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Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 12,2013
ALLEN RETIRES
-Continuedfrom PAGE ONE
years. Don Cole, then prin
cipal of Heppner Elemen
tary, called and offered Al
len a half-time sixth-grade
teaching job. She accepted,
but not without some jit
ters about teaching older
students, she says.
“ I hung up and start
ed crying. M can't teach
sixth grade. They’ll eat me
alive.”’
Her fears proved un
founded; she ended up lov
ing the students and has
been teaching fifth and sixth
grade ever since.
“ It turned out quite
good,” she says.
In fact, over the years,
she says she’s had several
students in Heppner whose
parents she taught in Fossil;
the families moved after the
mill in Kinzua shut down.
“They (the Heppner
students) love to hear sto
ries,” Allen says.
Allen says that, in her
time as a teacher, two things
have been her priorities
giving her time to students
and making her classroom
a good place to be.
“ I’ve always given a
lot of time to students,”
Allen says, adding that she
would often stay late or get
to school early—once as
early as 4 a.m.— for kids
who wanted to get a head
start on their work. She says
she did it because some kids
don't have a computer at
home, or may have a noisy
environment with brothers
or sisters or other inter
ruptions, and may need a
quiet place to work. She
also made sure to make the
environment welcoming for
students.
“ I wanted the kids to
want to come to school,”
says Allen. “ I want my
classroom to be exciting,
welcoming, fun. If they
don’t want to be here, they
won’t learn.”
Some of the things she’s
been glad of over the last 25
years have little or nothing
to do with the classroom.
“ In 25 years. I’ve never
hit a deer...someone said
I drive so slow, the deer
would hit me, not the other
way around," she quips.
“I’ve never had head lice
or pink eye.”
Despite deer and other
dangers, Allen says a big
chunk o f her life will be
missing when she walks
out of that classroom for
the last time.
“The greatest thing
about teaching is that ev
ery day is different,” she
says, adding that she loves
watching her students grow
up physically, mentally and
em otionally through the
year. “ I’m going to miss
the day-to-day contact with
Community bank
honors customers
with lunch, raffle
the kids. There have been
special kids over the years,
so many special kids that
just leave marks on your
heart.”
She says she will also
miss special projects like
Tupper Outdoor School and
the Time Out for Reading
program, as well as daily
contact w ith many o f her
friends.
“My friends are here;
I work, I teach with my
friends,” Allen says, adding
that it will even be strange
to think of the year in terms
of January through Decem
ber rather than September
through June. “I spend more
time here than I do at home.
It’s gonna be odd.”
Despite the changes
though, Allen is looking
forward to retirement, with
no shortage of plans. Visit
ing family is high on her
list. The Allens’ daughter,
Elizabeth, lives in Portland,
and son Stephen lives with
his wife and daughter in
Phoenix, AZ.
“We plan to spend a lot
of time in Arizona, spoiling
our granddaughter. It will
be nice to be able to go
down there when it’s not
120 degrees, which I ’ve
always had to do before,”
says Allen. “ I’m looking
forward to spending the
winter time down there.”
Allen says she also has
a brother in Redding, CA.
He is the only immediate
family she has living, and
the two have always been
close, so she plans to spend
as much time as she can
with him and his extended
family.
Travel is also in her
future. She says four retired
teachers are planning a trip
together this summer, and
she and Dick will visit her
cousin in Scotland for a
month in October. She and
some other teachers also
are going to experience the
yearly stern-wheeler trip
on the first day of school...
w ithout having to keep
track of students. She won’t
lose contact with students
completely, though, say
ing she wants to substitute
teach in Heppner, lone and
maybe in Fossil.
“ It would be fun to
go back there again,” she
says.
On the quieter side, Al
len says she wants to write
a children’s book about a
run-in she had with wild
horses when she was seven.
Gardening, spending time
with friends and reading
also factor in.
“Maybe spend a whole
day reading a book,” she
says, a little wistfully.
“It’s going to be really
strange when fall comes.”
Teachers honored at
assembly
- SEVEN
Lovers Lane bridge
returns
City Administrator Kim Cutsforth, teacher Jannie Allen and
some Heppner eighth-graders joined past mayor Les Faustian
and Mayor Joe Perry for the official ribbon cutting to celebrate
the re-opening of Lover's Lane Bridge last Thursday, June 6.
Concrete for the ness bridge was poured Tuesday, June 11. In
late 2008, Paustian spoke about government to Jannie Allen's
then-fifth-grade class. He mentioned that the city had many
projects and not enough money to complete all of them. The
class held a bake sale to raise funds to help defray costs, and it
ssas a kick-start for the replacement of the decrepit and danger
ous pedestrian bridge. The bridge has been greatly missed by
the citizens of Heppner, and many will be happy to see it once
again open to the public. Pictured (L-R): City Administrator
Kim Cutsforth, Heppner Mayor Joe Perry, Kellie Eadler,
teacher Jannie Allen, Jake Lindsay, Kane Ssvceney, Logan
Grieb, Dimitri Schmidt, Sydney Qualls and past mayor Les
Paustian. Photo by April Sykes
Heppner pool offers
swim lessons
Willow Creek Water
Park is still accepting stu
dents for swimming les
sons. The first session starts
Monday.
Swim lessons are $40
per session or $35 with an
individual or family pass.
Sessions are: session one,
June 17-27; session two,
July 8-18; session three,
July 29-Aug. 8. Sessions
are Monday through Thurs
day only.
Regular pool hours are
Monday through S atur
day, I p.m. until 8 p.m.,
and Sunday, 1 p.m. until
5 p.m. Rates are $4 for
adults 18 and up, $3 for
students five to 17, and $2
for children four and under.
Senior citizens are $2, and
the family rate (immediate
family only, five maximum)
is $140. Individual passes
for the year are $75; family
passes are $ 140.
For more information,
call 541-676-5752.
Perfect attendance
awarded
The Heppner branch of Community Bank held a customer
appreciation barbecue last Tuesday, June 4. Along with bar
becued hamburgers and hot dogs with all the livings, the bank
raffled off prizes for south and adults. Above: Charlie Mullins,
age 1-1/2, son of Jamie and Shaun Mullins of Heppner, won
the raffle for a raft-full of fun summer toys. Below: Suzan
Lytton won the adult raffle for a new barbecue grill. Photos
by David Sykes
Heppner Elementary School honored two teachers at their end-
of-the-year assembly recently. Mrs. Allen (left) has taught for
29 years in Fossil and Heppner. The staff presented her w ith a
vase with her favorite poem etched on it. Mrs. Smith-Griffith
(right) has taught for 34 years in Spray and Morrow County.
The staff presented Mrs. Smith-Griffith with deck furniture.
They both received wooden teacher chairs with plaques for
their years of service. The students and staff gave them a stand
ing ovation: they will be greatly missed. -Contributedphoto
Heppner Elementary School recently awarded perfect at
tendance students for the entire year. Bottom (L-R): Keegin
Chitty, Morgan Cutsforth, Daemon Worden, Hayley Akers,
Chance McCormack, Cedie Dayandante, Alexis Cutsforth
and Serenity Rodriguez. Top (L-R): Cheyenne Shaw, Jorden
Sweeney, Charles Cason, Tiffany Akers, .lacee Currin, Claire
Gricb, Suzanneah Cason and Aaron Petzoldt representing Les
Schwab. Contributed photo
DA’s Report
Community lunch menu
Willow Creek Baptist and Elohim Covenant church
members will serve lunch on Wednesday, June 19, at St.
Patrick’s Senior Center. The meal will include barbecue
chicken, potato salad, cucumbers and onions, sliced to
matoes, bread sticks and chocolate pie. Milk is served at
each meal. Suggested donation is $3.50 per meal. Menu
is subject to change.
BURNING
Morrow County Dis
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
-Daniel Roy Walchli,
39, was convicted of: Theft
I, a Class C felony, and
sentenced to four months
in jail, one year post prison
supervision, with numerous
conditions, and ordered to
pay $6,300 in restitution to
the victim and $310 in fines
and fees; Possession of
Methamphetamine, a Class
C felony, and was sentenced
to four months in jail, one
year post-prison supervi
sion, six month suspension
of his driver’s license, with
numerous conditions, and
ordered to pay $260 in fines
and fees.
-Marion Ivan Taylor,
53, was convicted of Pos
session o f M etham phet
amine, a Class C felony,
and was sentenced to 60
days in jail with one year
post-prison supervision
and numerous conditions,
six-month suspension of his
driver’s license and ordered
to pay $210 in fines and
fees; Escape III, a Class A
misdemeanor, and ordered
to pay $210 in fines and
fees. Additional charges
o f Unlawful Possession
o f Methamphetamine and
Unlawful Possession o f
Marijuana, less than One
Ounce, were dismissed.
-Kristina Louse Moore,
25, was convicted of Deliv
ery of Methamphetamine,
a Class B felony, and was
sentenced to 38 months in
prison, three years’ post
prison supervision, with
numerous conditions and
ordered to pay $960 in fines
and fees; Criminal Driv
ing While Suspended or
Revoked, a Class A misde
meanor, and ordered to pay
$100 in fines and assess
ments. She w as also ordered
to pay an additional $ 1,060
in fines, fees and assess
RAFFLE!- I talian dinner for 8
You and seven of your friends will have a delightful evening
with amazing food In a peaceful country setting!
Effective June 15, 2013, the Fire Chief
of the C ity of H eppner is im posing a
C L O S E D S E A S O N for open burning
based on local fire safety concerns.
This burning ban is for the City of Heppner.
A rem inder that open burning also
includes a “burn barrel.”
The closed season will remain in effect
until further notice this fall as per O R S 478.960.
$5 each • ALL MONEY FROM TICKET SALES will benefit Relay for Life
Tickets can be purchased at the Heppner &. lone
Wheatland office and during Celebrate Heppner
Dinner prepared by Carr! and M issy at the Snider home
on Rhea Creek, with the Wheatland staff serving.
ments. Additional charges
o f Unlawful Delivery o f
Methamphetamine Within
1,000 Feet of a School and
Unlawful Possession o f
M etham phetamine were
dismissed.
-Christine Luzette Men
doza, 39, was convicted of
Harassment-Constituting
Domestic Violence, a Class
B misdemeanor, and was
sentenced to 90 days in jail,
suspended, with 24 months'
bench probation, 20 hours
of community service and
numerous conditions with
$440 in fees, fines and as
sessments. An additional
charge of Assault IV-Con-
stituting Domestic Violence
was dismissed.
m i sms
'Page Design
’Complete 5ites
“Hosting
Heppner
Gazette- Times
The date and time of the dinner will be determined
once the winner has been drawn.
676-9228
Drawing will be held during Relay for Life the first weekend In August.
J
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