Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2011)
SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 16,2011 Vasquez sentenced to 75 months on sex abuse charges Jose Melendez Vasquez, 65, was sentenced Tuesday to 75 months in prison for sexually abusing a child in July o f 2009. A Morrow County Jury found Jose Melendez Vasquez guilty on March 11, 2011 o f two counts o f sexual abuse in the first degree. The defendant unlawfully subjected the child victim to sexual contact w hi le the victim was sleeping over at a friend’s house in Boardman. The child was awakened by the contact and immediately reported the abuse to her parents. The parents, in turn immediately called police. Circuit Judge Daniel J. Hill, who presided over last week’s two day trial, imposed sentence today. Judge Hill first found that the victim was particularly vulnerable at the time of the crime due to the fact that she was asleep. The judge then merged the two convictions of sexual abuse in the first degree into one and imposed the 75 month sentence required by Ballot Measure 11. The defendant will not be eligible for any form o f early release and will be required to register as a sex offender. The Court also ordered the defendant to pay restitution in the amount o f One thousand, one hundred eighty five dollars and eighty three cents ($1,185.83) to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Account, a fund managed by the State, as reimbursement for costs paid for services on behalf o f the victim. The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) has been prosecuting the case since February 2010, when the DOJ assumed control o f the Morrow County District Attorney’s Office. Upon his appointment in July o f 2010, District Attorney Justin Nelson asked the DOJ to continue to prosecute certain cases involving serious person crimes in order to minimize disruption to crime victims. The case was in vestigated by the Boardman Police Department with the assistance o f the M ount Emily Safe C enter in La Grande. City offering free tire disposal The City o f Hep pner is offering free tire disposal for city residents. Beginning M arch 21 through April 17, City o f Heppner residents will be able to take old tire they no longer want to the bin at the Public Works yard located at R iverside Avenue and Jenkins Street. Tires with wheels will be accepted. This is a one time offer. It is being sponsored by the City, City Public W orks, M orrow C ounty Sheriff’s Office, and Waste C o n n e c tio n s at F in le y Butte. M orrow C o u n ty residents are eligible for the disposal o f large items free o f charge at the two M orrow County Transfer Stations. Item s accepted are fu rn itu re and hom e appliance. People will be required to show proof o f residency in the county with identification. R esidents can also take advantage of the E-cycling program that provides the free disposal of computers, computer moni tors and televisions. The transfer stations are Satur day and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the E-cycles program visit www.oregonecycles. org. For more information about the transfer station disposal contact the M.C. Public Works office at 541 - 989-9500. The city, through the sheriff’s office, can also assist with the disposal of old cars. For more informa tion regarding the free tire disposal or other code en forcement issues contact the M orrow County Sheriff’s Office at 541-676-5317. (jed u c® Your Heating 3 ^ Cooling Costs ALL Wintet Rebates & Tax lncentiVes Available Now ADD A LAYER OF INSULATION' IN YOUR ATTIC / ALL NEW VINYL \ FRAMED THERMAL PANE WINDOWS By £ PLyGEM Mr. Insulation Co. Inc. (541) 567-2348 • (541) 276-0097 • 1-800-265-2348 r , , Stop by our showroom1 30599 Lauback • Hermiston www mrinsulation info mrinsulation@eotnet • CCB# 97049 • Member N E 0 H B A H?“ SCHOOL DISTRICT SICK LEAVE POLICY -Continued from Page holiday from December 16 ONE to Jan. 3, students ending choose that option can enter Thursday, June 14, second college with some credits or ary teachers ending Friday, even an associate’s degree June 15, elementary teach already under their belts. ers ending Monday, June “This system is going to 18. •Option C: a pre- join these two systems to gether,” said Stone. “HHS Labor Day start with less classes will be the same as than one and a half weeks college (classes). “ After the at Christmas, teachers be instruction, students would ginning A ugust 22, stu then take an assessm ent dents beginning A ugust and, if they pass, would 29, Christmas break from rec e iv e c o lle g e c re d its. an early dismissal Dec. 21 “We’re pretty excited about to Jan. 3, students ending Monday, June 4, secondary it,” said Stone. One aspect o f the teachers ending Tuesday, program would be to corre June 5, elementary teachers late the high school course ending W ednesday, June num ber w ith the college 6 . •Option D: a post- course num ber and teach toward those proficiencies. Labor Day start with less Stone told the Ga than one and a half weeks at zette that the program could Christmas, teachers begin assist families who now are ning August 29, students faced with sky-rocketing beginning Sept. 6, Christ college costs (now in the mas break from an early neighborhood o f $35,000) dismissal Dec. 21 to Jan. and dwindling support from 3, students ending Friday, colleges and universities June 8, secondary teachers ending Monday, June 11, and federal programs. The lone School and elem entary teachers D istrict had opted in on ending Tuesday, June 12. A change to semes Eastern Promise the previ ous month. ters was brought up in rela Burrows also spoke tion to the school calendar, briefly as to how to cope but it was discovered that it with the dwindling school would entail starting school population in Heppner. In in mid-August in order for addition to using technol the first semester to be com ogy and d istan ce lea rn pleted by Christmas break. ing (online classes) and Board members, especially possibly capturing m ore from south Morrow Coun hom e-schooled children, ty, had apparently earlier Burrows said that another voiced concerns that start possibility would be to form ing in m id-August would a charter school in Hepp interfere with the county’s ner. He said that forming a ag-based economy and also charter school could be ac the M orrow County Fair complished through a con held in Heppner. Burrows tract with Morrow County jokingly noted that future School D istric t (M C SD district superintendent Dirk w ould grant the charter) Dirksen, currently River rather than independently side High School principal, o f the d istric t-a s in the was somewhat incredulous case o f the lone School that fair would be a factor District. in determining the school T h e b o a rd a ls o calendar. N orth M orrow m entioned the uncertain families traditionally do not future o f ESDs in Oregbh participate in fair activities in light o f information that to any great extent. Dirksen some school districts have indicated, how ever, that indicated that they would he did not want to see a like to opt out or, such as the sh o rter C hristm as break Hermiston School District, b ecau se m any H ispanic would prefer cafeteria-style families, which make up a options. Baker, for example, large portion o f north Mor receives flow-through mon row students, still m ake extended trips to Mexico in ies through the UMESD. Also at the m eet December. A longer Christ ing, the board was present m as b reak w ould allow ed with four calendar op those children to lose less tions for next year ’5 school instruction time. schedule as follows: The options w ill •Option A: a pre- be presented to the staff for Labor Day start with two a vote and then the results weeks at Christmas, teach w ill be presented to the ers beginning August 22, board prior to action. students beginning August Also at the m eet 29, a two-week Christmas ing, Burrows told the board holiday from Dec. 16 to th a t d istric t elem en tary Jan. 3, stu d e n ts en d in g principals are working on a Thursday, June 7, second plan to separate grades from ary teachers ending Friday, behavior and attendance June 8, elementary teachers issu es and in ste a d c o n ending Monday, June 11. centrate on assessing what •Option B: a post- the children have learned. Labor Day start with two B urrow s said that w hile weeks at Christmas, teach behavior and attendance ers beginning August 29, are important, those issues students beginning Sept. will be evaluated separately 6, a two-week Christm as starting next year. The plan ^ Household Hazardous Waste Event Morrow County will be hosting another Household Hazardous Waste event FREE of charge to County residents Saturday April 23, 2011 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Lexington Road Dept. 365 W. Hwy 74, Lexington, OR Accepted during the event: Used oil (containers less than 25 gallons) O il filters, Spent Antifreeze, Automotive batteries, Alkaline & rechargeable batteries, Propane Tanks (sm aller than 25 got.) O il based point, Point thinners and solvents, Roof and asphalt patch, Adhesives, glues and contact cement, Cau lks sealers and joint com pounds, Lawn and garden chem icals and fertilizers, Pool chem icals, Household cleaners (including bleach, am m onia, furniture polish, toilet bowl cleaners, carpet sham poos) Sludge (soil contam i nated with oil sm aller than 25 gal. containers) Mercury thermometers, Florescen* lam ps, All types of aerosol cans, Used cooking o il, Road flares, PCB ballasts, O rgan ic peroxides (hardening agents) Items not accepted: Empty containers, am m unition, explosives, biological waste, radioactive waste Morrow County Public Works mcpublicwork@co.morrow.or.us R O . Box 4 2 8 Lexington, O R 9 7 8 3 9 5 4 1 -9 8 9 -9 5 0 0 ) will come before the board prior to implementation. In other business, the board: -heard from Bur row s once again that he believes that the district will be okay financially for the 2011-12 school year, but he expects financial difficulty for the 2012-13 year with about a million dollar defi cit. He said the district plans to cut this year’s budget in anticipation of the shortfall next year. “We decided to ratchet down this y e a r’s budget so we d o n ’t get smacked with such a big deficit for next year.” He said that an administrative meeting has been planned in April primarily to discuss staffing, since 80 percent o f the budget is comprised o f salaries and benefits. A board work session to discuss the issue has been scheduled on April 11, prior to the next m eeting. The first budget meeting is set for May 2. -approved a screen ing committee to select a new principal and assis tant principal at Riverside High School as follows: current RHS Principal and future Superintendent Dirk D irksen, M ark Burrow s, board members Dan Dal- toso and Pat N cN am ee, G uadalupe C olin, Daw n Callow, Cheryl Costello, Maribel Jimenez and Julie Ashbeck. -received the fol lowing attendance report: A.C. H oughton E lem en tary School, Irrigon (kin d e rg a rte n th ro u g h th ird grade)-253; H eppner El e m e n ta ry S c h o o l ( k in d e rg arten th rough sixth grade)-184; Heppner High S c h o o l ( g ra d e s s e v e n through 12)-206; Irrigon Elem entary (grades four through six)-221; Irrigon HHS language arts teacher- contract, Lindsay Orem, HHS special ed-third year, Jeremy Rosenbalm, HHS math/business-second year, Kristine Martin, HES/HHS counselor-second year. -approved non-re newal of temporary teachers Tim Beatty (IJSH, Heather Miller on leave). Matt Wells (IJSH Andrew Johnson on leave until late fall), Kory Waterland (ACH job share S ch reier/ C unningham ), Jolene Stensland (replac ing Mark Dowdy who has passed away). -a p p ro v e d non extension o f contract for teacher Carolyn Rhinhart, WRE special ed. -approved employ ment for the following ad ministrators: Dirk Dirksen- su p e rin te n d e n t; G eorge M endoza-assistant super intendent; principals-Mark Jones, M att Com be, Joel Chavez, Daye Stone, John Sebastian, Jacque Johnson, Craig Benson and assistant principal Matthew Matz. -approved the fol low ing contract teachers for ex te n sio n (H e p p n e r teachers listed only): Hep p n er E lem en tary -Jan n ie Allen, Karen Clough, Me lissa Coiner, Pam Dowdy, Mary Ann Elguezabal, Sue Gibbs, Mary Haguewood, Sherry M atteson, Sharon Morris, Molly Rill, Karen Sm ith-G riffith, M ichelle Stone; Heppner High-Jean Collins, Beth Dickenson, John Flaherty, Dave Fowler, Terri Gentry, Greg Grant, Joe L indsay, Troy M or gan, Jason Palmer, Petra Payne, Jean Strange, Dieter Waite. -tabled the second reading and adoption o f pol icy on employee attendance which defines unauthorized leave as non-performance o f duties and responsibili- HigiuSfihpoJ frgsades .s e v e n , assigned by the district through 12V309; Riverside hfidf its representatives, in- H igh School, B oardm an eluding refusals to provide (g ra d e s se v en -1 2 )-3 9 2 : service, unauthorized use Sam Boardm an E lem en o f sick leave, unauthorized tary S chool (g ra d e s K- use o f other leave benefits, th re e )-3 18; W indy River nonattendance at required E le m e n ta ry , B o a rd m a n m eetin g s and fa ilu re to (g ra d e s fo u r- s ix ) -2 2 0 ; perform assigned duties at Morrow Education Center- school-sponsored activ i M orrow C ounty S chool ties. The unauthorized leave D istrict-6 6 ; M E S-U m a- shall constitute a breach of tilla School D istrict-27; contract and may result of total-2196. the initiation o f dismissal -approved the fol procedures, loss o f salaries low ing em ploym ent a c or disciplinary action. The tion: resignations for Mayra employee’s superintendent Colin-Carillo, Morrow Ed or supervisor may require a ucation Center English lan physician’s verification as guage learner ed assistant, to the employee’s claimed R ichard R ockw ell, RJH reason for absence in a situ assistant track coach, Betsy ation which is believed to Shane, RHS Talented and have no valid grounds for Gifted program coordina the em ployee’s absence. tor; transfer for Dee Ham An employee missing five ilton, from IES full-tim e consecutive days o f work ed assistant to half-time ed will provide a physician’s assistant, replacing Naomi verification for the absence M ath eso n ; em p lo y m en t within five working days of for Jolene Stensland, HHS the absence. language arts teacher, and -held an executive Gena Wade, MEC tempo session to discuss personnel rary half-tim e special ed and student expulsion. teacher; extra duty co n -heard the follow tracts for Brian Bigham, ing announcem ents: end Irrigon Junior High school o f third nine weeks-March head track coach. 17; spring break-M arch -approved the fol 21-25; next board meeting- lowing probationary teach R iv ersid e H igh School, ers: (Heppner teachers list Boardman-M onday, April ed only) Andrea N elson, 11,7 p.m. M.C. Creative Arts & Crafts sale to begin Friday M em bers o f the M orrow County Creative A rts and C rafts w ill be selling artwork and crafts at Les Schwab on Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Satur day 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Among local artists are Mary Ella Johnson with Cotton Crochet rugs; Bev erly M cCloud with wool rugs all different sizes, hot pads, dish cloths, and pot scrubbers; Nancy Am son w ith purses, bow ls, and lamps, Sheryl Parrot with paintings and cards; Jan B laser w ith note cards; Shirley McNary paintings and art work; Mona Shade with rugs and beads; and also on Saturday Raquel Herrea with her breakfast burritos and tamales. The next meeting is March 24 at I p.m. at the Stable o f Youth. On the agenda are watercolor classes and any changes on the W alton c la ss on April 8-10. In charge o f this month’s program will be Murphy from Darkhorse Leather Goods. The public is in vited to attend.
