FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, August 18,2010
EOU receives affirmation of accreditation status
E astern O regon
University’s reputation for
delivering high-quality edu
cation has been reinforced
with an official nod from
the organization that as
sesses the region’s institu
tions of higher learning.
The N o rth w e s t
Commission on Colleges
and Universities (NWCCU)
reaffirmed EOU’s status as
an accredited school after
completing an interim re
view this spring.
“To have our ac
creditation reaffirmed is
critical to our success,”
said Bob D avies, EOU
president. “Accreditation
is absolutely essential to a
university’s credibility. It
ensures our ability to re
ceive federal financial aid,
and most graduate programs
require applicants to have a
degree from an accredited
university.”
During the review
the commission looked at
EOU’s institutional research
capabilities, assessment,
planning and budgeting
processes. It also reviewed
the university’s work in
the general education cur
riculum, post-tenure review
process and evaluations of
online instructors, transpar
ency in decision-making
and its relationship with
the Oregon State Board of
Higher Education.
“This outstanding
accomplishment is the re
sult of members of the uni
versity community coming
together as a team and tak
ing an active role,” Davies
said.
The com m ission
reviews colleges and uni
versities in the Pacific
Northwest every 10 years.
EO U ’s last com prehen
sive accreditation visit took
place in 1998.
Preliminary recom
mendations were received
from NWCCU in April and
EOU acted on them. The
accreditation team wrote in
their final report that there
is ” ... a revitalized sense
of optimism on campus...
there is a shared excitement
about the future of Eastern
Oregon University.”
Davies said that he
sees this sense of optimism
reflected among the faculty,
staff and students at EOU,
as well as members of the
Oregon University System
Board of Directors.
“This notice from
NWCCU is just one more
indication of EOU’s return
to prominence and that we
are a viable and sustain
able university,” Davies
said. “As we head into the
upcoming academic year,
this attitude is essential as
we continue to build on this
foundation of success and
maintain our momentum of
progress.”
Burt family yard named Yard of the Month
By Kay Proctor
The Heppner Gar
den Club has selected the
home of A1 Burt and his
late wife, Jo Burt, at 565
Elder as Yard of the Month
for August.
O riginally from
Minnesota, A1 came out
west to fight forest fires
in 1968. He and Jo met
on a blind date in Idaho,
married and ended up in
Heppner where A1 worked
for the US Forest Service,
Kinzua Mill, retired from
MCGG and now flags for
the county.
The B urt’s spent
32 years of their 40 mar
ried years together in the
home across from Heppner
Elementary School. The
original home was built
in 1893 on a waywardly
sloping lot. Working as a
team, the two built a front
porch (ATs favorite part of
the yard), a storage shed,
fencing, carport, a second
story and an addition. They
also put on new siding, a
metal roof, new windows,
and built an extensive back
patio. Jo grew up on a dairy
farm in Idaho and continued
with her strong work ethics
learned then; she had her
own tool belt and ladder
and knew how to use them
during new construction
and remodeling.
The south side of
their 132’ long lot used to
slope sharply. A1 and Jo
terraced this with railroad
timbers and created a col
orful flowerbed. On this
same terraced side, rocks
from topsoil screenings and
grade leveling were used as
fill to create a double park
ing space.
Fenced areas are
gated for different uses;
a productive garden for
Jo (including rhubarb and
raspberries), a grassy lawn
to enjoy, a pea-graveled
play area where their sons
as kids played with toy
trucks. The boys, Al, Tony
and Andy, are grown up and
now six grandchildren, ages
ranging from one to 18,
have taken
th eir turns
enjoying the
yard.
The
e n tir e lo t
is n e a tly
b o rd e re d
w ith flow Jo Burt
erbeds. The
B u r t ’s
planned for spring to fall
color. Some of the plants
used are crocuses, hya
cinths, daffodils, tulips,
rock cress, cranesbill, heath,
creeping Phlox, campanula,
creeping nettle, alyssum,
dahlias, columbine, seath-
rift, bleeding hearts, Ore
gon grape, hens and chicks,
heuchura, irises, and Vir
ginia Creeper. Trumpet vine
and feeders attract hum
mingbirds. Al has fittingly
nicknamed an unknown
variety of sedum ‘Porj^ and
Beans’. California poppies
planted by son Tony over 20
years ago still return.
Al recom m ends
“old fashioned gardening”
so there is always color in
the yard. He says garden
ing does not need to be “too
fancy” and to just “have
fun”.
Both Al and Jo
liked to collect rocks, stones
and boulders and used them
extensively as stepping-
stones, mulch, weed blocks,
edging and landscaping. A
wood privacy fence is deco
rated with a collection of
lanterns. Two old timed,
hand pushed lawnmowers
are propped up close by.
ate precautions to protect
themselves against mos
quito bites,” said Dr. Emilio
DeBess, state public health
veterinarian.
This is the first case
o f West Nile virus in the
State of Oregon in 2010.
Washington State and Cali
fornia have had WNV mos
quito activity since early
summer.
M osquito pools
testing positive in any area
could lead to human as
well as animal infection so
health officials recommend
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ICES (Internation
al Cultural Exchange Ser
vices) is a non profit student
exchange organization that
is currently looking for
American host families.
With 20 years of
experience the program
offers students between
the ages of 15 and 18 the
opportunity to study and
live in the United States.
The academic year program
is designed to provide an
international cultural ex
perience that will expand
the normal scope of world
understanding. ICES offers
a ten-month academic year
program and a five-month
semester program. Students
have full medical insurance,
spending money, and the
hope of experiencing life in
America through the eyes
of a caring host family.
ICES has a system
o f local support for each
and every state. Regional
Directors have a team of
local area reps that provide
ongoing care and support to
our international students
and host families. With the
structure o f support pro
vided, ICES is able to walk
you families through each
step of the process from
beginning to the end.
For more informa
tion contact Linda Corbin
at 541-676-5270 or Te
resa VanDoom at 541 -676-
5985.
Qualls places in National Garden
Club Youth Poetry Contest
Sydney Qualls, a student at Heppner Elementary
School, wrote a poem that won third place in the National
Garden Club Youth Poetry Contest. The poem was pub
lished in the national magazine The Mahonia.
Five Senses
In our beautiful World,
I hear the birds singing
I hear the wind whistle.
In our beautiful world,
I feel the grass against my ankles
I feel the snow fall on my skin.
In our beautiful World,
I smell the pine trees
I smell the fragrant roses.
In our beautiful World,
I taste a juicy mango
I taste the freshwater from the stream.
That’s what I see, hear, taste, smell, and feel
In our beautiful World.
Pictured is A l Burt on his porch, looking out at his award
winning yard. -Photo by Kay Proctor
A cross breeze from
nearby Hinton and Willow
Creeks helps cool things off
during hot weather. Mature
Ponderosa Pine and Green
Ash trees provide shade to
backyard seating areas. A
Maple and Persian Iron-
wood tree planted by the
B u rt’s are beginning to
provide shade.
The soil is not deep
and part of their house’s
foundation sits on bed
rock. Over the years, bro
ken glass, horseshoes and
lots of square nails have
been found while digging.
Al made a movable sprin
kler system from PVC pipe
to keep up with watering.
A co rn er o f the
front yard has some of Jo’s
favorite plants; snapdragons
and Johnny-jump-ups. She
especially liked the pansies
with faces.
Among their yard
decorations is a refurbished
M oline, Illin o is horse-
pulled plow. The Bust’s
name is attached to the top
spelled out w ith old, welded
horseshoes. The plow and
horseshoes came from Jo’s
family ranch and was given
to her by a relative.
R o ses are A l’s
favorite plant and at one
time, they had over 50 rose
bushes. He recently planted
a yellow rose in memory of
Jo. Al credits Jo with being
the ‘mastermind’ for their
many projects and speaks
of plans they had made;
they already have a garden
of memories.
Yard of the Month
recognition is co-sponsored
by the City o f Heppner,
MCGG-Green Feed, Wind-
wave/Heppner TV and the
Heppner Garden Club.
First mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus in Oregon for 2010
West Nile virus, a
mild flu-like disease spread
by mosquitoes, has been
reported to have been found
at a site near Irrigon accord
ing to Oregon Public Health
officials.
Health officials are
advising people in Morrow
County to take precautions
against mosquitoes in order
to avoid the risk of infec
tion.
“The risk of con
tracting West Nile virus is
low but we do encourage
people to take appropri-
ICES looking for host families
mosquito bite protection
especially in the evening
hours. Mosquito traps are
set at night in various loca
tions throughout the county.
The trapped insects are
sorted by species and tested
for West Nile virus.
Eighty percent of
people infected with West
Nile virus exhibit no symp
toms. O f the remaining 20
percent most have very
mild symptoms, such as
fever, headaches and nausea
lasting from three to six
days. In a few cases, more
severe sym ptom s occur
including convulsions or
disorientation. The central
nervous system also may be
affected resulting in febrile
headache, aseptic meningi
tis or encephalitis.
DeBess says simple
precautions can prevent the
spread of West Nile virus:
-Eliminate sources
of standing w ater that are a
breeding ground for mos
quitoes, including watering
troughs, birdbaths, clogged
gutters and old tires;
-Avoid outdoor ac
tivities at dusk and dawn
when mosquitoes are most
active;
-Wear long-sleeved
shirts and long pants in
mosquito-infested areas;
-Use mosquito re
pellents containing DEET,
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or
Picirdin and follow the di
rections on the container;
-Make sure screen
doors and windows are in
good repair and fit tightly.
Additional infor
mation about West Nile
virus is available at: http://
www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/
acd/diseases/wnile/wnile.
shtml.; http://www.oregon.
gov/DHS/ph/lhd/county_
directories/M orrow .pdf;
and http://morrowcounty-
oregon.com/.
Kinzua Lunch group
plans next meeting
The Kinzua Lunch
group met August 13 at
Service Creek.
•
T hose-attending
were Marilyn and Sheri
dan Ledford, Scött and Pat
Reed, Mel Bailey, Bonnie
Campbell, LaVonne and
Bob Slinkard, Jackie and
Pete Hester, Bob and Peg
Nelson, OL and Jean Ann
A dam s, Bob and M ary
Lee Britt, Cenone Benson,
Windy Liptak, Rollene Al
len, Peggy Reed, Marry
Bryant, Montell McDonald,
and Ada Schell and Bill
Potter.
The next lunch will
a potluck at Ernie and Ada
Schell’s in Twickenham on
September 11.
Willow Creek Baptist Awana Club
to hold free bowling party
The Willow Creek Baptist Awana Club is spon
soring a free bowling party Sunday, August 29, from 4
p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Stable of Youth. Pizza and drinks
will be provided.
The club is open to all kids between four years
of age through 6lh grade. Parents are welcome.
Awana is a nondenominational organization.
Their main focus is Bible memorization and numerous
games for the kids.
Regular club meetings will start up in mid Sep
tember and be held every Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
For more information or rides, call Dale Bates
541-676-5773.
lone Cheerleading Camp to be held
lone Cheerleading Camp will be held Thursday
and Friday, August 26 and 27, for incoming preschool
ers through 5th grade from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost is $25 per
student and includes a t-shirt.
For more information contact Misty Stefanie at
541-422-7142.
Mitchell wins Mutton Busting buckle
lone Community School Upcoming
Events
Call
FO R I .O C AI, M O R TG A G E
SE R V IC E S, W E ’RE T H E
O N E S T O CALL!
M elissa Lindsay
M ortgage M anager
M ortgage Division
676-9884
1-877-472-6217
www .bcobank.com
lone Community School will hold student regis
tration on August 23 for grades 9-12. Students need to call
(541) 422-7131 ahead of time for an appointment.
Free sports physicals will be given August 23
at 6 p.m.
Football and volleyball practices will also begin
on August 23. Football practice begins at 7 a.m., volley
ball practice begins at 6:30 p.m.
Landon Mitchell is presented a M O C O Rodeo Mutton Bust
ing buckle by sponsor Dr. Tim Dickenson from Dickenson
Chiropractic. Photo bv Sandy Matthews