The Umpqua Post
Weekly news from the Heart of the Dunes AN EDITION OF
Wednesday, September 24, 2014 | Serving the Reedsport area since 1996 | theworldlink.com/reedsport | $1.00
Reedsport schools enrollment grows by nine percent The first enrollment numbers of the new school year show the Reedsport School District has grown since the end of last year. The Reedsport Community Charter School Advisory Board considered the enrollment report at a meeting Sept. 10. The district ended the 20132014 school year with 581 students. That was down from the 612 the district began the school year with. The latest report, dated Sept. 5, shows 635 students in the district to begin this school year. That includes 356 at Highland Elementary School, up from the 324 students the school had to end By Steve Lindsley, The Umpqua Post the last school year. The breakdown of classes Former Lower Umpqua Hospital District Board President Dorothy Denman speaks at the 50th anniversary celebrashows 60 kids in kindergarten (61 tion of the hospital on Thursday, Sept. 18. Denman has served on the board since 1995. at the end of last year), 62 in first grade (44), 43 in second grade (46), 49 in third grade (34), 38 in fourth grade (51), 56 in fifth grade (44) and 48 in sixth grade (44). There are 279 students at Reedsport Community Charter School this year. That compares to 254 to end the last school year. The seventh grade has 46 stu-
dents (49), there are 55 in eighth grade (44), 52 in ninth grade (39), 38 in 11th grade (36) and 42 in 12th grade (41). The next enrollment report should come on Oct. 30. RCCS administrator Laura Davis said the numbers have already changed since the initial report. “Right after this was done, we got four new kids in,” she told the advisory board. The RCCS board has become an advisory board this year. The Reedsport School Board and interim Superintendent Dennis Friedrich will make administrative decisions regarding the school. The RCCS board elected Ron Dukovich as chair, even though he was absent from the meeting. Jill Mast was elected vice chair. Kristen Zetzsche, last year’s chair, agreed to serve as board secretary. Other members of the RCCS board are Davis, David Young, Michelle Williams, Laura Souther (student representative), Tragen Smart (student representative) and Susie Chaney.
Hospital marks 50th with a health fair School volunteers now
BY STEVE LINDSLEY The Umpqua Post
A health fair, tours, a helicopter on display, a buffet and a bicycle rodeo were the highlights of the 50th anniversary celebration of Reedsport’s Lower Umpqua Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 18. “I want to thank you for coming to our 50th anniversary,” LUH Administrator Sandra Reese told the crowd. “I’ve been at the hospital, now, for a little over 20 years.” Reese introduced the board: chair Liz Adamo, former chair Dorothy Denman and board members Lee Bridge, Tamara Szalewski and Cheryl Young. “It’s a lot of time commitment that they make to the hospital,” Reese said. She looked back at the hospital and the changes
that have happened. “A lot’s changed in 50 years,” she said. “We have an entire medical community here and we’re able to keep our equipment up to date and pretty modern, so we’re pretty proud of it. I think, if you toured today, you’ll see that our equipment is up to date and we have one of everything, since we’re small. But, it’s in top shape and pretty good.” Denman has been on the board since 1995 and just gave up her chair to serve as a regular board member. “Welcome to all of you,” she said. “Thank you so much for joining with us for this great 50th anniversary celebration.” She noted there have been lots of columns and stories, recently, about Lower Umpqua Hospital’s
Finger licking good
get background checks
The Reedsport School District is now doing background checks on volunteers. Interim Superintendent Dennis Friedrich gave a report to the school board at its Sept. 17 meeting. “The process is: I want to become a volunteer for the district,” Friedrich explained after the meeting. “I fill out a form that says SEE HOSPITAL, PAGE A9 I will submit to a background check. We then send that to a private company.” The private company charges $4.25 per background check. “They ship that back to us,” he said. “We scan that and look for inconsistencies in people’s records. If there’s something that we feel someone should not be in charge of kids or not be around kids, then I personally call them and talk to them about it and just tell them why I’m denying it.” Friedrich says there was no incident that caused him to begin the background checks. “It normally should be done,” he said. “There’s no incident that prompted it. I’ve just always done
it in districts where I’ve been. It’s a thing that helps me sleep at night.” Friedrich just came to Reedsport after four years as superintendent of the Fern Ridge School District, west of Eugene. He said he disallowed several people from volunteering with kids. The reasons in Fern Ridge, he said, varied. “There were specific reasons on the record,” he recalled. “I’ll just give you some examples. There were two domestic assaults within the last six years. There were more than one or two DWIs. There were drug offenses, not just marijuana but more severe. There have been pedophiles in there that were sent in. Off probation, but still on there.” He said he makes the calls himself. “I make that personal call,” he said, to say ‘here’s what I’m doing.’ Often times you’ll have people say ‘I didn’t know that was on there.’” He said he’s not sure if it’s a matter of people forgetting after
SEE BACKGROUND, PAGE A9
World publisher tapped to lead newspapers in Albany, Corvallis Steve Lindsley
Long lines and barbecue were the fare for “The Battle of the Bones” held at the Eagle’s Lodge in downtown Reedsport on Saturday. It was held in conjunction with the CDABA Art Fair.
New city staffer will take on development BY STEVE LINDSLEY The Umpqua Post
The city of Reedsport has a new employee, courtesy of Resource Assistance for Rural Environments, an AmeriCorps program.
Emesha Jackson has spent the past two years in Costa Rica. “I just finished up in the Peace Corps a few weeks ago,” she told a Main Street meeting Sept. 9. “I was born and raised in New Jersey.” She and her husband,
Jameson, returned to New Jersey to pack and drive across the country to the Oregon coast. “I’m really excited to be here and working with you,” she said. “I’m brand new to Oregon and
Jeff Precourt, publisher of The World in Coos Bay, has been named publisher of the Albany Democrat-Herald and the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Precourt relieves Rick Parrish, publisher of The Daily News in Longview, Wash. Parrish oversaw the Albany and Corvallis operaJeff Precourt tions from a distance the past two years. Precourt also will be in charge of the weekly Lebanon Express. Nathan Bekke, Lee group publisher, said a search will begin for a successor in Coos Bay. Before he became publisher of
The World in January 2013, Precourt worked in advertising at The Times of Northwest Indiana and the Canton Repository in Ohio. Among community activities, Precourt serves on the board of the Coos Art Museum, volunteers as a member of the Coos Bay Lions Club and is a graduate of the Bay Area Chamber’s leadership program. “My time on Oregon’s South Coast has been far too brief, as I have loved every moment,” Precourt said. “At the same time, this is a wonderful opportunity.” Lee Enterprises owns three newspapers in southern Oregon.
SEE JACKSON, PAGE A6
For news tips, subscriptions, classified advertising or display advertising, call 541-271-7474 or email umpquapost@theworldlink.com
We would like to welcome a New Realtor to our Dune Country Team... oregonhomebythesea.com
Bill G.
Susan B.
N. Floyd
Juli H.
901 Hwy Ave. Reedsport (541) 271-4779
Susan R
iley