SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 15,2011
Dickenson backbone of HHS Missoula Children’s Theatre
to return to lone
ag program
By Doris Brosnan
As Heppner High School graduation neared, Beth Dickenson reflected over
the past five years that she has been a teacher at the school. She is pleased to note that
some seniors had been enrolled in the agricultural program since they were freshmen.
This is the second year now for that distinction.
Five years ago, Heppner High had no agriculture curriculum and no FFA
program, but parents, students and some board members saw the need to reinstate the
classes. This year’s enrollment shows between 60 and 70 students in the curriculum
and 48 in the FFA program. Five years ago, a building for which ag instructor Bill
Umbarger had had great expectations when he was here 15 to 20 years ago was being
used for storage. This year, that building houses livestock.
Beth Dickenson came as the professional expected to prove the supporters
correct and to create and build programs into viable contributions to the students’
educations. “Rolling up her sleeves” with many volunteers, she tackled the building
first. Eventually, after dumpster-loads of forgotten and obsolete items were removed, a
potential bam was rediscovered. The state curriculum was applied, and enough students
enrolled to keep the classroom door open.
Today, students may choose to take a progression of classes from freshman to
senior year or may opt to enroll in single classes o f special interest to them: Introduction
o f Agriculture, Plant Science, and Integrated Agriculture and Advanced Agriculture,
both of which build sequentially as applications o f the preceding theory classes. This
next year, there will be Veterinary Science and Ag Leadership classes offered. FFA
offers the enrollees experience in many and varied agriculture-related activities; for
instance, work with animals and plants, in welding and research, and as writers and
speakers.
In February o f 2010, the students, Dickenson and adult volunteers added three
pens and a corral to the bam. She credits the parents o f her students, the FFA Alumni
Association and local businesses with the added financial and physical support neces
sary for completion o f the project. Similarly, last year, a second greenhouse was added.
The concrete foundation was provided by generous supporters of the program.
Visitors can spot eight sheep— four of which belong to the FFA chapter— and
one market steer grazing near the bam. Also on site now are ten hogs, one that belongs
to the chapter. The four ewes’ offspring (the delivery o f which also became a learn
ing experience) and the hog will be sold to benefit the treasury o f the FFA program.
Plants offered for sale at the greenhouse give the students hands-on experience and
bring some added funding to the agriculture program. These two sources of revenue
help the financially limited programs to continue.
The other livestock belong to students who have “Supervised Agriculture Ex
perience Projects.” These students must meet rigid criteria demands for these projects
as they care for their animals and incur the expenses associated with the raising of
market animals. They will show and sell their animals at the Morrow County Fair. Two
exceptions to this step in the SAEP process have been made for two foreign-exchange
students who will have returned to their homes before the fair. Ida and Marie wanted
the opportunity to experience the many aspects o f investing in and caring for livestock,
so they have market hogs that they are responsible for and will show at the Union
Livestock Show June 10-12, along with fellow member Zech Hintz.
When pressed to make a choice, Dickenson says that, o f the joys she receives
from her involvement with the HHS students, she finds most exciting that which she
feels for the students who become involved in the FFA programs.
“Something, literally, for everyone,” she reports. She is so happy for them
when they reap the benefits o f applying their learning. She notes the advantages that
the speaking experiences give the students for the rest of their lives, the scholarship
potential for those who plan to continue their formal educations, the “step-up” that
students have when applying for agriculture-related employment.
Somewhat regretful over losing this year’s seniors, who have been with her
for four years, Dickenson is also confident that their agriculture-related education will
serve them well in years to come, and she looks forward to new students eager to learn
next year. She insists that the renewed agriculture curriculum at HHS is successful
because of the desire and dedication o f the parents, fellow staff and students, and the
donations from the local businesses.
HWCD meeting June 23
The Heppner Water Control District will hold
its regular meeting Thursday, June 23 in the Ag Service
Center Conference Room at 7 p.m.
Items on the agenda include review o f minutes
o f the previous meeting, treasurer’s report, tree removal
estimate, discussion o f a diversion survey and budget
documents for the fiscal year 2011/2012. Meetings of
HWCD are open to the public.
Chamber lunch meeting
OHSRA
standings
O r e g o n H ig h
School Rodeo Association
Standings as o f June 5 are
as follows:
Bull Riding: 7th, W illy
Gentry, 9 pts.
Boys Cutting: 11*, Devin
Robinson, 5 pts.
The Chamber lunch will be held Thursday, June
Tie Down Roping: 7th,
16 at noon at the Heppner City Hall. The speaker will be
Devin Robinson, 32 pts;
Andrew O ’Connell from Diversified Winds. Cost for the
lunch is $9; Alvin Liu o f Cornerstone Gallery will cater. 14th, Willy Gentry, 14 pts;
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by Wednes- 22nd, Garrett Robinson, 11
pts.
day morning o f each week._______________________
Steer W restling: 3 / 4 '\
Devin R obinson, 55 pts;
11th, Garrett Robinson, 30
pts; 12th, Willy Gentry, 29
pts.
Team Roping: 19th, Devin/
Garrett Robinson, 16 pts;
2 8 '\ Willy/Tate Gentry, 6
pts.
Breakaway: 8*, Taighler
Dougherty, 28.5 pts; 13th,
Blake Greenup, 21 pts.
Goat Tying: 2 0 '\ Blake
Greenup, 7 pts.
Barrel Racing: 6th, Blake
G re e n u p , 40 p ts; 15th,
T aig h ler D ougherty, 17
pts.
Poles: 2nd, Blake Greenup,
68 pts; 5th, Taighler Dough
W hether y o u ’re b u yin g your very first
erty, 58 pts.
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Hometown People Hometown Spirit
lone will host a Mis
soula Children’s Theatre pro
duction during the week prior
to the 4"' of July.
Auditions for MCT’s
original musical adaptation
of “The Tortoise Versus the
Hare” will be held on Monday,
June 27 at 10 a.m. at the lone
Community School cafeteria.
All South Morrow County stu
dents who were in grades K-12
during the 2010-11 school year
are encouraged to audition. No
advance preparation is neces
sary and there are roles in the
show designed for students in
all age groups.
In addition to perfor
mance parts, there are assistant
director positions available for
students ages 10 and older. As
sistant directors are selected to
help teach and direct the show
early in the week as well as
take on technical responsibili
ties at performance time. Their
logistical help and creative
ideas are a vital part of the
process and the experience of
being an assistant director can
be just as valuable as that of
any cast member.
Auditions will run
from approximately 10 a.m. to
noon, and some cast members
will begin their first rehearsal
at 12:30. Rehearsals will then
run from 10 a.m. to noon and
from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
on Tuesday, June 28 through
Friday, July 1. Not all cast
members will be required at
all rehearsals; lunch will be
served between rehearsals
each day.
The week will culmi
nate w ith two performances on
Saturday, July 2 at 3 p.m. and
5:30 p.m. Both performances
will be in the lone Community
School cafeteria and are free to
the public.
Missoula Children’s
Theatre, the nation’s largest
touring children’s theatre, has
been touring extensively for
38 years now from Montana
to Japan, and will visit nearly
1300 communities this year,
with up to 45 teams of tour
actor/directors. A tour team
arrives in a given town with
a set, lights, costumes, props
and make-up, everything it
takes to put on a play.. .except
the cast. The team holds an
open audition and casts 50-60
local students to perform in
the production. The show is
rehearsed throughout the week
and two public performances
are presented on Saturday.
All MCT shows are
original adaptations of classic
children’s stories and fairy
tales...a twist on the classic
stories you know and love.
Also included in the residency
are enrichment workshops
presented by the tour actor/
directors. Creativity, social
skills, goal achievement, com
munication skills and self es
teem are all characteristics that
are attained through participa
tion in this unique educational
project. MCT’s mission is the
development of life skills in
children through participation
in the performing arts.
This program is spon
sored by the Morrow County
Recreation District and in
cooperation with the Friends
of the Heppner Library.
CITY COUNCIL
-Continuedfrom PAGE
ONE
“That is city prop
erty,” DeMayo told the Ga
zette. “If he wants to use it,
I don’t feel it is my position
to say that he can or can’t.
I want the city council to
approve it.”
D eM ayo said a l
lowing McBride to use the
property w ithout council
approval would also set a
precedent, and there would
be nothing to stop others
from doing it.
A public notice was
printed in tw o issues o f
the Gazette “to consider a
special request to utilize
the City’s Right-of-Way in
the vicinity of the August
street-Kirk street intersec
tion for the parking o f a
temporary residence.” The
p ro p erty is lo ca ted tw o
blocks from the courthouse
along W illow C reek and
looks almost like an alley
way. One property owner
accesses his shop across
the creek on a bridge using
Kirk Street. He has report
edly not complained about
the situation.
F o l l o w i n g th e
council meeting, four mem
bers o f the council traveled
to the site to look it over.
The council took no ac
tion at M onday’s meeting
because proper notification
to surrounding property
owners had not been mailed
out prior to the m eeting.
The council said it would
take up the matter at a later
meeting.
Purchased home for SI
In other business, the coun
cil discussed its recent pur
chase o f a former Housing
and Urban D evelopm ent
(HUD) house for one dol
lar. The house, located at
160 S. Court St in Heppner,
had been reposed by HUD
and has been on the market
for six months and not sold.
According to HUD’s web
site, HUD’s Dollar Homes
initiative “helps local gov
ernments to foster housing
opportunities for low to
moderate income families
and address specific com
munity needs by offering
them the o p p ortunity to
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Call 0mily at
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“Reasonable prices
Best quality service in town
i
The Heppner city council recently purchased this HUD house
on Court Street for one dollar. -Photo by David Sykes
purchase qualified HUD-
owned homes for $1 each.”
Dollar Homes are single-
family homes that are ac-
quired by the FedefafFl&lis-
ing Administration (which
is part o f HUD) as a result
o f foreclosure actions.
The council d is
cussed putting the home on
the market through a local
real estate agent to find an
appropriate buyer. The city
will decide what to do with
the home at a special meet
ing on June 20.
The council also
approved a city planning
com m ission decisio n to
approve a conditional use
request by Mike Williams
for his Destination Detail
business to operate out o f
his residence at 355 Union
St. The business does auto
detailing and restoration,
and his hom e is located
in a residential zone, so
he needed a city perm it.
The council approved the
use with assurances from
Williams that he would not
allow excessive cars to ac
cumulate on the property
and that his activities would
not cause undue problems
for the neighbors.
another dog. The situation
was resolved by contact
with the owners,
MCSO received a ,
'report o f a vicious dog re-
'siding at an apartment. The
manager wanted the dog re-
moved from the property.
Dogs were reported
to be getting into garbage
can s. T he o w n ers w ere
contacted and warned.
Loose cattle were
reported. The owner was
contacted.
A deputy struck a
dog with the vehicle. The
owner was contacted. The
dog was uninjured.
Two loose puppies
were reported to MCSO.
A deputy was not able to
locate them.
MCSO responded
to Heppner to assist with
flooding.
A report of a bark
ing dog was reported. The
ow ner arrived home and
took care of the problem.
E ig h t c o d e e n
forcement complaints were
handled regarding garbage,
tall weeds, and other debris
on properties.
D eputies located
seven dogs and returned
them home.
A loose horse was
caught and returned to the
owner.
T w o c a ts w e re
transported to Pet Rescue.
Loud m usic w as
reported com ing from a
vehicle parked at the city
park. The owner was con
tacted and the music was
turned down.
Loud m usic was
reported com ing from a
vehicle. A deputy m ade
contact with the driver, who
turned the music down.
Hogs in city limits
The council also
ruled on two animal per
m its for hogs w ithin the
city limits. One applicant
wanted to raise hogs on a
year-round basis and sell
them to 4-Hers. The other
asked to raise hogs part
o f the year for the county
fair. The council approved
the temporary keeping of
hogs, but voted against the
applicant wanting to keep
hogs year-round within the
city limits.
The council also re
ceived the follow ing sheriff Theft Complaints-
A person reported a
report for the past month.
forged
check
to MCSO.
Sheriff’s Report for May
A person reported a
2011
scam via the telephone.
Trqffic-
A deputy investi
There were six traf
fic stops, all resulting in gated identity theft, which
occurred in W ashington.
warnings.
A m o to r v eh icle Property was stolen from a
crash was reported at the residence.
An iPOD was re
high school w ith m inor
ported stolen. It was deter
property damage.
mined to have been lost.
Code Enforcement-
Two dogs attacked