The Umpqua Post
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Commissioners must replace sanitation board It will be up to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners to select at least three members to the Gardiner Sanitary District Board, after all five board members were ousted in a recall election June 17 (see story on A4). And, some Gardiner residents have already been asking questions. Gardiner business owner and resident Mack Holman who was the chief petitioner against all five board members asked Commissioner Susan Morgan, who is the western Douglas County liaison to the board, about the next steps. “The county’s role is to appoint enough members to a level there is a quorum,” Morgan wrote in an email response to Holman. “This group will then convene and appoint members to bring the board to full membership. If the county needs to appoint members, will do (so in) an application process as soon as the election is certi-
Thomas proud of district’s direction
fied, and will invite citizens to apply for the position(s) to bring the board to a quorum.” The election was certified on June 20. The commissioners are now accepting applications for the postitions through 5 p.m., July 7. Applicants must be certified by County Clerk Patricia Hitt that they’re eligible to serve on the GSD board. The commissioners will then hold a public meeting to appoint members. Morgan also responded to an email from Gardiner resident Ed Cook regarding the appointments. “I have also been told the people appointed may not be from the Gardiner area,” Cook wrote. “This just doesn’t seem like the way for things to go. In the first place, it will give the residents of Gardiner the feeling we cannot govern our own board. Secondly, this would be only for financial gain of
BY STEVE LINDSLEY The Umpqua Post
Jim Thomas is spending his last few days in Reedsport after two years as superintendent/principal. “I’m really impressed with the people in the district that I worked with,” Thomas said in an interview at the district office. “I’m going to miss the community.” He’ll begin his new job as superintendent of the McKenzie School District, east of Eugene, on July 1. Reedsport’s new, interim superintendent, Dennis Friedrich, will begin on the same day. Thomas said, overall, he is pleased with accomplishments in the district. “I have to look at it, primarily, from the aspect of being the elementary principal,” he said. “I think one thing that the staff has managed to do By Steve Lindsley, The Umpqua Post is pull together and Former Reedsport resident Bob King, who started the chainsaw carving chamSEE GARDINER, PAGE A6 move toward a pionship in Reedsport 15 years ago, works on his award-winning sculpture of common goal of Michael at this year’s event. King says it’s changed a lot since he and his wife, improving student Thomas Cindy, started it. King won the Judge’s Award and People’s Choice award for the achievement.” sculpture, which is now on display at Orca Gallery in downtown Reedsport. He said they’ve done that by focusing on reading. “We’ve done a lot of inservices on reading,” he said. “We’ve implemented a period of time in which students won’t have any interruptions and they concentrate on learning reading skills. Some of our BY STEVE LINDSLEY what we made this weekend. What scores, for the past two years, have The Umpqua Post do you think would be kind of fun in been on an upward trend.” Reedsport.’ A couple of folks who He admits those scores have not Another successful trip to follow us said, ‘Let’s do an angel. You been where he wanted them to be. Reedsport. did the Angel of Death, now do an “They’re moving in the right Former Reedsport resident Bob angel.’ Another man said, ‘How direction,” he said. King came back to the festival he about Michael?’ We decided to go for He said the goal is about 90 percreated and, as he has done in the that.” cent of students reading at grade past, won the 15th annual Oregon The Reedsport statue came level. Divisional Chainsaw Carving together in more than one piece. The By Steve Lindsley, The Umpqua Post “It’s a lot of work to get there,” Championship as a professional. His Grim Reaper was one large piece that Community member and Reedsport Community Charter School he said. carving of the Archangel Michael took 43 hours to carve. board member Jill Mast reads a letter to the Reedsport School He said he’s also pleased with the defeating Satan won both the Judges “This year it’s sort of a practice in Board. The letter asks the district to focus more on math educooperation of staff in both schools. Award and People’s Choice Award. wings,” he said. “Big, really cool, cation and, perhaps, shift resources away from other areas, “The other thing I’m most proud King had just returned from a fluffy, unique exciting-looking such as Braves Session. of is the fact that all the staff is on successful carving trip to the World wings on different sculptures.” the same page,” he said. “We’ve Cup in Mulda, Germany, where he King helped start the Reedsport worked on trying to improve stuwon People’s Choice and second carving contest 15 years ago. It, of dent management, in terms of bulplace, overall, for a carving of the course, has changed since those early lying. I think we’ve done that. Once Grim Reaper. days. again, not as much as I’d like to see, He took two weeks off after “It grew, drastically,” he said. but we’ve made progress.” Reedsport and will be in Ocean “When we started, Cindy and I did Thomas is also comfortable with Shores, Wash. everything ... just her and I pretty the decision he proposed to the disHe currently lives in Sumner, much. She cooked the lunches. She trict board that the district hire a Wash. had lots help from Leona, there, full-time principal, separating the “I do anywhere between five and locally at the bakery. She did the in the math department,” she There is hope to improve principal/superintendent position 10 events a year,” King said. “Some of lunches. I took care of all the wood. told the board. the math studies in the he has held for two years. them are competitions. Some of Once it was delivered I cut it, She said she spoke from Reedsport School District. “One of the things I’m also them are kind of like a symposium, thinned it up and placed it ... making personal experience as one District parent Jill Mast, pleased with is the fact that we realsimilar to one I did in Denmark a few it look like something was going to of her children was not getwho is also a member of the ized that we needed a principal with weeks ago. I did one like that in happen.” ting the math results she had Reedsport Community some curriculum instruction backAustralia earlier in the year. They’re He said the event now is done by hoped. Charter School Board, soon ground,” he said. “We’re moving in not all competitions, but they’re big, a large committee, including co“Currently, he has four to become an advisory comthat direction. We have a new prinvisible events.” chairmen Frank Barth and Bob del periods a day he can work on mittee, read a letter she cipal with experience at the eleAfter the Grim Reaper, King said Re. wrote to the district board at his math, but only one that mentary level and has the backthe angel was a natural. King says the event started with can offer him help,” she said. its June 18 meeting. ground, I really believe, is going to “We made the Grim Reaper over 25 competitors. This year there were “Often he is at school work“It has been brought up be able to help the district move there and we thought, ‘let’s do 45, including semi-professional and ing before and after school is many times by staff, stufurther forward.” something the polar opposite of international carvers. dents and parents that there in session.” The school board, at its last that,’” he remembered. We put that just isn’t enough instrucmet the new principal, meeting, out to a query of Facebook. ‘This is SEE KING, PAGE A8 tion, support or manpower Rebecca Lupton, who comes to SEE MATH, PAGE A6 Reedsport after 10 years in the Siuslaw School District in Florence. At the district level, Thomas said, he says he didn’t accomplish as much as he wanted. “I tried to pull the staff together Parents in the Reedsport School participate in the meal programs Reedsport. money will not affect district in a common direction,” he said. District will soon receive a letter without a fee or submitting an “Rhonda Hoffine, who is the finances. that most, probably, will welcome. application. North Bend food services director, “Our general fund is not affect- “Mrs. (Laura) Davis and I have worked well together, in terms of “Great news for you and your “We are pleased to inform you went to one of her regular meeted at all,” she said. “Because we coordinating the elementary prostudents,” the letter read. “All that Highland Elementary will ings,” Wilkes explained, “and it contract with North Bend food gram with the high school, espeenrolled students of the Reedsport implement a new option available was discussed there.” services, any money that we make cially sixth grade and seventh grade School District are eligible to to schools participating in the The district contracts with the is paid to them.” receive a healthy breakfast and National School Lunch and School North Bend School District for Wilkes explained that some of SEE THOMAS, PAGE A6 lunch at school at no charge to Breakfast Programs called the food services. the food served to Reedsport stuyour household each day of the Community Eligibility Provision,” Wilkes says every child will be dents is made in the district, while 2014-2015 school year.” the letter explained. able to get a free breakfast, a free some comes in from North Bend. The letter explains that parents Board secretary and adminislunch and a free afternoon snack She said it’s good to get the need take no action to participate trative assistant Rebecca Wilkes on school days. SEE LUNCH, PAGE A6 in the program. Kids will be able to helped facilitate the program in She says the loss of lunch
King of the Show
In search of the fundamentals
Reedsport students are eligible for free meals
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