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.
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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.