School DayS
A visit to some of Kittitas County’s traditional and non-traditional schools
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On the cover
Contents Education in Kittitas County
l o o h c S yS Da
hools itional sc non-trad onal and iti ad tr s ’ unty Kittitas Co some of A visit to
Designed by Gary Peterson
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Damman School
Brian Myrick / Daily Record file photo
Living history, rural education come together at Damman School
Damman students raise the flag in 2014. Founded in 1890, the schoolhouse serves students in the Manastash area.
Bluestone Academy Local beauty school has produced more than 300 cosmetologists
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Discovery Lab Small, project based school now in its sixth year
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Operating engineers Program provides foundation for heavy equipment operators
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Playground monitor Roger Krening has worked with kids for 55 years
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Living history, rural education come together at Damman School BY KARL HOLAPPA staff writer
M
ost elementary school students start their day with the Pledge of Allegiance, but at Damman School, the experience is a bit more hands on. The students assemble at the flagpole in front of the 100-plus year old schoolhouse in southwest Ellensburg and raise the flag themselves. They salute the flag, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance and school pledge. At the end of the day, they lower the flag and fold it. Most everything about life at the two-room schoolhouse is different from a regular educational experience. Students are split into two classrooms, with kindergarten through second grade sharing one room, third grade through fifth sharing the other. There are approximately 35 to 45 students enrolled in a given school year. Students have physical education and music classes twice a week, taught by contracted teachers. The school also contracts a psychiatrist available on call and a speech and language pathologist who visits twice a week. Two support staff members work as instructional aides. Teachers Rochelle Bierek and Kristen Eng have been on staff for four years. Eng, who teaches kindergarten through second grade, is in her first year as a teacher at the school.
See Damman, Page 4
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Damman Continued from Page 3 Both teachers are Central Washington University graduates. Bierek said she was not aware of the school’s presence while in college. She taught in schools on the west side of the mountains and in Mattawa before moving to Ellensburg. “I didn’t know it was here until I moved down the road,” Bierek said. “When I got this position, I got really lucky.” Eng, who’s husband teaches fifth grade at Mount Stuart Elementary, said people are often surprised to find out Damman School is it’s own district. “A lot of people don’t even realize that,” Eng said. “We’re not part of the Ellensburg School District. We are our own corner out here and our boundaries are pretty small.”
Parents outside the district’s boundaries are able to send their children to Damman as long as there is space. “It kind of depends on the year,” Bierek said. “Some years there’s a lot of people on the list and then some years it’s not as much. It ebbs and flows.” Approximately half of the students come from outside the district. Most parents start their children at Damman during kindergarten, with registration beginning the first week of April.
One person, many hats Superintendent Marsha Smith runs the Damman School District, and has worked there since 1982. Smith is the third generation of her family to have attended
Damman, and was preceded by her father and grandfather. Both of them served on the school board. The school board has five members, some of whom have served for decades. Although Smith’s official job title is superintendent, she performs many roles within the school. These include director of IT and special education, accountant, human resources and payroll administrator. She helps secure federal grant funding for the school when possible. She even shovels snow and clears ice off the roof during winter. “Where else do you find a superintendent that shovels snow?” Eng said. Smith’s ability to manage such a large list of tasks enables the teachers to focus more on their
students. “She basically is the glue that keeps this building from falling down and keeps us moving forward,” Bierek said. Although daunting at times, Smith said her job is a labor of passion. “Damman is part of my family’s history,” Smith said. “It’s just important to me that we keep rolling.” The continued existence of Damman can be attributed in large to Smith’s father. In the late 1960s, school districts around the nation began to consolidate, with larger districts absorbing smaller, more rural ones. During this period, Smith’s father campaigned within the district to keep it from being absorbed.
See Damman, Page 6
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Brian Myrick / Daily Record
An iconic school bell hangs atop the Damman School building at the corner of Manastash and Umptanum Roads.
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Damman Continued from Page 4 “He was able to go door to door and encourage the people that lived here to continue to support the school and keep the doors open,” Smith said. “In his estimation, bigger wasn’t better. Closing the small schools and absorbing all those kids into larger schools and larger classes didn’t necessarily benefit their educational opportunities.” The district managed to stay independent, but again ran into challenges in the early 1970s with low enrollment numbers. “We thought the state was going to close down the school at one point because we were down to four students,” Smith said. The school managed to recover its enrollment numbers, and now faces a different challenge: keeping classes from getting too large. Smith said there is strong interest in next year’s kindergarten class. “We’ve already had around 12 or 13 people contact us about kindergarten for next year,” Smith said. Although Smith appreciates interest in the school, she explains that keeping numbers low maintains the functionality of the educational structure. “The very reason people want our children here would be lost,” Smith said. “We can’t be looking at bringing 20 kindergartners in. It doesn’t work.” Smith recommends interested parents to contact teachers at Damman a year in advance to get on the list, and to participate in registration as soon as it begins in April to have the best chance at enrolling their children.
Benefits and challenges Small class size and integrated grade levels provide students at Damman with a unique education not found in most modern schools. Bierek said one of the benefits of the intimate environment at Damman is that students retain information easier from year to year. “We start school in September and it’s like they just came back from Christmas vacation,” Bierek said. “You don’t lose everything.” Bierek said the close relationships developed between students and staff
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Brian Myrick / Daily Record
The playground at the Damman School building along Manastash Road southwest of Ellensburg. reduce disciplinary problems experienced in larger school environments. Bierek said these relationships foster a high level of personal development among the children. “I find they are very comfortable and confident in themselves and their learning because they’re free to take risks,” Bierek said. “They learn to work really well together and they learn to collaborate and cooperate.” Students in upper classes take on responsibilities such as answering the school’s telephone, helping in the lunchroom, and cleaning up playground equipment. “They work just as much in the school as we do,” Bierek said. “It fosters a lot of personal responsibility and they become family with each other.” Eng said although juggling three different grade levels can be a challenge, it provides its own set of benefits. “It allows for us to really meet the child where they’re at,” Eng said. “If they are a first grader who needs to read with second graders, we can accommodate them with that and vice versa. I really emphasize that the grade level is just a number.” Bierek said another challenge with having integrated grade levels is
lesson planning. Whereas teachers who only teach one grade can maintain the same lesson plans each year, teachers at Damman need to develop a three-year rotation for theirs. “You’re constantly in that state of learning and growing and tweaking and expanding and challenging yourself as an educator,” Bierek said. “I’m always a learner myself which is really cool and yet a challenge at the same time.” The district does not have bus service, so parents must arrange transportation to and from school. “That’s probably the biggest challenge for most parents that are in this area,” Bierek said. “I’ve talked to people that have said they would love to be able to have their kids come here, but picking them up before and after school is a bit of a challenge.” Parental involvement at the school is high. Parents plan a special lunch for the students once a month and bring breakfast in once a week. “There’s so many things that they do that we wouldn’t be able to do without them,” Bierek said. “They’re a really amazing group of people that work really hard.” Parents also help plan and facilitate events such as spirit weeks and field
trips. The students have visited the Seattle Science Center, Wanapum Dam, and the Cashmere Pioneer Museum over the last few years. The district uses school buses from Ellensburg for the trips. “We get a big school bus for our little kids,” Bierek said. “They think it’s the best thing ever because they don’t ride buses all the time.” Passion resonates equally between both parents and teachers at Damman. Although students are required to bring their own lunches, Eng said the school keeps a reserve of food in case a student forgets or doesn’t have enough to eat. “It just of kind of fits right in line with who we are here,” Eng said. “We’re in the business of showing up for our kids every day. We have that responsibility as educators every day to look them in the eye and say ‘If you don’t have a lunch, I got your back. We will show up for you and we will extend that grace to you because that’s who we are here at Damman.’” Bierek said the passion can be seen in the students as well. “They’re just really proud to be here,” Bierek said. They take honor in their school. They take care of it. They are proud of being a Damman Dragon.” ■
Congratulations to the
ELLENSBURG HIGH SCHOOL Class of 2018 Elite Scholars
Recognition for high cumulative grade point average and academic rigor of classes Madison Arlt Zoe Bright Camille Bruya Neave Carroll Madeline Douglas Emily Dittmer Henry Donahue Langdon Ernest-Beck Amanda Farris Kalli Fahey Avery Fisk Jesus Flores
Samantha Goveia Uhuru Hashimoto Heather Hickman Ashley Higdon Aubrey Higdon Elliot Hougardy Cierra Howell Melissa Hughes Elora Irby Emma Ihrke Hadley LaValley Elijah Lonowski
Ryan Lubinski Sidney Moore Priscilla Perez Audrey Piacsek Mia Reynolds Diana Rodriguez Benavidos Aaron Rosser Kali Schmidt Thomas Snedeker Cade Stevenson Raine Tenerelli Elliott Weiler-Boyer
Your community is proud of your accomplishment!
For more information on the Elite Scholars visit
ESD401.org Education
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Bluestone Academy has produced more than 300 cosmetologists By SHANAI BEMIS staff writer
E
llensburg may be known for Central Washington University, but it isn’t the only post high school education option in the area.
Bluestone Academy, an all inclusive beauty school in downtown Ellensburg, was established 14 years ago by Theresa Bugni. She previously operated a salon in downtown Seattle, but when she had an opportunity to move back to the east side of the state and work with young people, she took it. Since then, the school has helped more than 300 students become cosmetologists. “We like to say that the training here is real time, it’s more like being in a salon than being in a school,” Bugni said. “The students have the opportunity to develop skills here that are not offered at other schools.” The curriculum is based 10 percent on theory instruction and 90 percent practical learning, and the school allows students to get experience with services that other schools do not, such as hair coloring and Brazilian blowouts, a hair straightening treatment. “In Central Washington right now, we’re one of the few schools that (do this type of training),” she said.
See Bluestone, Page 11 8
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Beauty school drop in
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Bluestone Continued from Page 8 The program is a nearly a year long and students spend up to 40 hours a week in the salon. “Our student-to-client ratio is as high as any in Washington,” she said. At other schools, a student may see five or so customers a week, but at Bluestone a student will see five customers a day. This student-to-client ratio has been recognized nationally and has given Bluestone a reputation for excellence among cosmetology schools in Washington. As a result, Bluestone students have 100 percent job placement after graduation. Students must be 17 years old and have a high school diploma or GED certification, Bugni said. The application process can be accessed through the Bluestone
website, which also is where clients can make appointments. People who get a haircut or other service at Bluestone get professional level services at a discounted rate, and also further the education of the students. “We’re very grateful to the community for the support of the school,” she said. Caitlyn Alessi, a recent graduate, has known that she wanted to be a cosmetologist since middle school. “I don’t do well just sitting in class,” she said. “This is never boring, that’s for sure.” She has a job lined up at a salon in Bellevue and while she’s glad her training is over, she’s had a lot of fun in her time at Bluestone.
See Bluestone, Page 12
Jazz in the 21st
Valley 2018 July 27, 28 & 29 Historic Downtown
Artwork by Michael Swofford
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Cosmetology student Callie Baugher colors a client's hair at Bluestone Academy in Ellensburg.
Ellensburg
JazzInTheValley.com F I Education 11
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
ABOVE and LEFT: Cosmetology student Caitlyn Alessi works with a client at Bluestone Academy in Ellensburg. BELOW: Cosmetology student Callie Baugher colors a client's hair at Bluestone Academy in Ellensburg.
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Bluestone
2018 IN DOWNTOWN
Continued from Page 11 On the other end of the spectrum is Callie Baugher, who never thought she would be a student of a cosmetology school. She’s almost done with the program and will be graduating in May. She has a bachelor’s in clinical physiology and was attending graduate school when she decided she wanted to do something that let her interact with people more and do something that felt more rewarding. “I’ve been loving it,” she said. She grew up in Ellensburg and used to get pedicures at Bluestone, which is how she became familiar with the level of education they offer. “Theresa takes young people who are looking to find their way, and she helps them find that,” she said.
Bluestone Academy Where: 201 N. Pine St., Ellensburg Website: www.bluestoneacademy. com Salon hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Salon services: ■ Hair cuts ■ Color ■ Foil ■ Scalp massage ■ Skin and facial services ■ More
First Friday Art Walk* Hosted the First Friday of every month from 5-7pm – enjoy art and community in venues throughout the downtown.
Kick-off the Ellensburg Rodeo and Kittitas County Fair Season with a pancake breakfast downtown.
Downtown shops, taverns, restaurants
August 29 Ellensburg Rodeo Hoedown in the Downtown
A fun evening for the ladies filled with deals, giveaways, and pampering.
April 26-28 CWA Art Confab* Gallery One’s 2-day event focuses on financial sustainability, networking and inspiration for artists and communities.
May 5 Kittitas County Farmers Market Begins* 4th Ave from Pearl to Ruby
Harrold Overland c.p.a. founding partner 1946-1983
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CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS L. Wayne Johnson c.p.a. partner – serving clients 1957-1992 1580331
May 12 Children’s Day at the Market Rotary Pavilion During the second Farmers Market, enjoy local youth music performances, sign kids up for summer programs, and check out activities and treats provided by the merchants.
May 15-17 YoPro Week Various downtown locations Calling all young professionals! Join us for a week of events including free headshots, crafts, a pub crawl, and of course, coffee!
June 16 Dachshunds on Parade 4th Ave from Main to Pearl Dachshund costume contest, parade, tricks, and races make a day of fun for the entire family.
June 26 EDA Pint Night Iron Horse Brewery
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August 18 Rodeo Kick-off Breakfast*
Join the EDA at The PUB by Iron Horse Brewery to learn more about the organization and bid on silent auction items from downtown businesses. A portion of each pint goes toward the EDA, so drink up!
June 28 EDA Annual Meeting and Fundraiser Enjoy drinks, light appetizers, an awards ceremony, and learn more about how you can get involved in the organization.
July 27-29 Jazz in the Valley* Three day music festival with over 23 ensembles in intimate venues, all within walking distance.
*Not an EDA event, but worth mentioning!
Rotary Pavilion Kick your heels up with great music and some of the best beers and wines Kittitas Valley has to offer.
September 28-29 Buskers in the Burg Various locations, 4th Ave, Rotary Pavilion A weekend of family fun, music, arts, street performers (buskers), and an art parade
October 31 Downtown Trick-or-Treat Downtown merchant shops Bring your kids out in their spookiest, cutest, and most creative costumes for a trick-or-treating extravaganza!
November 23 Moments to Remember Downtown Ellensburg Shop local for Plaid Friday. Take the kids on a cookie scavenger hunt. Enjoy kids dancing and activities, and end the evening with the Streets of Bethlehem and lighting ceremonies.
December 1 Teddy Bear Tea Kelleher Motor Co. Kids! Come dressed in your Sunday best for tea and stories with Mrs. Claus, performances, and lots of teddy bears! Teddy bears are later donated to the Court Advocates for Children.
December 6 Holiday Girls Night Out Downtown shops, taverns, restaurants Just in time for the holidays! A fun evening for the ladies filled with deals, giveaways, and pampering. This is just a snapshot of some of the great happenings downtown! Visit
ellensburgdowntown.org for a more extensive list. The EDA works to strengthen our downtown through events such as these, our entrepreneur course, beautification projects like the street furniture, and general promotion of our downtown. Join us as a volunteer or contributor. Contact (509) 962-6246 and get involved today. 1735816
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Small, project based school now in its sixth year By KAYLA BONAR staff writer
P
arent Christina Miller said the Discovery Lab school in Ellensburg has made a difference in her kids’ interest in learning.
Learning in the lab
Before finding the school, her children became disengaged after moving from a Montessori school to a regular elementary classroom, she said. The Discovery Lab fixed that problem with an emphasis on project-based, hands-on learning. “The individualized learning is a really huge reason why we do it because it really seems to change the level of engagement,” Miller said. She said her kids are excited about school and no longer see it as something they’re forced to experience. The school, which has eight students, offers an individualized approach for kindergarten to third-grade students. The Millers have a small sustainable farm and they’ve had students visit for projects. When a student wanted to have chickens in his backyard as a project, the class went to the Millers’ farm and built a chicken coop. “Those kinds of projects are really satisfying for the kids because they get to see an idea come to completion,” Miller said. The program has grown since it started six years ago, said Natalia Parker, who founded the program with Tosha Woods.
See Lab, Page 18 Education 15
2018 KITTITAS COUNTY
Business Heritage 1896
1909
1911 KELLEHER FORD www.kelleher-ford.com
114 W. W 4th Avenue A
401 N. Main
www.snowdeninsurance.com 426 N. Pine Street
1945
925-1414
925-1911
1934
1936
1945
710 W. 8th Avenue
HERBERT SNOWDEN INSURANCE
602 N. Pearl
925-9828
GLASS & UPHOLSTERY,
1923
925-6174
LLC
211 S. Main
2121 Highway 97
920 E. 1st Street
925-2827
925-3777
933-7050
674-2430
1946
1946
1950
1953
Furniture & Appliance Inc.
Certified Public Accountants
www.shawsfurnitureandappliance.com
209 E. 5th
925-9876
512 N. Pearl
925-1475
1800 Vantage Highway
925-2833
925-5542 925-5442
1956
1961
1972
1972
Owned & Operated by Joe & Molly Morrow since 1973
I-90 Exit 106
University Way & Adler Street
More Than Just a Lumber Yard
Home of the Goodey Gallery
1791 Vantage Highway
962-4000
114 E. 3rd Avenue
925-3778
309 N. Pearl
962-2934
615 S. Main
925-6181 1730155
2018 KITTITAS COUNTY
Business Heritage 1977
1979
111 W. 6th Avenue
1206 S. Canyon Road
1987
1987
925-2505
925-6922
1984
701 Wilson Creek Rd.
962-2837
1988
1985
1116 E. Mountain View Avenue
925-7878
1988
Mini rt Ma OPEN 24 HOURS
500 W. Third
200 E. Mountain View Avenue
416 N. Pearl Street
1990
1991
1994
925-5397
962-7770
962-6416
in Kittitas 801 Main Street, Kittitas
968-3037
1994
“Better Hearing Is Better Living”
899-5318
4190 Look Road
962-5445
907 N. Hibb Road
601 N. Main, Suite1
101 Main Street, Kittitas
1995
1996
1998
2002
2109 W. Dolarway Road #2
205 W. Tacoma Avenue
962-9575
968-9111
Pregnancy Center of Kittitas County Free Pregnancy Tests • Caring • Confidential www.CareNetEllensburg.org
111 E. 4th
925-2273
933-7300
962-9282
808 S. Main Street
925-5577 1740532
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Discovery Lab students launch marshmallows with miniature launchers they made during a classroom activity.
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Lab Continued from Page 15 Parker said when she and Woods first started the Discovery Lab it was a half-day, homeschool support program with an after-school program. Currently the Discovery Lab has a single, multi-age, kindergarten through third-grade classroom with two teachers. The program, which is not religiously affiliated, meets at Saint Andrew’s Catholic Church in Ellensburg. It previously operated within Thorp Schools and in downtown Ellensburg. Parker understands that while there are options for alternative education, choosing to go in a different direction for one’s child isn’t always easy. “It’s different for people and that can always be a little bit intimidating,” Parker said. Parker, whose background is in education and child psychology, did a lot of research with Woods to figure out what would best fit their needs and the needs of families in the community. “We got together and decided to work as a team to provide something different, at least an option for families. And when we first started, we were just a half-day, basically homeschool support program and then we had an after school program, so we’ve grown from there over time,” Parker said.
Teachers Amber Yeager is a qualified
teacher who works at the Discovery Lab and was previously a teacher for the Ellensburg School District. When her kids were born, Yeager took a break from teaching. Yeager had considered homeschooling her oldest daughter when the teaching position at the Discovery Lab was brought to her attention. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to teach and do what I love and still be able to meet the needs of my daughter in the best way possible for where she’s at developmentally at this stage in life,” Yeager said. Discovery Lab emphasizes the social-emotional aspect of school. Because the group of children is so small, issues are easily recognizable and can be quickly addressed, in a variety of ways, she said. “Allowing kiddos to just develop and work more at their own pace, I feel like some of that pressure is taken off in that setting which allows them that freedom to work at their own pace but still be challenged,” Yeager said. “I think within any area of education there’s always room for growth and improvement and we’re continually doing that,” Yeager said. Instructor Kyle Bain has a background in music composition has been involved in the Discovery Lab for about 2 1/2 years. His duties in the classroom focus primarily on math, music and video projects with the students. “I think their favorite thing to do is probably telling sound-effect stories with musical instruments,” Bain said. They recently took the
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Discovery Lab teacher Kyle Bain instructs his students in the finer details of launching marshmallows with launchers they made during a classroom activity. story of Jack and the Beanstalk and made it their own and used different instruments for sound effects. For another story they recorded their own music for different parts of the story, an example of how project-based learning is incorporated into different school subjects.
Bain said with math it is obviously a little harder, but he still tries to put a creative spin on the subject to make it as interactive as possible. The Discovery Lab is hoping to expand to K-fifth grade in the future and potentially have two classrooms.
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Education 19
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Big-time education Operating Engineers program provides foundation for heavy equipment operations By KARL HOLAPPA staff writer
I
t’s hard to miss Operating Engineers school on Vantage Highway east of Kittitas — numerous big-city construction cranes dot the landscape, along with bulldozers, excavators and loaders. The school is run by the International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 302 and 612, whose collective jurisdiction
covers all of Western Washington. Graduates are required to join one of the two unions upon finishing the program. Graduates wind up operating heavy equipment and those massive cranes, with approximately 80 percent of them working in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
See Operating, Page 23
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Cranes tower above the landscape at the International Union of Operating Engineers regional training center along Vantage Highway, east of Kittitas.
Education 21
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Operating Continued from Page 21
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Students have classroom time during the day at the International Union of Operating Engineers regional training center along Vantage Highway east of Kittitas.
Annual open house
Approximately 70 percent of the attendees are local families curious about what goes on at the school. The turnout is impressive. The Operating Engineers Locals 302 “We did almost 1,000 lunches last and 612 training program near Kittitas year,” Administrator Ole Fjellstad said. hosts an open house and Top Hand “We always have about five or six competition once a year on the first stations where the general public and Saturday after Father’s Day weekend. kids, anybody can hop in the equipMultiple competitions take place on ment and try it out in a controlled the heavy equipment, and operators environment.” show off their skills performing delicate For more information on the tasks with the massive machinery. Operating Engineers program, go to Lunch is free for attendees, and there are www.oetraining.com. activities for children.
The regional heavy equipment training program was originally founded in White Swan in 1970 on land leased from the Yakama Nation. The program acquired the current property in 2002, and began operations on the site in 2004. Administrator Ole Fjellstad said the central location within the state was the primary motivator for the move to the valley. “You could buy 1,600 acres here a lot cheaper than you could in Seattle,” Fjellstad said. “Plus, we don’t have to deal with the mud here.” Fjellstad has lived in Ellensburg for six years. Originally from Texas, he got his start in the industry at age 18, working in the oilfields in Alaska.
Training The school offers ongoing education for both apprentices and journeymen within the two chapters, and is closed in July, August and September. Starting in mid-April the school focuses entirely on entry-level apprentices. Entry-level students are separated into three disciplines: bulldozer, grader, and crane operations. The school also operates a heavy equipment mechanic program in conjunction with Bates Technical College in Tacoma. The application process for the school is relatively straightforward. Applicants are required to submit a resume, letter of recommendation and proof of high school diploma or equivalent.
See Operating, Page 27
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Education 23
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Brian Myrick / Daily Record
LEFT: A student maneuvers a John Deere road grader at the International Union of Operating Engineers regional training center. ABOVE: Students utilize a Caterpillar AP1055B asphalt paver while constructing a simulated roadway at the International Union of Operating Engineers regional training center. RIGHT: Students train with Caterpillar D5 bulldozers at the International Union of Operating Engineers regional training center. Education 25
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Students train to operate machinery at the International Union of Operating Engineers regional training center along Vantage Highway east of Kittitas.
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Operating Continued from Page 23 Everyone who submits those documents receives an offer to interview in Seattle, Tacoma, or Ellensburg. Approximately 400 men and women apply to the program every year, and 50 percent are invited to a secondary, working interview in Ellensburg. This process takes four days. Each day is spent on a different piece of equipment. Many applicants have never operated the equipment before. “You’re paying attention to see if they pay attention to direction,” Fjellstad said. “They get on the equipment and away they go.” One hundred individuals are eventually selected to attend the 10-week course. “We’re just looking for a lot of upside is what I talk about,” Fjellstad said. “We’re looking at someone who’s going to learn, is easily trainable. They come from really diverse backgrounds. We choose people that have a little bit of aptitude to run equipment.”
Free tuition The school is free for attendees. Its $5 million annual operating budget is funded by contractor contributions from within the union. For every hour a union contract employee works, 70 cents goes back to the school. Students are boarded in a local motel for the duration of the program and are given meal vouchers. The Palace Café caters lunch. Classes are taught by a staff of 12 full-time instructors, most of
whom are retired from the construction industry. Class sizes are limited to an average of six students. The students are ranked every two weeks based on how well they are listening and moving forward with the program. Some of the top-ranked students receive job assignments before the 10-week program is over. “These are the ones that wind up being your foreman, superintendent, owners,” Fjellstad said. “That’s what we’re trying to cultivate right out of the gate.” The school boasts a placement rate of 100 percent. Fjellstad said this is partially due to the construction boom in the Seattle-Tacoma metro area. “When I started in this business in 1987, it was a lot more seasonal than it is now,” Fjellstad said. “Now it seems like they work year round.” Graduates must complete 6,000 hours of contract work and pass three ongoing training classes before becoming a journeyman. This process can take anywhere from three to six years. “There’s a journey level test at the end of each of those classes and lots of times they have to take that class three or four times before they can pass it,” Fjellstad said. “Some people go really fast and some people take a long time.” Fjellstad said the school emphasizes values such as speed, efficiency, and most important, safety. He hopes the values taught at the school will benefit all employees in the union, and not just graduates of the program. “There’s a lot of teaching going on a construction site all the time,” Fjellstad said. “If they get set in good work habits and doing things the right way, they tend to carry that on the rest of their career and then they can help others.”
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Education 27
Roger Krening has worked with kids for 55 years By MICHAEL GALLAGHER assistant editor
S
tanding on a windy, mid-winter day in the middle of the Valley View Elementary School playground in the midst of energetic children, Roger Krening can reflect on a career that has seen him in a similar situation for more than 55 years. “Since 1960 I’ve been involved with schools one way or the other,” Krening said. At age 80, Krening has spent the past two years working as a playground supervisor on the Valley View playground. This year may be the last turn around the playground, he says. “I want to graduate this spring,” Krening said. “My back, I have a hard time moving. It’s getting tougher for me. I’m older, of course.” Krening’s career in Kittitas County has included lengthy stays at both Cle Elum-Roslyn High School and Ellensburg High School.
Husker for life Krening was born in Nebraska, and is “a die-hard Husker,” he said. From early on, Krening said he had a good idea what he wanted to do with his life. “My hometown state of Nebraska was quite an athletic community and some of those people were an influence on me,” Krening said. “I knew in the fourth grade I wanted to be a teacher and a coach.” Krening said growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s, sports were his primary passion. “When I was a kid I was a gym rat. I hung around with older kids.” Krening said. “I was the gopher for them. Just enjoyed being around them.”
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School for life
Education 29
School Continued from Page 28 Krening may have known what he wanted to do, but he didn’t know where his career would take him. “When I was going to school I never ever thought of being in Washington, never knew where it was,” Krening said. A couple friends of his ended up in Mountain Home, Idaho, and talked him into coming west. “I spent seven years there and met my wife,” Krening said. “We were both teaching. Decided to go someplace for grad school.” The couple ended up at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Later, they also lived in Seattle where Krening worked for Bellevue and Interlake high schools.
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
Roger Krening, playground monitor at Valley View Elementary School, answers a radio call from the office during recess.
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Learned to love Krening came to Cle Elum in 1978 from working in the Bellevue area. “The Upper County was totally different than Bellevue,” Krening said. He said it took him a few months to adjust, but after Christmas break that first year, the tide turned. “All the schools I’ve been in I ended up loving the kids and the school,” Krening said. Krening had a varied job in Cle Elum. He was the athletic director and taught two classes, but that was just the start of his duties. “In Cle Elum you did just about everything,” Krening said. “I ended up being head football, head wrestling, head baseball, cheer adviser, assistant track and a bunch of other things. I was there six days a week, and it was my life.”
See School, Page 32
Brian Myrick / Daily Record
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Roger Krening, playground monitor at Valley View Elementary School talks with students during recess.
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School Continued from Page 31 In Cle Elum, he made relationships that would follow him through his move to Ellensburg. He met Dave Hall, who would become Ellensburg High School principal. In 1990 the athletic director position opened in Ellensburg. “Before (Hall became EHS principal), he was counselor and coach in Cle Elum and we were good friends,” Krening said. “I’d known him since ’78. At one time asked him what his goal was and he said to be principal of Ellensburg High School. And he ended up doing that.” Hall reached out to Krening about the EHS athletic director job. Krening thought about it for a little bit and accepted. Much like Cle Elum, Krening would fall in love with Ellensburg. “I always tell kids when they
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come in for tournaments, I tell them you’re visiting the best place in the state of Washington right now,” Krening said. Another key connection he made in Cle Elum was with Rob Moffat, who was a student at the time and would go on to pursue his own career in education leading to him become principal at Valley View Elementary School. “Rob Moffat and his wife (thenLisa Malcolm) were probably the best two students I ever had,” Krening said. Krening had a number of interesting students over the years including former NBA star (and now president of the Boston Celtics) Danny Ainge and former Major League Baseball player Steve Lyons, not to mention standout EHS student/athletes such as Ja’Warren Hooker and
John Hallead.
Valley View asset Moffat said Krening would occasionally visit him at Valley View as he made his rounds of people he knew in the district. “He and I have stayed in contact for 34 years,” Moffat said. “He’d drop in and say hi. I was looking for a recess supervisor. He said he’d love to be around kids.” Krening, even after retirement, continued to substitute and volunteer but when Moffat asked him about working at Valley View he’d fallen into a bit of rut. “I would walk to the mini-mart and have cup of French vanilla (coffee) and go home at 8 o’clock in the morning and I’d go ‘God, what I am going to do with the rest of my day’,” Krening said. “I’d
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eat Cheetos, drink Pepsi and read and I knew that wasn’t good.” Krening had long been a runner but his knees had started to limit that activity. “I needed some exercise and I was bored,” Krening said. “He’d asked me if I’d help out and try it for a couple days and did. I ended up being here full-time.” Moffat said Krening’s love of working with kids shines through on the playground. “He makes kids feel special,” Moffat said. “He sees the good in kids and looks forward to talking to them.” Krening said he admits to being mystified by the ever-changing nature of the games kids play, but he enjoys being part of that experience. “I just love to watch them,” Krening said.
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