ADM, weighted
with other factors. The
district also set their 2009-
10 ending fund balance at
$375,000.
The board also ap
proved receipt of an ARRA
grant for more than $60,000
in federal stimulus money,
to be used to provide new
lighting for the school.
The district had originally
planned to retrofit the old
school lighting as a part of
their bond project, but the
grant will enable the school
to install new lighting in the
classrooms and hallways.
Also at the meeting
the board reviewed a draft
policy of a telecommuni-
cations/electronic devices
policy in anticipation of
cell phone service possibly
being established in lone
by this summer. The policy
spells out what is allowed
during school hours and
what is not in terms of cell
phone and personal elec
tronic devices.
The district would
prohibit the use o f such
devices in the elementary
school and require elemen
tary students to remain in
the students’ backpacks
and be turned off during
school hours or the student
will face confiscation of the
device. In that event, the
device would be available
for pickup at the office by
the parent or guardian.
In the middle and
high school, students may
have and use these devices,
however, the devices may
not be in sight or be oper
ated during the students’
scheduled school hours.
The devices may only be
used before and after the
regular school day and dur
ing lunch period unless an
emergency situation exists
or an administrator autho
rizes the student to use the
device. However, a teacher
may grant exceptions to
the policy in his own class
room “if use contributes to
instructional and/or educa
tional efforts.”
Students who vio
late the policy will be sub
ject to “progressive disci
plinary action.”
In other business,
the board:
-heard a bond proj
ect update from project
manager Randy Hinrichsen
of Willamette ESD.
-re c e iv e d a f i
nancial update from Beth
O ’Hanlon, chief fiscal of
ficer, who reported that
in February the district
collected the follow ing
revenue: $121,609 in basic
school support, $1,959 in
property taxes, $4,549 in
federal forest fees, $2,724
in the food service fund,
prim arily in food sales,
$5,000 from Willow Creek
Park District for the pool
fund, $3,250 for Read N
Play, the Cardinal Booster
Club, $977 in property
taxes for the bond fund and
$80,000 in insurance pro
ceeds from the roof, which
leaked during a storm and
caused damage to the new
gym floor.
-accepted the res
ignation o f janitor Craig
Rea.
-held an executive
session to discuss the appeal
of a student’s suspensions,
negotiations and superin
tendent’s evaluation.
-scheduled a meet
ing with the E ducation
Foundation for April 8 at 6
a.m. in the school library.
-received the fol
lowing administrative re
port:
"“M arch’s student
enrollment increased to 181
(174 average daily mem
bership) with 82 students in
kindergarten through grade
five, 34 students in grades
six-eight and 65 students in
grades nine-12, an increase
of one student in the high
school from the previous
month.
*K-five students
were allowed to put their
handprints in the cement as
it was poured for the front
walk of the new elementary
addition. The students’ ini
tials were also placed above
the handprint.
*The horticulture
class is on a field trip to the
coast and the Spanish Club
is to leave this weekend for
their trip to Spain.
* A science fair and
elementary carnival were “a
big success.”
Snow not a damper for
St. Pat’s Weekend
Despite the snow,Vickie Lansford (right) and her daughter,
Raelyn Lansford, take in St. Patrick's Celebration activities
last Friday afternoon. More pictures from the St. Patrick's
Celebration weekend can be found on Page FIVE. - Photo by
April Sykes
Felda enters justice of the peace race
Terry Felda, 47, of government including: Mel
lone has thrown her hat in vin Laird fellow for the U.S.
the ring to run for Morrow Department of Transporta
County Justice of
tion in Washington,
D.C.; assistant to
the Peace.
B orn and
the aviation direc
raised in Wisconsin,
tor in Philadelphia,
Felda spent around
PA; and assistant to
20 years in Phila
the township man
ager in Abington,
delphia, PA before
moving to Oregon
PA. She currently
is serving as coun
four years ago to Terrv Felda
start a sheep dairy
cil member for the
farm. Her farm, Tin
lone City Council.
Willows Dairy is the second
Felda says she is
dairy to be licensed as a used to working multiple
Grade A dairy in the state. full-time jobs. “I'm young,"
When she started the dairy said Felda. “I haven't even
Felda had 40 ewes. She now begun to think about retire
has 135 ewes.
ment yet. I have years to
Felda has an MA continue making a valuable
degree in government ad contribution to this county
ministration from the Uni as a justice, a farmer, and
versity of Pennsylvania. She a taxpayer. Hard work and
has worked in all levels of a lot of work don't scare
me.
“Interestingly, the
law, by not requiring a law
degree, upholds the tradi
tion of common sense, not
legalese for justices,” stated
Felda. “Judge Gray did an
excellent job combining
common sense with statu
tory requirements. I intend
to follow in her footsteps.”
“ 1 may not have
been here a long time, but I
moved here specifically to
start a dairy,” said Felda.
“Just because someone has
lived in one area for a long
time doesn’t mean they’ll
make a great justice. 1 have
chosen to be here. Wouldn't
you rather vote for some
one w ho chose to stay here
and shares your common
values, work ethic, and
ideals?”
Public education specialist to
speak at chamber lunch meeting
This week’s chamber lunch meeting will be held at City Hall on Thursday,
March 18, from 12-1 p.m. The guest speaker will be Allen Freauff, public education
specialist from Oregon OSHA.
The cost for lunch is $9 per person. Murray Drugs will be catering this week’s
meal.
Anyone planning to attend the weekly chamber lunch meetings is asked to
RSVP by noon on the Wednesday before the meeting.
GREEN FEED & SEED IN HEPPNER:
ïHh
Spring is coming!
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