Basin Business - Jan. 2015

January 2015

Basin Business

KLAMATH BASIN

Business

Klamath County Chamber celebrates 94th annual gala A publication of the Herald and

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News McDonald’s makes over Campus Drive locale See Page 3

Courtesy photo by Brian Gailey Photography

Klamath County Chamber Executive Director Charles “Chip” Massie kicked off the Chamber Awards Gala. About 300 attended the awards ceremony at the Ross Ragland Theater Saturday. See Page 2, 3 and 4 inside.

www.klamath.org

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Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

Basin Business

New Chamber Board president touts attractions Take heart in what we have to offer the world The 2015 Klamath County Chamber Board President Dan Keppen accepted his post at the 94th Annual Chamber Awards Gala Saturday night. Here are some excerpts from his acceptance speech:

All of us here at the Chamber want to lead an effort that will revive the deep sense of honor and pride that Klamath Falls’ citizens should feel about their membership in this community, inspiring those citizens to invest in the future of this economy, and urging the next generations to remain here, building their own futures right along with the community’s.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the marketing and concept of “distinctives.”

If not, “distinctives,” are those things that are unique to the brand being promoted. “Distinctives” are also very difficult to imitate.

Building both your messaging and your revenue generation on a solid foundation of dramatic distinctives is a surefire way to guarantee a high-profit, low-risk future for your business venture, whatever scale it may be.

I recently had a great conversation with Mike Connelly, who owns Green Blade Bakery about this concept. Mike and I came up with a few conceptual distinctives that I think will catapult Klamath County into a 21st century economic vitality, where we’ll see high profits, low unemployment, and sky-high community pride.

If a community wants to make big changes, not to mention big money, they have to have big ideas. I believe that these proposals, if implemented, would make Klamath County the most dramatic, unique, unsurpassable community and economy, in all these United States.

Here is our list of proposed

H&N photo

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., right, attended the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce gala Saturday night along with Dan Keppen, center, and his wife, Dena Keppen in the lobby of the Ross Ragland Theater.

distinctives: 1. Lake Mountain. Phase one of this project includes the construction of an active volcano, 12,000 feet in elevation, in an area very close to Klamath Falls. Phase two will focus on blowing this volcano up, reducing the elevation to around 8,000 ft., resulting in a very deep crater in the middle. Phase Three involves filling this crater with the clearest and bluest water on the planet.

2. Forests Primeval. This project would plant 68 trillion trees at staggered intervals, over several million years, until the majority of Klamath County is covered in spectacular forests. This project would also involve excavating and filling 1,000 mountain lakes and populating dozens of local streams with trout.

3. This is also another lake project. I like water…it’s in my nature.

I propose the construction of the state’s largest lake — immediately adjacent to the City of Klamath Falls. And we’ll import world-class soils into this area, and use that water to create an agricultural paradise.

4. Bird migration. How about we organize and implement an annual waterfowl migration superhighway that could one day become the home of the largest wintering popula-

tion of bald eagles in the Lower 48 states?

5. Pilot training. Finally, we need to recruit the world’s finest pilots, build one of the largest airstrips in Oregon, and house $1 billion worth of modern fighter jets and equipment, right here in our community.

If only, if only we had the time and resources to undertake such a venture.

Oh, wait. We already have these things in place!

It’s easy some times, especially near the end of an economic recession, to overlook this area we live in, which is already blessed with some pretty special distinctives.

We clearly have much to be proud of in this community, and I really believe in the past year encouraging

developments have sprung up that give me even more hope.

The Economic Development Summit is coming together and many local organizations are getting involved to tackle key challenges. We are seeing a local momentum shift in favor of a historic water agreement. The Klamath IDEA, Klamath Works, the Downtown Association and Main Street Re-development, a more engaged business community and a revitalized Klamath County Economic Development Agency, expansion of Oregon Intsitute of Technology and Oregon Health Sciences University, and the Klamath Community College workforce development program are all coming together at the same time, and the time couldn’t be better. I look forward to working with you in the coming year as the Chamber leads, connects and advocates on behalf of the local business community.

I’d like to introduce the new board members who will be joining us this year: Harry Mauch, from Power-Pack Party Time Rentals, unfortunately is out of town this weekend.

But our two other new board members are with us tonight.

Todd Andres of Pacific Power, will you stand up? And Sergio Cisneros – he runs a place that you may have heard of — Sergio’s. Welcome aboard.

Finally — Stan Gilbert. Three or four years ago, we gave Stan a golden watch as a thank you for his service, and, like California Governor Jerry Brown – he came back to lead us again, and he’s been hanging around ever since.

As anyone who has worked with Stan knows, he is a true leader, he’s brilliant, he’s effective, and he’s fun to work with.

Well, tonight — this time — he really is stepping down. Please join me in acknowledging Stan Gilbert for his amazing run as President and long-time board member with the Chamber of Commerce.

Thank you very much.

Basin Business Chamber Executive Board 2015 President: Dan Keppen, Dan Keppen and Associates 1st VP: Kathie Philp, Pacific Crest FCU 2nd VP: Willie Riggs, OSU KBREC Treasurer/Secretary: Rachael Spoon, Klamath Community College Immediate Past President: Bridgitte Griffin, Washington Federal Randy Shaw, Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty Jason Chapman, Chapman Ranch

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

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Ribbon cuttings: McDonald’s

General Board Ellsworth Lank, Kla-Mo-Ya Casino Mike Angeli, The Ledge/Yeti’s Lair Jennifer McKoen, County Cork Collectibles George Ormsbee, Cal-Ore Communications Werner Reschke, wrinkledog, inc.

Maggie Polson, Cascade Health Alliance Tessa Gutierrez, CASA Wes French, Kingsley Field Sergio Cisneros, Sergio’s Mexican Restaurant Todd Andres, Pacific Power Harry Mauch, PowerPac Rentals

Ex Officio Board City of Klamath Falls, Klamath County, KCEDA, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Community College, KUHS DECA

Contact us: Klamath County Chamber of Commerce 205 Riverside Drive, Suite A Klamath Falls, OR 97603 Office: 541-884-5193 Fax: 541-884-5195 Charles “Chip” Massie: Executive Director cmassie@klamath.org

After 15 years as owners of McDonald’s on Campus Drive, the Kelly family has shown it’s still lovin’ it with a newly redesigned interior of the eatery.

The owners hosted a grand reopening of the 2481 Campus Drive location last weekend to celebrate the latest remodel. “The reason why we’re in business is because of the community,” Jennifer Kelly. “We appreciate their business and we try to give back to the community.” At left, Jennifer and Jim Kelly show off the newly designed booths. Marcy and Jim Kelly have owned the franchise for 15 years. Their son, Ross, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer, have served as co-owners with them for the past 10 years. The Kellys also own the 1874 Avalon St. and 3600 Washburn Way McDonald’s locations.

Heather Tramp: Marketing and Program Coordinator Email: heathert@klamath.org www.klamath.org

Mark Fay, M.D. Scott Stevens, M.D. Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye

Edwin Tuhy, O.D. Optometrist

Jennifer Sparks, O.D. Optometrist

www.facebook.com/Klamath Chamber twitter.com/AccessKlamath

New Patients Welcome

2640 Biehn St. • 541.884.3148 • www.klamatheyecenter.com

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Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

Basin Business

Chamber gala nominees & winners for 2015 The nominees and sponsors for the awards by the Klamath County Chamber are listed below. The award winners are pictured in the following pages.

Ambassador of the Year – Presented by Stacy Ellingson Best Place to Work (15 or less employees) — Presented by Myra Schelb Sponsored by Klamath Basin Home Builders Association Presented to an organization that, through its innovation and dedication, provides employees with an outstanding positive, healthy and productive workplace.

Nominees: • Seasons Change Heating and Air Conditioning • Monte Johnson Insurance Best Place to Work (16 or more employees) — Presented by Rich Schmerbach Sponsored by Klamath Basin Home Builders Association Presented to an organization that, through its innovation and dedication, provides employees with an outstanding positive, healthy and productive workplace.

Nominees were: • Klamath and Lake Community Action Services • The Home Depot • Amerititle • Washington Federal • Marquis Plum Ridge • Cal-Ore Communications Spirit of Entrepreneurism — To be Presented by Kat Rutledge Sponsored by Klamath Community College Small Business Development Center Awarded to an individual who exhibits an entrepreneurial spirit, originality, personal integrity, and influence. Awarded to an individual who has taken risks in business (could be started a new venture, expanded into a new area, taken on a difficult project, demonstrates “outside the box” thinking.)

Nominees were: • Sara Irvine, Impressions Design and Marketing • Garrett Stewart, Blossor Homes (Continued on Page 5)

The Family from Gold Dust Farms won the environmental Leadership Award

Photos courtesy of Brian Gailey Photography

Developers of Gro-Volution, Oregon Tech graduates, were given the Big IDEA innovation award. From left are, Derek Pallett, Eric Wilson (Founder and CEO) and Nathan Leung.

Stan Gilbert, right, shown here with Chamber marketing director, Heather Tramp, won the Pathfinder Award.

Fran Johnson, with her husband, Howard Johnson, at left, was honored with the Chamber Ambassador of the Year award.

(Continued from page4) • Professor Doug Kirby, Klamath Community College • Barbara Bryson, High Desert Hospice • Eric Baker, Henris Roofing • Tashia Owen, Tashi Soap Company • Werner Reschke, wrinkledog, inc.

Environmental Leadership Award — Presented by Michelle Metzler Sponsored by Waste Management Awarded to any organization in any industry that demonstrates an alignment with clean energy or clean technology practices.

Nominees were: • Oregon Tech • REACH • Sky Lakes Medical Center • Gold Dust Farms Big IDEA Innovation Award — Presented by Adam Burwell Sponsored by Klamath IDEA Awarded to an organization in any industry that employs new ideas or approaches to doing business. Innovation could fill an unmet need, create attention, be different or better than existing products, exceed market expectations, achieve financial success, or improve business systems.

Nominees were: • Cascade Health Alliance/Sky Lakes Medical Center • Gold Dust Farms • Gro-volution Pathfinder Award – Presented by Bill Castle Sponsored by Lewis and Clark Bank Awarded to presidents, principals or chief executive officers for devoting time and energy to strengthen and transform the organization that they lead. This includes specific situations or initiatives where the recipient’s insight, discernment and ability to lead and inspire have guided their organization to a new level of growth, achievement and recognition.

Nominees were: • Kathie Philp, Pacific Crest Federal Credit Union • Dr. Paul Hillyer, Klamath Falls City School District • Donna Bowman, Klamath Lake Community Action Services • Sharleen Hutchison, Farmers Insurance • Heidi Wright, former H&N publisher • Todd Kepple, Klamath County

Basin Business

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

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Museum director • Jim Chadderdon, Discover Klamath • Chris Maples, Oregon Tech • Stan Gilbert, Klamath Basin Behavioral Health • Sky Lakes Board of Directors • Dr. Roberto Gutierrez, Klamath Community College • Dr. Steven Meneses, Klamath Community College Commitment to Community Award – Presented by Heather Crowder Sponsored by Klamath Basin Home Builders Association Awarded to any organization in any industry that demonstrates a successful approach to corporate social responsibility and can show a positive impact on the community..

Seasons Change Heating and Air conditioning were given the Best Nominees were: Place to Work (15 or less employees) Award.

• Legacy Furniture • Klamath Lake Community Action Services • Coldwell Banker Holman Premier Realty • MCs on Main • Waste Management • Gathering Grounds • People’s Warehouse • Klamath Falls Farmers Market • Pacific Crest Federal Credit Union • Cascade Auto • Holliday Jewelry • Hunter Communications • Mia and Pias Pizzeria and Brewhouse • Klamath Hospice • Klamath Water Users Association • Treasures Thrift Store Lifetime Achievement — Presented

by Sally Palcovich Sponsor Sky Lakes Medical Center Jodi and Rod Kucera, owners of The Bell Family, from left, Kendall, Awarded to an individual who has Mia and Pia’s Pizzeria and BrewJohn and Marcella Bell, were hondemonstrated exceptional business house, were given the Commitment achievement and outstanding commitored with the Lifetime Achievement to Community Award. ment to Klamath’s business community Award for their community work. over their lifetime. Must be a business leader in Klamath County and be a member of the Chamber. Must have participated in the Klamath business community for a minimum of 20 years.

Nominees were: • Ed Ormsbee • Rob Siems • Bill Haskins • The Bell family • The Bocchi Family Jean Phillips, left, of Amerititle was Tashia Owen, center, owner of Tashi • Don and Donnie Boyd honored as the Best Place to Work Soap Company was given the Spirit • Debbie Plummer Award for 16 or more employees. of Entrepreneurism award.

• Joanne Carson (Double-C) • Ray Holliday (Holliday Jewelry)

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Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

Basin Business

Eco-friendly mobile food truck takes to the streets

By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter

Reprinted from the Sunday, Jan. 18 edition of the Herald and News A local family has brought an eco-friendly flare to the mobile food truck scene in Klamath Falls.

Hewston Young and Elizabeth Baker’s mobile food cart, Full Plate, is powered by solar energy and a love for fresh, local ingredients. Noticeable by its bright, baby blue exterior,

H&N file photos

Owner of Full Plate, Hewston Young, holds son, Mason, as his wife and co-owner, Elizabeth Baker, looks on. The family opened the mobile food establishment in October, and have since relocated to South Sixth Street near Ross Dress for Less.

the mobile food truck is newly located on South Sixth Street by Ross Dress For Less.

Comfort cuisine, made with fresh, local ingredients, and largely off the grid, the Young’s gourmet establishment is a mobile food truck for the 21st Century.

With breads from Green Blade Bakery, beef from Flying T Ranch in Sprague River, and coffee provided by local roaster Quackenbush Coffee, Young hopes to offer food and beverages that reflect the area’s local tastes.

“I want the food that people eat to

be the reason people talk about it,” Young said.

Although word of mouth is helping to spread awareness of the business, Young shares his menu and location online and takes orders from mobile devices. He encourages customers to order online, even while they are waiting in line.

The food establishment is a return to his roots for Young, who grew up attending school in Bly, Bonanza and Klamath Falls.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Klamath Falls last May at the same time their firstborn son, Mason, was due.

The Youngs opened Full Plate in October 2014, where the food cart could be seen from Crater Lake Parkway and South Sixth Street, in front of Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The couple has since moved the cart to South Sixth Street close to Ross in December. The hope is to open two more mobile food trucks, as well as to open a brick-and-mortar establishment.

In the meantime, the couple aims to keep their gourmet food local, fresh and eco-friendly.

Even the food truck represents a local purchase, which Young and his family completely repurposed for food service.

Young has been intentional about his use of solar power to fuel his love for food, something he was used to, growing up on the outskirts of Klamath Falls. He uses biodegradable utensils as well.

He found his true calling in the kitchen, he said.

Young spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area cooking Japanese, French and American cuisine.

At his first job, he cooked for free, he said, a testament to his affinity for making meals.

“We hear people talk about things that are missing in this town,” Young said. “One of the main things consistent is cuisine. I like seeing people’s reactions to the food that I make.”

Young also offers home catering for as few as five people, including options such as sushi. He also cooks

Houston Young and Elizabeth Baker opened Full Plate, a mobile gourmet kitchen, in October.

The solarpowered family business is located near Ross

vegetarian and gluten-free options by request.

“W hat I’d like to do is redefine catering,” Young said. “Food is cooked on location — you get something that can be as fresh as possible.”

For more information, call Young at 541-887-0776 or visit www.fullplate.co. hdillemuth@heraldandnews.com

Full Plate serves up a variety of grilled and cold sandwiches, soups, chilis, chowders, salads and breakfast sandwiches.

Do you own or manage rental properties?

• Ever had a tenant pay the rent late or not at all?

• Has your property been damaged by a tenant?

• Do you need rental forms?

• Are you looking to save money when upgrading or repairing your property?

• Are you aware of the Fair Housing regulations?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, find out how the Klamath Rental Owners Association can help you.

JOIN TODAY!

4509 South 6th St. #314 www.KlamathROA.com

Basin Business

Biz Briefs

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

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Book store ribbon cutting

New IT service business opens on High Street A new business offering information technologies services opened last month in Klamath Falls.

Web developer and owner Justin Ivie opened High Desert Information Technologies LLC on Dec. 24, 2014, located at 707 High Street, Suite 202.

The business offers an array of IT services, including security and antivirus and firewall, back-up recovery, web design development, database administration, hardware installation, and more. Ivie also offers server repair. For more information, go online to the business’ Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/HDITechnologies or send an email to highdesertinformation@gmail.com.

New leader takes helm at Travel Southern Oregon Travel Southern Oregon, previously known as the Southern Oregon Visitors Association, recently elected new leadership. Bob Hackett, marketing manager for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is the group’s new board president.

Joining Hackett is newly selected president-elect Danielle Raines, convention sales manager at Seven Feathers Resort Casino. Stepping down is Brad Niva, owner-operator of Rogue Wilderness Adventures outfitters.

Travel Southern Oregon spans seven counties, including Klamath and Lake counties. According to Craig Ackerman, Crater Lake National Park’s superintendent, the group and Discover Klamath have been important in promoting Crater Lake National Park as the focal point of the statewide “Seven Wonders of Oregon” campaign by Travel Oregon, the state tourism office.

Travel Southern Oregon is a seven-county regional cooperative marketing association and official regional destination marketing organization for the state tourism office, Travel Oregon.

Travel Southern Oregon is a non tax-funded, membership-based, 501c6 non-profit corporation that and manages a $350,000 annual budget raised through regional cooperative marketing program disbursement grants, memberships and cooperative advertising programs.

Annual Winter Wings Festival ready to take flight More than 30 new activities aimed at keeping the upcoming Winter Wings Festival “fresh and interesting” are planned for the four-day birdfest at Oregon Institute of Technology’s College Union.

As is traditional, the festival will be held during the President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 12-15.

Sponsored and produced by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society, the festival will offer field trips, workshops, mini-sessions, receptions, and keynote presentations by nationally recognized leaders. This year’s speakers are birding expert Richard Crossley, and photographer Jennifer Wu. “Even if you’ve attended before, this year we have close to 30 new activities to keep the festival fresh and interesting,” said Anne Wenner, the festival’s co-coordinator.

Wenner and co-coordinator Diana Samuels said they’re pleased that Crossley, an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and awardwinning author of “The Crossley ID Guide” series, is participating.

For registration and complete festival information, visit www.winterwingsfest.org

Chamber photo

The Book Nymph recently held a ribbon cutting at its shop at 2261 south Sixth Street No. 4. Hourse at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 541-281-7414.

State economy ahead of average

By MOLLY YOUNG The Oregonian

Employment is up, unemployment claims are down, and the economy is on track to keep growing faster than average, according to a University of Oregon report released Monday.

Oregon employers added more jobs in November than any other month since records began in 1990.

And they laid off fewer people, too.

Oregon-based applications for unemployment insurance fell to their lowest level in 21 years.

Manufacturing and construction also perked up as the economy headed into the final month of 2014.

The UO said the positive trends helped lift a pair of economic indexes it tracks, suggesting Oregon’s economy will continue to expand.

The Oregon Measure of Economic Activity increased to an average reading of 0.60 for the three months ending in November, compared with a reading of 0.33 ending in October.

Any result above zero suggests the state’s economy is expanding beyond average.

The gauge weighs 23 signs of economic health, such as factory hours and temporary hiring. Only a handful of those indicators lost ground in November, including the level of new

residential building permits. Yet contractors still ramped up hiring in November, as did employers in many other sectors. Oregon gained a combined 11,200 jobs in November, although that number could be revised down as more accurate data becomes available.

The increased hiring wasn’t enough to chip away at the state’s 7.0 percent unemployment rate.

Although it held steady in November, it contributed negatively to the UO economic index.

A separate UO measure that tracks signals of future growth improved slightly, thanks in part to the falling demand for unemployment insurance. Initial claims fell from a seasonally adjusted 5,420 in October to 5,280 in November, indicating the “strong economic activity underpinning employment,” UO economist Tim Duy wrote in the report.

The leading index was weighed down by temporary hiring cutbacks.

Temp jobs are often considered an indicator of future hiring growth.

But Duy noted that those cuts followed a particularly strong month and the sector’s “general uptrend remains intact.” myoung@oregonian.com

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Basin Business

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015, Herald and News

Paid Advertisement

January 2015 Newsletter for Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28 Senator Doug Whitsett

R-Klamath Falls - District 28 I represent the citizens of Senate District 28, which includes Klamath, Lake and Crook, as well as parts of Jackson and Deschutes Counties.

As Senator of one of the largest Senate districts in the state, it is extremely important that my constituents remain in contact with me about the issues and concerns that affect their lives. You and I must work together to protect the common interests of rural Oregonians.

I encourage you to contact my office by either email or telephone so that I can know how to best serve you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best Regards, Senator Doug Whitsett

Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-311 Salem, OR 97301 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1728 Newsletters: www.leg.state.or.us/whitsett Email Senator Doug Whitsett: sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us

RESPONSIBILITY, DISCIPLINE & CIVILITY = HIGHER GRADUATION RATES? YES! Klamath Community College President Dr. Roberto Gutierrez led a group of 15 state, regional and southern Oregon educators to McAllen, Texas last month. I was fortunate to be asked to travel with the educators to learn how the combined Pharr, San Juan and Alamo Independent School District (PSJAISD) was able to so dramatically improve its longstanding education and social problems through innovative changes in its public education system.

PSJAISD is located in the Rio Grande River Valley, only 12 miles from the Mexican border. Approximately 99 percent of the district’s 32,000 K-12 students are Hispanic, 42 percent are English Language Learners and nearly 90 percent live in poverty.

In 2007, the district’s annual high school graduation rate was 62 percent, 65 percent of those who did graduate were not prepared for college courses and its annual dropout rate exceeded 19 percent. PSJAISD’s performance was ranked dead last among all of the school districts in Texas.

Moreover, the trade in illegal drugs in the area was enormous.

Gang activity, crime and violence were rampant. Discipline in the schools was virtually non-existent. We were told that the schools were nearly as dangerous as the streets.

Most teachers were demoralized by a largely dysfunctional school administration that simply was not prepared to address the myriad community problems. In short, the entire school and community culture encouraged student failure when Dr. Daniel King took the job as superintendent of the school district in 2008.

He was hired for the job because he had been successful in addressing similar problems as the superintendent of the nearby, but much smaller, Hidalgo School District. Dr. King’s vision and courageous management helped to correct the PSJAISD problems in only three short years.

PSJAISD graduated 86 percent of its seniors on time by 2011, improved to 92 percent last year and is on track for 94 percent graduation this year. The district’s high school dropout rate plummeted to three percent in 2011 and has since remained at that level or less.

Our three-day whirlwind trip to Texas was designed to find out how Dr. King was able to accomplish this phenomenal change in such a short period of time. We wanted to understand how we might replicate that change in Southern Oregon and beyond. What we learned was that his results are even better than they look on paper.

Dr. King recognized that kids generally do not leave school because they are stupid or because they have significant learning disabilities. He understood that most kids drop out of school, or fail to graduate on time, because the education system has failed them, not because they have failed the system.

Many students fall behind because they have missed too many school days. By every known metric, chronic truancy is the single largest reason for student failure, whatever the reason for being absent.

Too many students are so bored from the lack of challenge that they simply quit trying. Others earn enough credits to graduate during the first three years of high school, take most of the senior year off and end up getting into trouble.

Others get off-track for personal, family or legal reasons. Often, intervention by school staff is the only lifeline these students have, even though the problems are not directly related to schools.

A pervasive lack of school discipline leads many students into a sort of in-school, mini-anarchist culture. These kids are almost all destined to drop out or fail to graduate. That same culture causes fear and resentment in other students, resulting in them leaving school as well.

Dr. King realized that improving outcomes would require changing the school culture in a variety of ways. Students want, and must have, discipline. They want to be continually challenged to the limits of their abilities. They must be expected to succeed and be closely mentored as soon as they drift off-course.

His three-phase solution was both simple and effective.

First, Dr. King led his staff in personally contacting every kid they could find that had dropped out of school or failed to graduate during the past five years. They tracked these kids relentlessly.

They encouraged every kid they found to return to school to enroll in college courses. Of course, that entailed simultaneously finishing their high school coursework and graduating.

Dr. King wanted his teachers and administrative staff to make the original student contact, create the plans and follow through to ensure the expected outcomes. For that reason, he hired very few counselors.

King then required his staff and teachers to work individually with every returning student to determine why each one failed to complete their high school curriculum. They were instructed to create individual plans for each student to get back on track.

Finally, he “dual enrolled” all of these students in both high school and college courses. This action created both the needed challenge and the incentive to succeed.

Nearly 1,400 of these former dropouts have since graduated high school. More than 1,000 are progressing in college courses. Nearly 300 have already graduated college or earned a vocational certificate.

Dr. King is also using dual enrollment and individual education plans to encourage struggling students before they fall behind and drop out. He insists that his staff believes that every kid counts, every time.

It is hard to argue with consistent success.

PSJAISD’s graduation rates have risen 50 percent, from 62 percent to the mid-90s. The need for remedial education has plummeted by threefourths. More than half of the district’s seniors have already earned a full year of college credit before they graduate. Their transition to college or vocational studies has already been accomplished.

Dr. King’s programs are not restricted to “the best” students. Nearly two-thirds of the district’s seniors have earned three or more college credits.

They are on track to confer two-year college degrees or certificates to about 80 high school seniors before they graduate from high school this year. His district’s junior class is on track to earn about 120 college degrees.

The entire education culture has changed dramatically in this school district. It is no longer “cool” to be disruptive and unproductive. The student body is policing its own students through positive peer pressure, and this approach is working beyond expectations.

The schools that we visited are safe, clean and orderly. The students take great pride in their education achievement, as well their discipline and civility. The entire institution is focused on starting college courses early, working hard, graduating from college and completing students’ transitions from poverty to productive middle-class citizens.

The current costs of Dr. King’s successful programs are actually less than the district was spending on the failed system that was in place before he arrived on the scene. The long-term dollar savings from the acceleration of the education progress will be substantial, from elementary schools through university and post graduate studies. The future benefits to students and their families are virtually incalculable.

I cannot identify a single area in Oregon where the social, economic and cultural problems even start to approach the magnitude of the difficulties found in the Rio Grande Valley. Because of that, Dr. King’s programs would work just as well in Klamath County or anywhere in Oregon.

I believe that we should follow his example and leadership with some of the same fortitude he has displayed in achieving his mission. To that end, we convened a meeting of about 30 Southern Oregon K-12, Community College and University educators in Ashland on Jan. 9. It was attended by a bipartisan, bicameral representation of Southern Oregon Legislators.

Our purpose was to determine the level of support for creating a similar “pilot program” in Southern Oregon. The response was a unanimous, enthusiastic endorsement by everyone present!

We are now working to “sell” the plan to the remainder of Southern Oregon legislators and educators. The next step will be to develop broad legislative support for the needed funding to implement an accelerated regional program.

Oregon compensates its school districts by the average number of students enrolled in school. Texas compensates its school districts by the average number of students actually attending school.

The difference provides a much greater incentive for Texas schools to combat truancy and non- attendance. We know that failure to attend school is by far the strongest metric for student failure. For that reason, I have drafted a bill to change Oregon’s funding formula to reflect student attendance rather than enrollment.

Like Dr. Daniel King, we must never lose sight of the fact that when it comes to education, every kid counts.

Please remember, if we do not stand up for rural Oregon no one will.

Best regards, Doug Follow the link below to subscribe to an electronic version of my weekly legislative newsletter updates: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/ ORLEG/subscriber/new?topic_id=ORLEG_30.