Bulletin Daily Paper 06/10/10

Page 1

8 seconds in Sisters

Is organic really healthier? New study shows the evidence is slim

Cowboys, -girls flock to compete this weekend • SPORTS, D1

HEALTH, F1

WEATHER TODAY

THURSDAY

Partly cloudy with scattered showers High 58, Low 35 Page C6

• June 10, 2010 50¢

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Epic’s quiet revival Kit airplane maker rebuilding from bankruptcy • BUSINESS, B1 COCC

By Sheila G. Miller

Alpine peril rising

Budget picture improving for college

The Bulletin

Bend-La Pine Schools’ teachers have approved a change to their contract that will allow the district to cut two days from the end of the school year and eliminate five days from next year’s calendar. Bend Education Association President Bob Markland said Wednesday while the vote wasn’t overwhelmingly supportive of the elimination of school days, teachers agreed to the memorandum of understanding. “They care a ton about kids and about what they do for a living, and it was a situation where they felt there was no better option,” Markland said. “They don’t want to see their colleagues lose their jobs or put students on the spot.” Markland declined to say what percent of the association supported the cuts. “It wasn’t as highly supported as the previous concession,” he said. “Several schools, if they’d made the decision by site, would have rejected this.” See Schools / A4

Booming enrollment keeps finances stable amidst funding cuts By Sheila G. Miller

State to cut deep into Central Oregon services

The Bulletin

As school districts and teachers unions around the region struggle with budget cuts, Central Oregon Community College on Wednesday approved a budget nearly unaffected by the state budget shortfall. Because the college has seen such significant enrollment growth over the past three years and watched its state funding shrink by more than $2 million since 2007, the state’s budget woes haven’t had as much effect on COCC’s plans for the 2010-11 school year, unlike other education entities that depend primarily on state funding to pay for programs.

Kulongoski’s cuts will affect COCC The college has a roughly $35 million operating budget for 2010-11. On May 25, Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced that state agencies supported by taxes, like K-12 schools, community colleges and universities must cut about 9 percent for the final 12 months of the 2009-11 biennium in order to deal with an expected half-billion dollar shortfall. See COCC / A5

Bend-La Pine teachers OK fewer days

By Kate Ramsayer The Bulletin

Courtesy of Jon Tapper

Weekend avalanche on North Sister prompts warnings

R

ecent late spring weather, with heavy rains and higher temperatures, brings a risk of avalanches, said Jon Tapper, vice president of the Central Oregon Avalanche Association. Tapper took this picture of a slide on the north side of North Sister. The

area of the avalanche is outlined. Chris Sabo, a trails specialist with the Deschutes National Forest, also cautioned backcountry adventurers to be aware of the potential for slides. “Anybody using (the area) should have a rudimentary background of being able to identify these potential slide areas,” he said. For the full story, see Page C1

State agencies plan to make cuts to pre-kindergarten programs, delay hiring firefighters, leave Oregon State Police trooper positions unfilled and more in order to make up for a predicted $577 million budget shortfall. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has told the agencies to cut 9 percent from the last 12 months of the 2009-11 biennium. While several Central Oregon school districts have already decided to trim days from the end of the school year, on Wednesday the agencies announced other programs and services that would be affected. The proposed cuts for the Oregon State Police include about $6.7 million from the patrol and criminal divisions. No layoffs are included in the plan, but Administrative Services Director Ramona Roadamaker said the department will have to cancel three rounds of training scheduled for new trooper recruits between July and February. As a result, about 50 open sworn officer positions will not be filled. “Basically, if anyone retires or changes jobs, we get these vacancies … With 50 positions, that’s going to have an impact,” she said. See Cuts / A4

Californians create wide-open primaries Independents get boost

Correction In the photo above, Eliza Miller, left, was Summit High School’s 2010 valedictorian and Austin Hill was salutatorian. Miller’s name was misspelled in the Class of 2010 insert in the Wednesday, June 9, edition of The Bulletin. The Bulletin regrets the error.

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more attention to the electoral process. Critics of the measure say it will give a huge advantage to candidates who By Jesse McKinley have the most money or the widest name New York Times News Service recognition. SAN FRANCISCO — The time for That no one actually knows what tinkering is done. the real effect of Proposition 14 will be That was the message Californians seems almost beside the point to frussent when they voted Tuesday to radi- trated voters. What mattered, supportcally rejigger elections in the ers said, is that something nation’s most populous state. A N A L Y S I S fundamental about politics — Under Proposition 14, a meaanything fundamental — had sure that easily passed, tradibeen changed. tional party primaries will be replaced As supporters celebrated, they promin 2011 with wide-open elections. ised to bring the so-called “top two” sysThe top two vote-getters — whatever tem to a state near you, with Gov. Arnold their party, or if they have no party at all Schwarzenegger leading the charge — will face off in the general election. — although his second term, plagued by Supporters argue that without par- budget meltdowns and plunging poputies picking candidates for the general larity, was, analysts said, one of the leadelection, moderates and independents ing motivators for the measure. will move to the fore, and voters will pay See Primary / A5

The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper

Vol. 107, No. 161, 42 pages, 7 sections

INDEX Abby

E2

Business

B1-6

Calendar

E3

Classified

G1-6

Health

F1-6

Obituaries

Crossword E5, G2

Local

C1-6

Outing

E1-6

TV listings

E2

Editorial

Movies

E3

Sports

D1-6

Weather

C6

C4

C5

Stocks

B4-5

Oregon’s closed primary Primaries in Oregon are closed. Only registered members of a political party can vote in that party’s primary. Registered Republicans get ballots listing Republican candidates for partisan offices. Democrats get ballots with Democratic candidates. Nonaffiliated voters get ballots containing candidates for nonpartisan positions. Those candidates also appear on partisan ballots. The winners of partisan primaries, usually a Democrat and a Republican, then face each other in a general

election. Former Secretary of State Phil Keisling, a Democrat, and former Secretary of State Norma Paulus, a Republican, have pushed to change the primaries. The most recent attempt to change Oregon law was with Ballot Measure 65 in 2008. Under that measure, everyone would have gotten the same ballot in the primary. The two top vote-getters in partisan races would have advanced to the general election, no matter what their party affiliation was. It failed. — Bulletin staff reports

TOP NEWS INSIDE GAZA: President Obama urges new approach to blockade, pledges $400M in aid, Page A3


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