SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon
Wednesday, January 23,2013
lone elementary awards
December attendance
The following students received awards for having perfect attendance for the month of Decem
ber: Liam Heideman, Ariona Loonery, Martin Mendoza, Mason Orem, Jerson Peralta, Corey
Rice, Katie Spivey, Destiny Yates, Karensa Jones, Ethan Ramos-Lopez, Luis Ramos-Lopez,
Lewkus Burright, Carson Eynetich, Madison Orem, Isabella Pringle, Kalvin Rietmann, Bryce
Rollins, Charles Smith, Daralynn Teeman, Callie Yates, Morgan Aildritt, Emily Ehrmantraut,
Faviola Juarez Alvarez, Cecilia McElligott, Colt Parker, Havlie Peterson, Taylor Rollins, Tom
Rudolf, Julianna Teeman, Anthony Villegas, Gary Walls, Larysa Burright, Cameron Crum,
Mackenzie Gurinko, Tiffany Hollis, Jessica Medina, MaLinda Morter, Jordan Rollis, Wyatt
Aleksa, Jake Heideman, Mackenzie Heideman, Annabelle McDaniel, Matt Orem, Jill Rudolf,
Logan Burright, Gracie Crum, Lexie Garrett, Payton Miller, Renee Peterson, Aaron Smythe,
Sydney Stefani, Susanna Teeman. -Contributedphoto
KENYA TRIP
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
own. “It would be pretty
overwhelming if you didn’t
know someone. They don’t
have things set up there like
they do here.”
Nelson says the group
spent the first half of their
time in Kisumu, a port city
on Lake Victoria in west
ern Kenya. They stayed
in the city and worked in
rural areas outside Kisumu.
They then moved on to
the area around Kitale, an
agricultural town also in
western Kenya, where they
stayed in Mount Elgon and
again worked with teachers
in rural areas outside the
towns.
Nelson said her role
during the trip was to sup
port her professors. She
helped prepare presenta
tions, including leadership
workshops that focused on
integrity.
“The culture there has a
lot of corruption,” she adds.
She also says that, for many
of the teachers, it was the
first time they’d ever had
any kind o f professional
development.
She also observed in
classrooms and visited with
teachers and adm inistra
tors. Their groups went on
a lot of school visits, says
Nelson.
“I really wanted to get
to know the teachers,” she
says.
Communication wasn’t
a problem. Nelson says Eng
lish is the official language
of Kenya and, beginning
around the fourth grade,
teachers are technically
required to use English in
the classroom. While that
doesn’t always happen, she
says all of the adults they
encountered, especially
the professionals, spoke
English.
Nelson says she didn't
have any experiences that
she would consider strange
or unusual, but there were
certain ly m om ents— or
h o u rs— o f d isc o m fo rt,
including long car rides
over bumpy roads and long
Quaker church services.
“The Quaker services
in Kenya are extremely
long...We were in a build
ing with a tin roof and it was
about 90 degrees outside,”
says Nelson, adding that
they would sit through a
long service, followed by a
church meeting, followed
by another service, often a
total of around six hours.
“(We would) sit there
on hard wooden pews...I
got to feel what the Puritans
felt. I’ll never complain
about a one-hour church
service again,” she quips.
Despite the discomfort
of the long services, she
says the most difficult part
was the longer car rides.
Traveling to remote areas,
the only means of transport
was usually by four-wheel-
drive, over rough—or even
nonexistent—roads.
“ We might spend up
to eight hours in a car over
very bad roads, squished
in with six people,” she
says. And, o f course, no
rest stops...just hours of
waiting for the prospect of
an outhouse at their desti
nation.
Nelson says she was
surprised by the number of
new vehicles she saw.
“The roads beat up
cars,” she says. “Anyone
who can afford a car, they
get a newer one.”
While the experience
sounds tortuous, it was
made worth it by the chance
to meet the teachers and
students at the schools they
visited, Nelson says.
“(The best part was)
working with teachers, get
ting to see how they run
their classrooms, getting to
share teaching strategies,
realizing that, no matter
where in the world you are,
a teacher is a teacher,” says
Nelson. “You have the same
problems, the same goals
for your students. You can
relate to them based just on
your profession.”
N elson says school
conditions are challenging,
to say the least. In order
to meet rigorous national
testing standards, classes
are held from 7:30 a.m.
to 5 p.m., and go six days
a week in some schools.
While conditions vary, they
visited many schools that
had mud walls, with painted
sections of the wall serving
as chalkboards. Students
often have to walk great
distances, she says, men
tioning one place where the
girls asked permission to
build a dormitory so they
wouldn’t have to walk to
and from home every day,
and would therefore have
time for their homework.
Despite all that, though,
she says the students are
motivated to learn.
“They know it’s their
only hope to get out of a life
of poverty,” she says.
The experience made
such an impact on Nelson,
she was inspired to come
home and begin working
on a program, Teachers
to Teachers, to connect
teachers in Oregon with
teachers in Kenya. She
says she doesn’t envision
it as an aid program, but as
a peer-to-peer relationship
that will allow teaching
professionals to share ideas.
She also says she would en
courage everyone to expose
themselves to eye-opening
experiences overseas.
“I ’d encourage other
people to travel overseas,”
Nelson says. “It opens up
your eyes every time to
how fortunate we are. It
gives you a sense of cultural
humility that we don’t nec
essarily know the best way
to do everything. It opens
you up to new people and
experiences.”
NRCS announces local work
group meeting
The USDA Natural Re
sources Conservation Ser
vice (NRCS) will be host
ing a meeting at the USDA
Service Center on Jan. 30
at 1 p.m. to gather input
regarding natural resource
opportunities and priorities
across Morrow County.
“Our goal is to bring
together individuals with
a variety of expertise and
knowledge allowing NRCS
and others to build on our
collective successes while
focusing our efforts to make
the greatest impact with our
available staff and funding,”
stated an NRCS release.
The NRCS is looking
for help to:
-Identify where the best
investments can be made
to address natural resource
problems
-Share the work that
has already been done in
the county
-Share residents’ vi
sion for what the county
will look like when these
natural resource concerns
have been solved
NRCS w ill be co n
sidering the information
provided to include in the
future conservation imple
mentation strategies for the
county. This will help guide
conservation efforts and
funding over the next five
to 10 years. The organiza
tion says community input
in this process is valuable,
as they will be using the
information to focus work
in the future.
Anyone unable to at
tend this meeting, but who
would like additional in
formation or would like to
provide input, contact the
NRCS at 541-676-5021,
ext. 113 or email kacee.
lathrop@or.usda.gov. The
meeting is open to the pub
lic.
Kinzua lunch group
The Kinzua lunch group’s December lunch was at
Service Creek. Those attending were Bonnie Campbell,
OL and Jean Ann Adams, Ernie Schell, and Bob and
Mary Lee Britt. The January lunch in Prineville has been
cancelled. The next lunch will be Feb. 15 at 11:30 at RJ’s
in Fossil.
i
A View from the Hill
By Doris Brosnan
“And what to their won
dering eyes did appear?”
At Willow Creek Ter
race on Christmas morn
ing, the answer seemed to
be “Something left in the
wake of a ‘miniature sleigh
and eight tiny reindeer.’” In
fact, in each stocking hung
with care at each apart
ment, a gift greeted each
resident, and each resident
must have been especially
good in 2012, since under
the Christmas tree, another
gift from “Santa” awaited
each one of them.
Residents viewed the
kindnesses of their Santas
as a wonderful gift with
which to end the old year,
a reminder that thoughtful
ness abounds.
No one saw in the new
year, possibly finding a
good night’s sleep more
rewarding. But the first day
of 2013 was a celebration,
beginning with a festive
breakfast that included spar
kling cider. Later, everyone
was treated to the delicacy
of crab, compliments of the
local Odd Fellows lodge
and of Colin and Erin An
derson, who have remem
bered the Terrace residents
in this way for several first
days of new years.
Joining the Community
on the Hill as 2013 began
is Bud Wilson. Bud is a
returnee to the area, moving
into an apartment on Janu
ary 6. His residency means
that one apartment remains
available, and readers are
reminded to call 541-676-
0004 for information. The
year also begins with some
staff changes at the Terrace,
as some familiar faces have
moved on to educational
pursuits and four new em
ployees have joined the
community. Cyndi Johnson
returned a few months ago
and brings years of experi
ence to her new position
as cook. Melissa Wolford
is fairly new to the area;
Stacey Sappington comes
to the Terrace from Con
don; and Janet Thompson
now commutes from lone.
Residents and new staff
members are building new
relationships, just as new
neighbors are doing.
Neighbors are sharing
time and conversation when
they gather in the dining
room but, also, when they
meet for daily exercises, the
Saturday matinee movie,
the library book exchange,
the games on Mondays and
Fridays, the reading of the
Gazette-Times. Oftentimes,
the “special observances”
provide stimulus for remi
niscing or lively conversa
tions or just some enjoyable
silliness that puts smiles
on faces. Yet to come in
January are National Book
Week (this week). Hand
writing Day (23rd), Clothes-
Clashing Day (24,h) and
Backwards Day (25th). The
NFL Pro Bowl will be of
interest to some residents
and guests, on the same day
as the luau, which might
sound especially good to
readers (always call 541 -
676-0004 in advance to
reserve a spot at a table),
and the Super Bowl on Feb.
3 will demand a party of
some sort.
Included in the partying
that Alvina Padberg did on
her birthday on the 15th was
her birthday lunch of ribs
and side dishes provided
to the entire community by
her family.
“Yum! Everyone over
ate because it was so deli
cious!” reports Manager
George Naims.
Residents and staff en
joyed sharing Alvina’s spe
cial day and, next month,
they will have birthdays
to look forward to for Liz
Buehler, Bud Wilson and
Anna Mae Steagall.
The Terrace Communi
ty is practicing caution dur
ing the current flu and cold
season. After having closed
to visitors for a short time,
the Terrace now requests
visitors to wash hands upon
entering the facility, and
would-be visitors who have
not felt well or have family
members who have been ill
within the previous three
days to, please, wait to visit
at a later date.
One good thing about
fewer guests: limiting ex
posure to cold and flu germs
has also limited exposure to
doors opening and letting
in the cold. The Terrace is
staying warm and toasty
during what seems to be an
especially long super-chilly
spell in the weather. The
residents view such com
fort with pleasure, while
viewing from inside the
beauty of the crystallized
outdoors.
DA’s Report
Morrow County Dis
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
-Jared Jack Salisbury,
26, was convicted of posses
sion of methamphetamine, a
Class C felony reduced to a
Class A misdemeanor; sen
tence of 180 days jail time
was partly suspended and
the defendant sentenced to
24 months bench probation
with 10 days jail time with
credit for time served. Total
fines, fees and assessments
were $1,270.
-Jared Jack Salisbury,
26, was convicted of theft
in the first degree, a Class C
felony, and sentenced to 24
months supervised proba
tion, to include 10 days jail
time with credit for time
served. The defendant was
further convicted of theft in
the second degree, a Class
A misdemeanor; imposition
of sentence was suspended
and the defendant given 24
months bench probation, to
include 20 hours of com
munity service. Total fines,
fees, assessments and resti
tution were $ 1,449.96.
-A n th o n y M ich ael
Shrout, 31, was convicted
o f assault in the fourth
degree-constituting do
mestic violence, a Class A
misdemeanor. Sentence of
180 days jail time was sus
pended and the defendant
sentenced to 36 months
bench probation, to include
60 hours of community ser
vice, no offensive physical
contact with the victim and
anger management evalua
tion. Fines, fees and assess
ments totaled $60.
-Tyler Joe Stone, 25,
was convicted o f Stran
gulation - C onstituting
Domestic Violence, a Class
C felony, and sentenced to
36 months bench probation
subject to 180 sanction
units with 90 jail units. Oth
er conditions of probation
included no contact with the
victim, five custody units
used for 80 hours commu
nity service, enrollment in
and completion of an anger
management program, and
12 days jail time with credit
for time served. Total fines,
fees and restitution were
$530.
Eastern Oregon youth writing
contest calls for entries
Young writers of the re
gion are invited enter works
of poetry, short fiction or
creative non-fiction in the
2013 Eastern Oregon Youth
Writing Contest.
W ithin each genre,
a $10 cash-prize winner
and an honorable m en
tion will be selected from
elementary (third through
fifth grade), middle (sixth
through eighth grade) and
high school (ninth through
12th grade) entries.
All prizes include com
plimentary registration at
the Students Writers’ Work
shop on Saturday, March 9,
at Eastern Oregon Univer
sity. Prizewinners are en
couraged to attend and read
from their entries to kick off
an open mic session.
Youth residing in the
following counties are eligi
ble to enter: Baker, Gilliam,
Grant, Harney, Malheur,
Morrow, Umatilla, Union,
Wallowa and Wheeler. No
previously published work
will be accepted, nor works
in translation.
Serving as the finalist
judge for the contest this
year is George Venn, poet,
writer, literary historian,
editor, linguist and profes
sor emeritus at EOU.
The Eastern Oregon
Youth Writing Contest was
initiated in 2011 through a
partnership with Fishtrap,
the Oregon Writing Project,
ArtsEast and the Oregon
Community Foundation.
Contestants should send
within one envelope a page
containing their name, ad
dress, phone, e-mail, grade
level, school, teacher, title
and genre of each work—
short fiction, creative non
fiction or poetry.
Writers should also in
clude six copies of up to
three works, without name,
typed in 12-point font on
one side the page. Title and
genre should be included on
each copy.
Students or teachers
and schools should keep
copies o f students’ work,
as manuscripts will not be
returned. Submission indi
cates permission to publish
in venues selected by the
Oregon Writing Project. All
rights, otherwise, revert to
the writer.
S u b m is s io n s m u st
be postm arked by Feb.
1, and directed to: Nancy
Knowles, Director, Oregon
Writing Project at EOU,
C ollege o f A rts & S ci
ences, LH 154, Eastern
Oregon University, 1 Uni
versity Blvd., La Grande,
OR 97850. For questions,
contact Knowles at 541 -
962-3795 or nknowles@
eou.edu.
ODFW announces
2012 wolf count
The Oregon D epart
ment of fish and Wildlife
(ODFW) has announced
that O regon’s minimum
wolf count for 2012 is 53
wolves, including seven
packs and at least five breed
ing pairs, as of Jan. 16.
The ODFW defines a
pack as four wolves that
travel together in winter. A
breeding pair is two adult
w olves that produce at
least two pups that survive
through D»ec. 31 of the year
of their birth.
The Oregon wolf popu
lation is determined each
w inter and is based on
wolves that staff has veri
fied through direct evidence
such as sightings, tracks
or rem ote cam era foot
age. The actual number of
wolves in Oregon is likely
greater than this minimum
estimate, and the 2012 esti
mate may change as ODFW
gains additional informa
tion over the winter.