FOUR - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 11, 2018
School board reviews emergency drill plan
Morrow County School
Superintendent Dirk Dirk-
sen reviewed the scheduled
emergency drill plans with
the school board at their
Monday night meeting at
Irrigon Elementary.
The emergency drill,
planned for Friday, Apr. 13,
at Riverside High School
in Boardman, will use a
mock emergency to assess
the district’s emergency
preparedness plans. Dirk-
sen said the drill will help
the district prepare in the
event of a real emergency
in the schools and will
also involve the Boardman
Police Department, Ambu-
lance and Fire, the Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office and
Oregon State Police, among
other agencies. (See MCSD
plans emergency drill story,
page 1.)
In other business at the
meeting, Dirksen said that
the school district will add
12 online classes through
InterMountain ESD. He
said that plans are to recruit
online teachers for those
classes.
He also noted an an-
ticipated increase, possibly
by 80 students, in the three-
four-year-old preschool
program in all communi-
ties, especially in Board-
man and Irrigon. He said
the program is “running out
of slots”, especially with
construction of a 120-unit
apartment complex under-
way in Boardman. “We
want to prepare for that,”
he noted.
He also said the dis-
trict is trying to get a price
to purchase two modular
buildings, currently emp-
ty and federally owned
through Head Start. Dirksen
said until purchase of the
buildings can be negotiated,
the district is working to
rent the facilities.
Dirksen also told the
board a triangular piece of
property on Elder Street
in Heppner the district re-
cently planned to sell was
actually gifted to the city
of Heppner in 1980-81.
However, since the transac-
tion had not been recorded
properly, the district agreed
to re-gift the property to the
city. Dirksen said the prop-
erty had a “good deal of
infrastructure on it.” “It’s so
small, there’s nothing you
can do with it,” added board
member Brian Kollman.
In other business, the
board:
-viewed a presentation
“Teaching with Intention-
How Irrigon Elementary
School made the shift to
standards-based instruc-
tion,” by Irrigon Elemen-
tary teachers.
-voted to accept an
audit proposal from the
accounting firm Dickey
and Tremper, LLP, based
in Pendleton, with board
member Barney Lindsay
dissenting. Lindsay said that
he felt the district should
continue to stay with their
previous auditing firm, the
Oster Professional Group,
CPAs, based in John Day.
The contract with Dickey
and Tremper is for a three-
year term with an option to
renew for three additional
years. Dickey and Tremper
are currently auditors for
InterMountain ESD.
-adopted a resolution
accepting and appropriating
unanticipated revenues as
follows: $1,000 from Fam-
ily Health Associates to the
Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School
football program.
-approved the first
reading of rescinded, new
or revised policies as fol-
lows: CM-Compliance and
reporting on standards;
GBH-JECAC-Staff-stu-
dent-parent relations;
GBK-KGC-Prohibited
use, distribution or sale
of tobacco products and
inhalant delivery systems;
IBDJA-Relations with
home-schooled students;
IGAC-Teaching about reli-
gion-rescind; IGAC-Reli-
gion and schools; IGACA-
Recognition of religious
beliefs and customs-re-
scind; IGDJ-Interscholastic
and co-curricular activities
program-rescind; IGDJ-
Interscholastic activities;
IIA-Instructional resources;
IIAC-Instructional media
selection-rescind; IKF-
Graduation requirements;
JHHB-Trauma informed
schools.
-adopted new, revised
or rescinded administrative
rules as follows: BDDH-
AR-Public comment at
board meetings; GBEB-
AR-Communicable diseas-
es-staff; GCDA-GDDA-
AR-criminal records
checks-fingerprinting;
JHCD-JHCDA-AR-Pre-
scription-non-prescription
medication-rescind; JHCD-
JHCDA-AR-Medications;
KBA-AR-public records;
KBA-FORM 4-9-18-re-
scind.
-approved travel re-
quests from Riverside Jr./
Sr. High School teacher
Rhonda Fox-Brennan and
Heppner Jr./Sr. High School
teacher Jason Palmer for
students to travel to the re-
gional Kidwind Challenge
event in Seattle and for
some students to attend the
national event in Chicago.
The Kidwind Challenge
events are mock turbine
building contests.
-approved changing
the May board meeting and
budget meeting from May
15 to May 14.
-received the following
enrollment report for April:
A.C. Houghton Elemen-
tary, Irrigon, grades K-
three-284; Sam Boardman
Elementary, Boardman,
grades K-three-352; Hep-
pner Elementary, grades
K-six-170; Irrigon Elemen-
tary, grades four-six-210;
Windy River Elementary,
Boardman, grades four-
six-259; Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School, grades sev-
en-12-167; Irrigon Jr./Sr.
High School, grades sev-
en-12-352; Riverside High
School, Boardman, grades
seven-12-414; Morrow Ed-
ucation Center, Irrigon-79;
total-2,287.
-approved the follow-
ing employment action for
April: resignations/non-
renewals-Tristan Holechek,
RJSHS math teacher, Vir-
ginia Kernal, SBE ed assis-
tant, Kevin Payne, HJSHS
half-time assistant football
coach, Steve Sheller, IJSHS
science teacher, head foot-
ball and assistant softball
coach, yearbook advisor to
the end of the school year,
Eric Solis, IJSHS junior
high assistant boys’ bas-
ketball coach; non-renewal/
termination-Robert Weems,
WRE sixth grade teacher;
retirement-Kim Carlson,
HJSHS head cook until
the end of the school year;
employment/promotions/
transfers-Katelyn Adams,
SBE elementary life skills/
Superintendent Dirk Dirksen
special education teacher,
2018-19, Melissa Dunn,
WRE food program coor-
dinator, 8 hours per week,
Tammy Ellis, SBE sec-
ond grade teacher, 2018-
19, Kaylee Hunter, IJSHS
special education teacher,
2018-19, Crystal Marquez
Lemus, SBE ed assistant,
Joselyn Piper, HES special
ed/foundational math/lan-
guage arts teacher, 2018-19,
Caitlin Shimer, SBE first
grade teacher, 2018-19,
Stephanie Simpson, RJSHS
advanced math teacher,
2018-19.
-heard the following
announcements: emergency
drill, RJSHS, Friday, April
13; teacher appreciation
week, May 7-11; budget
committee meeting, Mon-
day, May 14, RJSHS, 6
p.m.; next regular board
meeting, Monday, May 14,
RJSHS, 7 p.m.
Chamber announcements and
Students compete in Oregon
upcoming events
Battle of the Books
Friday, Mar. 9 – Friday,
Apr. 13, Willow Creek Val-
ley Economic Development
Group offers a grant for
Community and Public En-
hancements for south Mor-
row County communities.
The applicant organization
must be a local organiza-
tion, club, special district or
a governmental entity who
resides in the south Morrow
County service area; must
have at least a 50 percent
match (may include in-kind
and cash contributions from
local and regional sources)
for the total project budget
committed before apply-
ing. Contact the Heppner
Chamber to receive a grant
application and eligibility
and exclusions information
sheet at 541-676-5536 or
via email at heppnercham-
ber@centurytel.net. All
grants must be received by
the Chamber office, no later
than Friday, Apr. 13.
Thursday, Apr. 19 from
noon to 1 p.m., candidates
forum for Umatilla-Morrow
County Circuit Court Judge
at the Heppner Chamber
lunch meeting in the Hep-
pner City Hall conference
room. Candidates Michael
Breiling and Rob Collins
will participate in the fo-
rum, with Bill Kuhn as the
moderator. Lunch is avail-
able for $10 and an RSVP is
required to attend to allow
enough meals and seating.
Tacos Hometown will be
catering the lunch, offering
a choice of a small chicken
or beef burrito with bever-
age and dessert. RSVP’s
are required no later than
Tuesday, April 17th, by
contacting the Heppner
Chamber at 541-676-5536
or email at heppnercham-
ber@centurytel.net.
Saturday, Apr. 28 from
9 a.m. to12 p.m., 5 th Annual
Walk In Her Shoes at the
Riverfront Park in Herm-
iston. Walk in the shoes
of a victim of domestic or
sexual violence. Register
online at dvs-or.org or call
541-676-3322 for more
information. Registration
is $15 per person and raffle
Help Repeal Oregon's defacto Sanctuary Law
Go to: www.StopOregonSanctuaries.org
Sign the petition to give Oregon voters
the opportunity to vote NO on dangerous sanctuary policies
shielding criminal illegal aliens
from Federal Immigration Authorities.
Simply PRINT, SIGN and MAIL - it's that easy!
Do it today! 503.435.0141
tickets are available for $1
each or six for $5.
Wednesday, May 2
through Wednesday, May
23, Crisis Line training
through Domestic Violence
Services, Inc. When train-
ing is completed, partici-
pants will be able to answer
calls on the 24-Hour Crisis
Line and have the opportu-
nity to advocate for victims
of domestic and sexual
violence. Contact 541-276-
3322 or volunteer@dvs-or.
org to become a volunteer
and/or to get more infor-
mation.
Saturday, May 5 at 1
p.m. at the county road
department in Lexington
on Hwy 74 and 4 p.m. at
Riverside High School in
Boardman, the Morrow
County Sheriff’s Office will
be hosting a safety event
and a BMX show featur-
ing Robert Castillo’s BMX
Freestyle Team. This event
is free to the public and
there will be hotdogs and
beverages for everyone.
There will also be a bike
raffle, free helmets and fit-
tings, a bike safety course
and boating, 4-wheeler and
fire safety information.
Thursday, May 17,
Mustang Mop Up Day.
If you have a project you
would like to have the stu-
dents help with during the
Mustang Mop Up Day,
please contact Greg Grant
at Heppner High to get on
the list.
Battle of the Books team members were (L-R): Delilah Sauceda, Sophie Qualls, Journey Cavan,
Rebecca Ellsworth and Aden Lathrop. -Contributed photo.
Heppner Elementary students competed in the regional Oregon Battle of the Books
competition in Hermiston on Saturday, Mar. 17. The team made it to the bracket round
before losing to the eventual champion.
MS Join the Movement walk
scheduled
Pictured are participants in the 2017 Walk MS event. -Contributed photo.
The MS Walk to raise
funds for multiple sclero-
sis will be held on Apr. 21
at the Roy Raley Park in
Pendleton this year, instead
of in Heppner. Registration
is at 9 a.m. with the walk
beginning at 10.
Sign-up online at www.
walkms.org, register the
day of the event or plan a
virtual walk wherever you
are. Donations will be ac-
cepted at Murray’s Drug
in Heppner throughout the
months of April and May.
A bus will be available
for rides to Pendleton for
those interested in par-
ticipating. The bus will
leave All Saints Episcopal
Church in Heppner at 7:30
a.m. on Apr. 21.
For more information,
contact Merilee McDowell
at meri0120@gmail.com or
541-571-5853.
Participating in Walk
MS is designed to help cre-
ate a world free of multiple
sclerosis.
LES SCHWAB WOULD LIKE TO APPLAUD THE HEPPNER HIGH
SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB AND THEIR UPCOMING PRODUCTION-
Tuesday, April 17th @7pm
Wednesday, April 18th @ 7pm
Thursday, April 19th @ 7pm
@ HJSHS
Cafe/Stage