SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 14,2010
UMESD Board discusses options following merger hiccup
Wranglers Riding
Club hold playday
4th place, Jacee Currin. Also
participating were Carson
Brosnan.
Poles:
1 ”
place, Jaiden Mahoney; 2nd
place, Coby Dougherty; 3rd
place, Jacee Currin; and 4th
place, Alex Lindsay. Also
participating was Carson
Brosnan.
P u t- n - ta k e : 1st
place, Alex Lindsay; 2nd
place, Coby Dougherty;
3rd place, Jacee Currin; and
4,h place, Jaiden Mahoney.
Also participating was Car-
son Brosnan.
11-14 year olds
Barrels:
1 “
place, Kolby Currin; 2nd
place, Rylee Kollman; 3rd
place, Kaelyn Lindsay; and
4th place, Erin Monagle.
Poles:
1 5t
place, Kolby Currin; 2nd
place, Rylee Kollman; and
3rd place, Erin Monagle.
Also participating was Kae­
lyn Lindsay.
P u t- n - ta k e : 1st
place, Rylee Kollman; 2nd
place, Kolby Currin; 3rd
place, Erin Monagle; and 4th
place, Kaelyn Lindsay.
15-17 year olds
Barrels: 1“ place,
Jessica Hughes; 2nd place,
Taighler Dougherty; and 3rd
place, Hannah Jones.
Poles: l 51 place,
Taighler D ougherty; 2nd
place, Jessica Hughes; and
3rd place, Hannah Jones.
P u t- n - ta k e : I s'
place, Taighler D ough­
erty; 2nd place, Hannah
Jones; and 3rd place, Jessica
Hughes.
T he W ran g lers
Riding Club held their first
playday on Sunday, April
11. The results are as fol­
lows:
Stickhorse Race
l 51 place, S allie
Orem; 2nd place, Irelynn
Kollman; and 3,d place,
Hattie Orem.
Leadline
Barrels: 1” place,
Evan Kollman; 2nd place,
Saige Jenson; 3rd place,
Irelynn Kollman; and 4th
place, Hattie Orem. Also
participating were G rade
Orem and Sallie Orem.
Poles:
1 •*
place, Evan Kollman; 2nd
place, Irelynn Kollman; 3rd
place, Hattie Orem; and 4th
place, Saige Jenson. Also
participating were Gracie
Orem and Sallie Orem.
P u t-n - ta k e : I s'
place, Irelynn Kollman;
2nd place, Sallie Orem; 3rd
place, Gracie Orem; and
4th place, Hattie Orem. Also
participating were Evan
Kollman and Saige Jen­
son.
7 & Under
Barrels: 1st place,
Brian Lindsay and 2nd place,
Blane Mahoney.
Poles: 1st place,
Blane M ahoney and 2nd
place, Brian Lindsay.
P u t- n - ta k e : 1”
place, Blane Mahoney and
2nd place, Brian Lindsay.
8-10 year olds
Barrels:
1 51
place, Jaiden M ahoney;
2nd place, Alex Lindsay; 3rd
place, Coby Dougherty; and
W e’re not done untary merger process to
end and wait to see how
That was the mes­ things play out in the 2011
sage the Umatilla-Morrow Legislative session regard­
Education Service District ing potential forced ESD
Board o f Directors con­ mergers.
veyed during its special
2. Allow the vol­
meeting Wednesday night untary merger process to
after finding out Malheur end, but summarize the
ESD decided to pull out work that went into the
o f the voluntary merger merger and actively lobby
between the UMESD, Mal­ key leaders, organizations
heur ESD and Union-Baker and legislative members,
ESD.
detailing the quality o f
“We still believe a the merger process, yet
voluntary merger is in the clarifying the reason for the
best interest of the students failure - the permanent tax
of Eastern Oregon,” said rate issue.
UMESD Superintendent
3. Keep the volun­
Dr. Mark Mulvihill. “We’re tary merger configuration
not done; we’re going to between the three ESDs
shift gears and dig in and alive, but on hold indefi­
get back to work on finding nitely, pending legislative
the best and most efficient resolution to the permanent
ways to serve our kids.”
tax rate issue.
Mulvihill also not­
4. Explore a vol­
ed that the deterioration of untary m erger process
the U nion-Baker ESD ’s with both Union and Baker
financial situation isn ’t counties.
going away, and neither
5. Begin the pro­
is the Legislature’s push cess to merge Union Coun­
for forced ESD mergers. ty with the UMESD, while
“Moving forward in this Baker County becomes its
manner will allow us to own ESD.
maintain local control and
6. Explore creative
local governance rather solutions to join Union
than have the Legislature County with the UMESD,
dictate merger configura­ with the dissolution or re­
tions,” he said.
ceivership o f the Union-
Last Friday, Mal­ Baker ESD by the Oregon
heur ESD’s Board rescinded Department of Education.
its resolution in support of
Mulvihill has rec­
the merger petition, which ommended the Board con­
was submitted to the State sider Option 4 - to explore
Board of Higher Education merging with both Union
in February. M alE SD ’s and Baker counties. He
decision to back out of the said that, as a whole, this
deal stemmed from inequi­ option works out in the best
ties in the state’s permanent interest of the students in
tax rate system.
the region, while further
The UMESD Board establishing the UMESD
discussed six options in as a premier service pro­
moving forward:
vider in the state. At the
1. Allow the vol­ same time, this option lends
yet.
value to the comprehensive
merger process that’s taken
place over the past eight
months and maintains local
control.
M u lv ih ill a lso
noted that if this option
was selected, the process
to move forward could be
compressed to align with
the previous merger time­
line, with completion by
July 1,2011.
All seven Board
members agreed that Op­
tion 4 is the best route to
take, and that backing off a
merger and waiting for the
Legislature to make a move
isn’t an option.
“It’s better to be
proactive and do this our­
selves the right way rather
than have the Legislature
take over down the line,”
said Board member Jack
Matlock.
B oard m em bers
stressed the im portance
o f quality service to the
students of the region, and
that a consolidation with
both U nion and B aker
counties would provide
students there with more
options than they currently
receive.
“I think the kids
of Union and Baker could
benefit greatly from what
we could do for them ,”
said Board member Tom
Groat.
Board chairwoman
Verneda Wagner agreed.
“Our strength is in what
we provide our kids,” she
said.
However, this op­
tion doesn’t come without
its hurdles. Board members
want to make sure they have
the support of the school
districts in the UMESD area
for this new merger. Addi­
tionally, if Union and Baker
counties were to merge
with Umatilla and Morrow
counties, the UMESD area
would see a tax increase of
5 cents per $ 1,000 assessed
value due to the permanent
tax rate under the Oregon
C onstitution. However,
taxes in Union and Baker
counties would decrease.
Yet, several board members
felt the increase in taxes
isn’t as important as quality
service to kids.
“I d on’t want to
pay anym ore taxes, but
we have to do what’s best
for the kids in our area,”
Matlock said. “This is about
providing service.”
M u l v i h i l l me t
with the superintendents
of Union and Baker county
school districts Wednesday
afternoons. He read the
Board a' letter o f support
- signed by those super­
intendents - for explor­
ing the merger Union and
Baker counties with the
UMESD.
“(Option 4) is the
only option that Union-
Baker wants to consider,”
Mulvihill said. Mulvihill
noted the importance of
informing and including
the public and local school
districts during these next
stages. The UMESD Board
and adm inistration will
develop a communication
plan to involve these stake­
holders, as well as to seek
feedback throughout the
process.
The UMESD Board
will make a formal decision
to explore the merger fur­
ther at its next regular board
meeting on April 14.
Letters to the Editor ~
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In support of Tom Cutsforth
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The United States of America needs you now
To the editor:
1 am writing in support Thomas W. Cutsforth for Morrow County District
Attorney. I worked as Tom’s secretary for 15 years (1991-2005) while he served as
Wheeler County DA and found him to be an extremely good prosecutor. Tom was
diligent in protecting victims and the public. He was fair, honest, and compassionate.
He also was responsible with the county funds, managing the budget to get the most
good for the most reasonable cost.
Tom was bom and raised on a working farm in Morrow County and still owns
the family farm there. He joined the military in 1972, serving in the Marine Corps and
Navy until 1985. He continued his military service in the naval reserve until 2000,
retiring with the rank of commander. After completing his active military service, he
returned to school to obtain his law degree from the University of Oregon.
While serving as Wheeler County District Attorney, Tom was also active in
professional and civic groups. He was an EMT for over 15 years, served as chairman for
the OLCC Alcohol Servers Educational Committee, Chairman of the Morrow/Wheeler
Mental Health Board, formed the Gilliam/Wheeler Child Abuse Multidisciplinary
Team (CAMI) and continued as chairman of the Wheeler County CAMI team, created
the Wheeler County Victims of Crime (VOCA) office and set up the Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASA) system to assist juveniles in the court system in Wheeler
County. He served as Wheeler County Counsel and in that capacity assisted the county
court in obtaining the land for the Wheeler County Family Services building and the site
for Fossil’s cell phone tower as well as helping the county obtain ownership of Shelton
and Bear Hollow parks. He also served as city attorney for Fossil and Condon.
Tom is well known as a tough, fair prosecutor and has taken the lead in pros­
ecuting cattle theft cases in Wasco and Union cbunty, and is consulted by Oregon State
Police and Oregon Attorney General’s office in game cases and decoy operations. He
has prosecuted two murder cases while serving as Deputy District Attorney in Union
County and has completed over 300 jury trials and more than 2,000 cases. He is a 20
year member of the Oregon State Bar Criminal, Family and Juvenile Law sections and
is a strong supporter of local justice and county juvenile courts.
Tom Cutsforth would provide Morrow County with an experienced District
Attorney who looks out for the public’s interest.
Susan Snyder
Condon
Letter to the Editor:
On Sunday afternoon the Willow Creek Tea Party Patriots sponsored a candidate
forum, 57 folks from our local community attended in addition to the 11 candidates.
I appreciate those who attended and supported the forum with their presence
and their participation in presenting 42 questions which they passed forward to the
candidates in written form. Moderator Bill Kuhn presented the questions in a very
straight forward and precise matter.
The questions ranged from local to state issues like “Are you one of us? to
“Are you hearing us?”
The two governor candidates addressed questions ranging from “the Business
Energy Tax Credit program to the “tax burdens on small businesses and farms,” to
“how do we reduce the federal government in Oregon?”
District 57 representative candidate fielded questions, “How is Oregon going to
provide adequate education from K through college?” to “Your proposal for improving
and restoring Oregon Forest and Timber Industry.”
Questions like “Do you think the county judge should be responsible for ju ­
venile justice in Morrow County?” to “How is the money from windmills being spent
in the county?”
The district attorney candidates fielded questions like “What and how would
you deal with the drug, sex, and domestic abuse cases?” to “What do you see the big­
gest challenge in the office?”
Questions like “Why is it necessary to have a Justice of the Peace court?” to
“Do you feel that our form of government is still being built on people of high moral
qualities?”
The lone candidate for county commissioner responded to questions “Due to
the fact you are running unopposed, what are the issues and projects you would like
to see addressed in Morrow County?”
The 11 candidates (maybe modem day patriots) thought enough of Morrow
County voters to travel to Heppner from Albany, Portland, Summerville, Hermiston and
Boardman. Following the Q & A segment the candidates joined in for time of “one-on-
one face to face exchange” with the audience at the coffee and cookie table.
Where were you? Are you going to continue to let someone else do your think­
ing for you? How are you going to respond to those who gave their time and lives in
the service to their country so you had the freedom to vote intelligently? Do you know
or care what’s happening to our “Constitution” and the formers of this “Miracle.”
Cutsforth a devoted prosecutor
Maybe you feel your vote doesn’t count, but the fact you don’t vote with conviction
and truth does.
To the editor:
Your country the “United States of America” needs you now!
While working with Tom Cutsforth in Wheeler County I found him to be an
experienced and devoted prosecutor, a caring boss, and he remains a good friend to Dick Sargent
our family.
Heppner
Kathy Horn
Fossil
HHS Varsity Track Schedule
HHS Junior High Track Schedule
April
April
April
April
April
April
April 16 - Heppner/Ione Invitational at home, 1 p.m.
April 23 - at Sunridge MS, 2 p.m.
April 30 - at Sunridge MS, 2 p.m.
16- a t Stanfield II a.m.
17 - at Cascade, 11:30 a.m.
23 - at Umatilla 1 p.m.
24 - at Hermiston (JV), 10 a.m.
27 - Heppner/Ione Invitational at home, 4 p.m.
30 - Mustang Invitational at home, 12 p.m.
HOME FOR SALE IN I0NE
HHS Varsity Baseball Schedule
April 16 - Irrigon at home
(double header), 11 a.m.
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April 20 - at Pilot Rock,
4:30 p.m.
April 24 - at Weston
McEwen (double header),
11 a.m.
April 27 - Stanfield at
home, 4:30 p.m.
May 4 - at Irrigon, 4:30
p.m.
May 8 - Pilot Rock at
home (double header), 11
a.m.
HHS JV Baseball Schedule
April
April
April
April
15 -
19 -
23 -
26 -
at Stanfield, 4:30 p.m.
Umatilla at home, 4:30 p.m.
Stanfield at home, 10 a.m.
Pendleton at home 4:30 p.m.
HHS Varsity Softball Schedule
April 16 - Irrigon at home, 11 a.m.
April 20 - at Pilot Rock, 4:30 p.m.
April 24 - at Weston McEwen (double header), 11 a.m.
April 27 - Stanfield at home, 4:30 p.m.
May 4 - at Irrigon, 4:30 p.m.
HHS JV Softball Schedule
April 15 - at Riverside (double header), 3:30 p.m.
April 22 - Umatilla at home (double header), 4 p.m.
April 29 - at McLoughlin (double header), 3:30 p.m.